New start for the Automechanika

After a 2-year gap, Ruzicka Promotion (CZ) and Selson (UK/AU) representatives could meet again at Automechanika Frankfurt to successfully do their jobs. For Ruzicka the task was to hand over the newly manufactured exhibition stand to Selson, the Selson’s job was to begin their successful presentation at the well-known trade fair focused on the automotive aftermarket. I hope that both sides performed well.

I had a great opportunity to chat with Simon Young, sales and marketing manager of Selson about their presence at Automechanika 2022 which just finished. Simon brought us fresh insight into the 2022 round of the trade fair.

Hello, Simon. Welcome and thank you for your time. Let me ask you a few questions regarding your presence at Automechanika 2022.

1) How would you describe shortly your presence at the fair in 2022?

Automechanika gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our product to a global audience, we get to connect with current customers, and prospective buyers, present new ideas and get a feel for what the market is like.

2) During the Covid pandemic when companies shifted mainly to digital platforms for selling their products, many doubts appeared among people about the usefulness of trade fairs. How do you see it personally? Is participation in Automechanika important for Selson’s sales numbers? Trade fairs usually do provide a boost to sales however it’s not always the most critical aspect. Getting in front of people, demonstrating the product and obtaining feedback from the market are all important factors that help when deciding the next path to take.

3) How would you assess the number of exhibitors and visitors in 2022 compared with the pre-Covid era? Is the participation lower, the same, or higher?

It certainly felt lower. Some of the halls were not finished to the same high standards that Automechanika has achieved in the past but we also felt that the quality of the leads improved, perhaps because there seemed to be fewer people in attendance.

4) Did you have a chance to see other exhibiting companies and their products? Do you think the portfolio of products shown has changed since 2018? Especially in a sense of transformation of the automotive industry (e.g. digitalization, alternative drives)

In some halls, there were innovations that are in line with where much of the industry appears to be heading at the moment. It was disappointing that the vehicle manufacturers didn’t appear to attend (that we could find, anyway). Certainly, there were more electric drives on display than I remember seeing in previous years.

5) Were you satisfied with your exhibition stand made by Ruzicka Promotion? Do you think about some changes in the design for Automechanika 2024?

We were very satisfied and we’ll be leaving the construction of 2024 up to Ruzicka. I’d like to tell you all about our plans for 2024, but that would ruin the surprise…

Thank you for your answers and your precious time :-)

Text by: Lucie Strnadova