Trade shows Reifen, Automechanika in global link-up

ERJ staff report (PR)

Essen, Germany – The Reifen tire industry trade fair will in future be run under a partnership with Automechanika, their respective organisers Messe Essen and Messe Frankfurt have announced.

The deal, which kicks in after Reifen 2016 in Essen, is intended to exploit market and organisational synergies between the events, with a particular focus on their international audiences.

While Reifen is dedicated to the tire sector, Automechanika targets the automotive aftermarket, particularly the garage, service and trading industries. Overseas companies represent around 70 percent of Reifen's exhibitors and 80 percent of those at Automechanika.

In addition to Frankfurt, the partnership will initially relate to Automechanika events in Chicago, Delhi, Istanbul, Moscow and New Delhi. Messe Essen will, however, remain home for the Refien show.

"Due to the co-operation, we are improving the garage and car service sectors in Essen, and are extending the value-added chain at Reifen," Olivier Kuhrt, chairman and CEO of Messe Essen, said at press conference at the start of Reifen 2014, being held 27-30 May in Essen.

Refien, added Kuhrt, will be able to leverage the global reach of Automechanika's 14 trade fairs around the world, without having to build up its own structures to do so. Messe Essen will, therefore, support its exhibitors in participating in Automechanika events at home and abroad.

For his part, Detlief Braun, managing director of Messe Frankfuurt said the event would expand the company's tire-sector focus, which is already a significant part of the Automechanika portfolio.

"In the series of our 14 Automechanika fairs, there are a few which are already strongly set up in the field of tires," said Braun. These, he noted, include events in Dubai, Johannesburg, Moscow and Istanbul.