REIFEN global tire expo unites with September’s Automechanika Frankfurt trade show
Having previously been presented as a stand-alone event in Essen, Germany, the long-running REIFEN tire industry show is gaining additional international traction as it is now being held alongside the vast Sept. 11-15 Automechanika Frankfurt exposition.
He points out that “we are investing in tires and tire services because it is a field that belongs in Frankfurt. With this insider program we are inviting tire dealers to come and experience Automechanika and its unrivalled product range live and in-person. They can see the synergies of the tire and equipment industries.”
For firms looking to set up a booth, “There is no deadline, but space is limited. We invite any interested business to get in touch with us,” says Musshoff, directing inquiries to REIFEN sales manager Kerstin Prassl. (Phone: +49-69-7575-5833; fax +49-69-7575-5908; [email protected].)
“As an exhibitor at REIFEN, you are able to reach the right trade visitors, new target groups and an international array of top decision-makers,” according to Prassl. “The industry’s decision-makers come to Frankfurt from around the globe. Present your company at REIFEN and establish important business contacts. With a wide-ranging supporting program offering expert presentations, panel discussions and its own lounge, we make your networking easy.”
The REIFEN lineup includes all types of tire fitments for cars and trucks, industrial & construction equipment, motorcycles, specialty vehicles and other applications.
“Automechanika and REIFEN are a perfect fit with more and more tire dealers offering automotive services,” Prassl observes, “whilst car dealers extend the range of tires they offer. The sheer scope of this combination of tire services and workshop facilities and equipment is unmatched anywhere in the world.”
Tools and materials, showroom display and storage fixtures, sales aids, wheels, chassis technology, accessories, customizing, TPMS, anti-theft devices, shop and store management systems, occupational safety gear, retreading and recycling are among the elements that will be represented at the event.
“There will be lectures and speeches for everyone in the industry,” Musshoff reports.
Partnering with major manufacturers such as Bosch, Hunter, Hella and Snap-on, a special showcase for repairers is being organized by the German Garage Equipment Association (ASA).
“As a founding member of Automechanika in 1971, we are pleased to be able to support this anniversary event with our member firms. REIFEN is a perfect fit in Frankfurt, and we wish the event every success in its debut,” says Peter Rehberg, managing director of the asanetwork shop and manufacturer interconnectivity system, which is taking part in hosting the repairer showcase.
There will be live demonstrations of the latest in shop equipment technologies, covering aspects such as tire and wheel repair and replacement, TPMS, brakes, alignments, headlamps, diagnostics and other innovations within the segment.
Asanetman, the heart of asanetwork’s system, will also be highlighted at the showcase as attendees will be able to see first-hand how the technology “has paved the way for the ‘paperless workshop,’” according to Rehberg.
Operated through affordable PCs, the asanetwork’s interfaces, data format and data transfer protocols are standardized and based on the internet, resulting in instant communication among shop owners, equipment manufacturers, software providers, data suppliers, vehicle inspection organizations and other industry participants. Diagnostics, service lanes, parts ordering, shop equipment, management software and repair advice are all linked to facilitate a variety of e-commerce efficiencies.
Step into the future
Held every two years, in 2016 Automechanika Frankfurt attracted 132,944 attendees from 170 countries who perused the products and services of 4,843 exhibitors originating from 76 nations. “We’re covering almost all the major countries on the exhibitor side,” says Musshoff. Based on preliminary participation agreements, organizers anticipate 5,000 exhibitors and a higher attendee count for the 2018 edition of the show.
“The wealth of innovation on offer in the Festhalleis simply unrivalled,” he adds. “Many companies coordinate their innovation cycles with Automechanika, and the Festhalleis the perfect place in which to gain an overview of everything that’s new in the automotive aftermarket.”
“This is a glance into the future,” Musshoff says. “There will be hands-on demonstrations to see how the connectivity of the machines is working.”
“In close cooperation with all important associations, institutes and players from the automotive aftermarket, we succeeded in introducing new subjects that power the market,” notes Detlef Braun, a member of the executive board at Messe Frankfurt, the expo’s producer. “This is how we keep in step with the times and ensure the event concept is fully up to date. And this applies not only to Automechanika Frankfurt but also to our other Automechanika fairs around the globe.”
“One of the most important factors behind the success of Automechanika Frankfurt is the close collaboration and coordination with partners in industry and associations,” says Musshoff. “This allows us to optimize our response to the needs of the industry while continuing to develop our trade fair. With new themes such as classic cars and REIFEN, we offer our visitors the opportunity to enter profitable business fields that suit their companies’ capabilities, as well as to meet the right companies in person.”
“A dedicated B2B exhibition area for classic and vintage vehicles at Automechanika Frankfurt is exactly what the event needed. No other trade fair is as international or as comprehensive,” says Thomas Aukamm, general manager of the German Association for Bodywork and Vehicle Technology (ZKF).
“This new section presents an extremely emotionally charged and profitable area, which is becoming increasingly interesting for garage workshops and parts manufacturers alike,” Aukamm elaborates. “It is something that is also reflected in the membership of the ZKF and in its certification for garages specializing in classic cars, as well as in its collaboration, for this project, with all work involving paints, leather, wood and fabric. The step back into the past is, therefore, at the same time, a very positive step into the future.”
“Classic vehicles have a market volume of around €16 billion ($18.6 billion). However, it is important to know how to go about it. We want to bring those with a detailed knowledge of the area together with newcomers in the field from all over the world.” reports Musshoff.
“We want to be a valuable business platform, capable of providing comprehensive information on the subject for everyone who is keen to repair and maintain these historic vehicles properly and professionally,” he adds.
“Expertise in classic vehicles can be an important sales and marketing instrument: ‘Make money with emotions,’ as they say,” according to Frank J. Isselborg, managing director at FSP, a vehicle valuation and inspection firm focused on Germany’s “oldtimer” car market. “By a process of consolidation and the sharing of technical knowledge through the skills network that it has at its disposal, Automechanika is all set to become a real center of expertise and advice for garages’ own business development.”
Matthias Braun, general secretary of Germany’s long-established Automobile Club (AvD), is enthusiastic about the sector’s inclusion, citing “the constantly growing importance of this market for car manufacturers, repair shops and parts suppliers. Automechanika is, therefore, precisely the right platform on which to present the economic relevance of vintage and classic cars to an appropriate target group.”
“Knowledge about maintenance, repair and restoration of historic vehicles must be passed on to coming generations,” declares Peter Diehl, a special adviser for classic vehicles at the Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co. of Europe Ltd. “A major trade fair such as Automechanika Frankfurt is an exceptionally suitable platform for this.”
