Car maker demand led to London netting motor show

The society said manufacturers believed a London venue would carry more clout internationally and admitted that the event's previous home, the NEC in Birmingham, had failed to attract a significant number of global new car launches. A spokesman for the SMMT said the new show would be “targeted at what people want to see”. Brands would display their new models rather than their full range of cars. The SMMT has pledged that the next show, which will be held at the Excel centre in London's docklands for the first time in July 2006, will reduce costs for both exhibitors and customers. Car parking costs and the entry price were criticised for being too high last year. The SMMT admitted that the 2004 Sunday Times Motor Show Live at the NEC was too expensive and failed to live up to expectations despite undergoing a substantial overhaul after the 2002 event. With smaller display stands at the Excel show, the costs for exhibiting car makers would also be cut, the SMMT claimed. Whereas 75 per cent of visitors to the NEC arrived by road far more are expected to use public transport to get to the docklands show with some even coming by river transport on the Thames. By moving the show from the May bank holiday to a starting date of 20 July, the SMMT claimed fewer people would be away on holiday as the school term would be approaching its end. The SMMT said the Excel event would “aspire to emulate” the Geneva motor show in that it would not be dominated by national car makers but would showcase brands from across the world and would benefit from its proximity to the attractions of the captital, said the SMMT. The event is expected to attract at least 300,000 visitors.