London Show expects capital gain

Tim Etchells, managing director of International Motor Industry Events, which has been licensed to organise the show by the SMMT, said dealers would benefit from a revitalised trade day at the show which returns to London at the Excel centre in London's docklands in July. He said the International Business Day on 19 July would provide an invaluable networking opportunity and only be open to those who could “prove they're in the motor trade”. “Dealers want to be one step ahead of the general public,” said Etchells. He said that whereas in previous shows the day had been accessed by both the public and the business community, the need to register as a member of the retail motor industry would “sift out the non-trade visitors”. Etchells claimed the London show would deliver a step up compared with its predecessors at the Birmingham NEC, which he criticised for being too provincial. “The problem in Birmingham was that it attracted a Midlands-based audience – we will attract a wider audience,” he claimed. Kirsty Adams, the marketing director of the Excel show, claimed the event would host “14 global car launches” including the new Vauxhall Corsa, which would represent “the first significant world launch in the UK since 1998” when the Rover 75 was unveiled at the NEC. Adams said other highlights would include, as yet unnamed, new models from BMW and Mazda as well as a raft of European and UK debuts. “Car makers have shown this is the show they need to be at,” she said. One notable exception is the Volkswagen Group which has decided not to exhibit at Excel. Adams said its absence was “disappointing” but insisted the company would be “missing out” by not attending. A spokesman for Volkswagen told Motor Trader the car maker would be directing its resources elsewhere. “We have to think about how we spend our marketing budget,” he said. “Motor shows are not good value, there are better ways to give value to our customers.” Stressing the need for car makers to be “price competitive”, the spokesman questioned whether motor shows provided a significant boost to product sales and suggested there were more effective ways of generating customer leads. “One motor show every two years would be the maximum for us,” he said. But Adams claimed exhibitors at Excel would highlight the retailing process more than has been the case at previous shows. For example, she said Volvo would bring dealers onto its stand to “engage visitors in the sales process”.