Global Update: Automechanika to Canada

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 2/5/2007

The global exhibition industry generated a lot of news in the last half of January, including Messe Frankfurt's announcement of a new version of Automechanika in Toronto:

• The Bulgarreklama Agency will launch the Intl. Specialized Exhibition on Transport & Logistics Feb. 13–17 at Inter Expo and Congress—Sofia (Bulgaria). Exhibitors will offer cargo identification and tracking systems, communication devices in warehouses, customs, transport, production and applied logistics. The event will feature an international conference on transport infrastructure and logistics systems.
• Deutsche Messe (Hannover Fairs) will launch TeleHealth, a conference and trade fair focusing on telemedical applications and technologies, March 19–20. DMAG is billing it as the first event in Europe devoted to tele-medical products and solutions. Running simultaneously with CeBIT, the show is expected to attract 500 attendees and 50 exhibiting companies.
  TeleHealth will introduce an "extremely attractive platform for managers in hospitals, specialist clinics, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes for the elderly, health insurance companies and private nursing services," said Ernst Raue, the board member of DMAG responsible for the event.
  The company plans other changes for CeBIT in 2008. Raue said its focus will shift from presenting new products to addressing innovative technological solutions and applications. The event will be one day shorter as well, taking place Tuesday to Sunday, March 4–9, 2008.
• Eurovet, organizer of French lingerie events Salon Intl. de la Lingerie in Paris and Interfiliere and Mode City in Lyon, will launch its second Asian tradeshow, Hong Kong Mode Lingerie, April 3–4, at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Eurovet also organizes Shanghai Mode Lingerie. The organizer expects about 3,000 attendees at the Hong Kong show, which will focus on mid-market to high-end lingerie, beachwear and lingerie fabrics.
• EasyFairs purchased the London Venue Expo from Exposure Event Creations for an undisclosed amount. The show will continue to run alongside the Exhibiting Show, which is scheduled at Earls Court 2, June 26–27. Exposure Managing Director Simon Burton said that after two years spent developing London Venue Expo, he was happy to find an organizer that could take it to the next level, allowing Exposure to focus on the Exhibiting Show. Exposure will continue to work with easyFairs as a business partner after the transition, he said. Peter Heath, easyFairs managing director, said the deal's timing was perfect and fit well with what his firm is doing.
• German trade fair firm Messe Frankfurt and Business Information Group, which publishes more than 90 media products in Canada, will jointly launch Automechanika Canada for the automotive parts and service industry Sept. 26–28 at the Intl. Centre in Toronto. The show will take place alongside CarFix World, and together the two will draw 4,000 visitors and 250 exhibitors spanning 40,000 net square feet, according to organizers.
  Messe Frankfurt produces 12 Automechanika shows around the world, with the anchor in Frankfurt reportedly attracting more than 165,000 visitors last year. Messe Frankfurt USA President David Audrain compared the German show to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas, which combines the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo, SEMA Show and Intl. Autobody Congress and Exposition. However, he noted, Automechanika Canada isn't likely to compare in size with either the Frankfurt or Las Vegas show.
• Orbit Trade Fairs will debut Industrial Pumps, Valves & Systems Oct. 5–7 at HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, India. The event will focus on pumps, systems, components and sub-assemblies. Orbit said approximately 6,000 pumps and 20,000 valves are manufactured each day in India.
• Messe Dusseldorf China, Adsale Exhibition Services and Guangdong Modern Convention and Exhibition Management will launch a fall edition of Dongguan China Shoes/China Shoetec Nov. 28–30 at the Guangdong Modern Intl. Exhibition Center. The spring fair will still take place April 18–20 at the Dongguan Intl. Conference & Exhibition Center. Organizers expect more than 800 exhibitors to participate in the fall show, spanning 30,000 square meters (323,000 sq. ft.), project 25,000 attendees and are moving the fall show to the new venue because they expect it to be substantially larger than the original spring show.