Paris Motor Show and Equip Auto to co-exist in 2022
19 July 2021
The Paris Motor Show and trade event Equip Auto are to come together for 2022, forming the Paris Automotive Week.
COVID-19 has decimated the automotive-show arena, with numerous events cancelled last year and more falling by the wayside in 2021. However, the IAA Munich is expected to go ahead with a mix of online and physical events in September. Next year looks even more promising, with the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS), Automechanika Frankfurt and now the Paris Automotive Week.
The pandemic has also altered the way organisers think about events. To this end, the coming together of the Paris Motor Show and Equip Auto provides visitors access to two large automotive fairs at the same venue, minimising travel and opening each to visitors who may not have considered the partner events before. It is a spirit of collaboration that is mirrored by the wider automotive industry.
The two French flagship events will run together for the first time at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition centre from 17 to 23 October 2022. The motor show will take place the entire week, while the Equip Auto event, which focuses on parts, equipment and connected mobility, will run from 18 to 22 October. This will be a trade-only fair, although visitors can also access the Paris Motor Show at the same time.
French flair
The Paris Automotive Week will be centred around a series of events, including industry talks and test drives. The event will bring together professionals and the general public, while also providing an opportunity for the automotive industry to share its vision for the future of vehicles and transport with journalists and visitors from France and worldwide.
‘After two years of living through the pandemic and faced with the unprecedented challenges looming over the automotive industry, we found ourselves together in the same place, and it all suddenly became very clear to us. And so, the ‘Paris Automotive Week’ was born,’ said Luc Chatel, President of the PFA (Plateforme Filière Automobile), and Claude Cham, honorary president of the FIEV (Fédération des Industries des Equipements pour Véhicules) and president of Equip Auto SAS, in a joint statement.
‘For one week, Paris will be the best showcase, lab and forum for 21st-century automobiles and transport. It is a week where France will welcome the world to unveil the latest automotive models and present them to the general public, whilst also sharing with professionals the new developments and concepts designed to equip, maintain and repair the vehicles of today and tomorrow. Whilst still keeping their own individual identities, the two shows were duty-bound to create this new international event, which is open to the general public, professionals and policymakers.’
Together with others set for the coming year, the shows will address the future of the automotive industry. While further details of line-ups and themes have not been announced, the news included reference to investment by the sector into ‘sustainable and connected transport for all.’
There will also undoubtedly be a ‘French flair’ to the event. Organisers are keen to highlight that the country is one of the four biggest markets in Europe for the automotive industry. Its large companies, manufacturers and parts suppliers operate on a global scale, and engineering bodies, startups, and distribution and repair businesses are located in the region.
Trade fairs evolve
The news followed the announcement that aftermarket show Automechanika Frankfurt, which was due to run this year following cancellation in 2020, will only take place as a ‘hybrid’ event. Organisers will bring the full show back to the Messe Frankfurt halls in 2022.
For this year, a smaller show will occur, with exhibitors offered a basic stand package in one hall at the exhibition showgrounds, with the ability to network online with potential visitors. Around 175 of the 200 exhibitors have said they will maintain a physical presence this year.
Holding the trade event online will allow online attendees from across Europe to join and network without travelling. Organisers have suggested that should the ‘Digital Plus’ platform prove successful, it could be retained in some form when the full event takes place again next year.
To help those companies offering to exhibit in person, organisers of the show have offered a stand package, meaning costs can be saved by taking a standardised approach to the smaller show. This cost-saving measure means companies can attend on a smaller budget, recording it as an ‘additional’ event while planning to go big for 2022.
‘I am really pleased that our ‘plug and play’ offer of fully equipped stands has been so well received and that so many companies who have signed up want to meet in person again in Frankfurt,’ said Olaf Musshoff, director of Automechanika Frankfurt. ‘However, even those who are not coming to Frankfurt can take part in our wide-ranging complimentary programme. Thanks to our new online features, we will be providing additional options for presentation, for networking and for a wide international reach.’
