Large Malaysian Contingent Makes Pitch At World’s Biggest Automotive Show In Frankfurt
A large contingent of 33 Malaysian exhibitors is currently participating in the five-day Automechanika Show in Frankfurt, rated as the world’s largest for automotive parts, equipment and service supply trade.
The exhibitors are participating in two main groups, one under the aegis of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) and the other under the umbrella of the Malaysia Rubber Export Promotion Council.
But the show takes place at a time of great economic anxiety with developed countries in Europe worrying that the current economic crisis in the United States could also spill over to Europe.
This was also evident with most exhibitors at the show who put up a bold front despite the slump in business and very few business enquiries.
The weakened West economies, coupled with fierce competition, also did not spare Malaysian exhibitors, many of whom were ‘optimistic’ that their participation would be worth the time and money spent.
“At the moment, the number of visitors has been low. However, Malaysian exhibitors have been telling me that they are quite hopeful about eventually getting business. There is a market slump right now,” Raja Badrul Nizam Raja Kamalzaman, Cologne-based Malaysian Trade Commissioner, told Bernama.
“Malaysian exhibitors have been meeting their old customers but they have been saying that they have not been able to establish many new contacts.
Nevertheless, there is a mood of optimism. People are concerned and closely monitoring the possible effects of the US economy on Europe,” he said.
The show, which opened on Tuesday and will run until Sunday, has attracted 4,680 exhibitors.
According to Messe Frankfurt GmbH, organiser of the biennial show, some 160,000 trade visitors would have descended on the event by the time the curtain comes down on it.
Meanwhile, the Matrade office in Cologne has organised a visit of seven Malaysian companies supplying automotive parts and components.
The “automotive mission“, as it is being called, they will attend the Automechanika show over the weekend and meet buyers whom Matrade has invited.
On Monday, the delegation will head for the Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg where they will hold talks with the companys purchase, engineering and quality control departments to explore the possibility of supplying parts and components conforming to Volkswagen standards.
Subsequently, the delegation will hold talks at the Guetersloh headquarters of Miele Co, which manufactures washing machines.
On Tuesday, the delegation will be in Stuttgart to hold discussions with Baden-Wuerttemberg International which has arranged meetings for them with potential buyers representing companies in the state of Baden-Wuerttembrg.
Incidentally, the Automechanika also has a Malaysian edition called “Automechanika Malaysia“, which will be held from March 25 to 28 next year at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).
The KLCC was chosen to host the event due to Malaysias strong base of suppliers of automotive parts and equipment, coupled with a well-developed infrastructure.
Source : BERNAMA
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