Do Not Define By Visitor Numbers

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

The AMI Leipzig recorded a decline in visitors this year. The organizers nevertheless drew a positive Bilabz.

Despite the lower number of visitors, the organizers of the 19th Leipzig Automobile Fair AMI drew a positive balance at the end. “The mood change for cars was also evident at the fair,” said the president of the VDIK industry association, Volker Lange, on Sunday. According to the fair, around 252,000 people viewed the new mobile products from more than 20 countries in the past nine days. Last year - the previous record year for AMI - around 40,000 more visitors were counted. This year, the interest was particularly in economical and environmentally friendly cars.

Lots of deals

A total of around 490 exhibitors presented themselves at the AMI. Against the background of the financial crisis, numerous large manufacturers such as BMW and Fiat canceled their participation. "We can no longer define ourselves by the number of units and visitors, but rather by quality and sales," said trade fair boss Wolfgang Marzin. This year the AMI attracted particularly well-funded visitors.

According to the organizers, around 60 percent of the exhibitors were able to close a deal during the fair. The increased number of foreign guests to eleven percent was rated positively. Many visitors came from Poland and the Czech Republic in particular, said Marzin. VDIK President Lange described the fair as a "complete success".

Last week the debate about the future of the Leipziger Messe flared up again. Ford's Germany boss, Bernhard Mattes, had proposed that the Leipzig trade fair alternate with the Frankfurt IAA, i.e. only every two years. "I'm not ruling out anything, it has to be discussed," said Lange. It is primarily about the wishes of the exhibitors. Next year, the AMI is planned for April 10th to 18th. (dpa)