Motor show participation is on a decline, with the 2020 Frankfurt Motor Show set to be the show’s last running before it moves to another venue within Germany next year.
Known in full as the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) Frankfurt Motor Show, its organising body, the Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) or German Association of the Automotive Industry announced that Frankfurt will no longer be hosting the show. The IAA’s contract with Messe Frankfurt, the hosting event centre, expired last year.
The VDA is looking to Berlin, Munich and Hamburg in place of Frankfurt, each as a possible successor venue for the IAA for future editions of the motor show, and a decision is expected in the next few weeks as negotiations are ongoing with each candidate. Seven German cities in total submitted concepts and ideas for hosting the motor show, with Cologne, Stuttgart, Hanover and Frankfurt also submitting entries.
Frankfurt has been the hosting city for the IAA for nearly 70 years, with the first edition in this city held in 1951. Each city that submitted an entry had very creative ideas, and that it is a ‘very tight race’ between the finalists, the VDA said, adding that the next IAA could place greater emphasis on mobility; something that other motor shows are doing.
The VDA did not elaborate on why Frankfurt was eliminated from the running to host upcoming editions of the IAA, though it said that Frankfurt’s ideas and concepts were ‘very impressive’, and it thanked the city of Frankfurt and Messe Frankfurt for the long-running partnership.
The move is likely due to a renewed effort towards attracting more visitors to the show as automakers are increasingly foregoing motor shows for individual events that offer closer engagements with journalists and customers to their brand, instead of competing with rival makes for attention.
For example, Lamborghini and Peugeot will not be present at this year’s Geneva Motor Show; the Sant’ Agata Bolognese supercar maker has chosen to focus on standalone events for its brand, while Auto Plus reported that the French marque saw a lack of novelty with participating at the show.
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