After a two-year hiatus, Automechanika Ho Chi Minh City returned as one of Vietnam’s most resilient automotive industry events. The exhibition took place from 29 June to 1 July 2022 with bolstered online services through V-Connect that successfully connected the broader global community. The show brought 173 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions together that were looking to form business partnerships with 10,112 visitors from 42 countries and regions. Praise also extended to the show’s unique range of events that vibrantly captured opportunities in the local market and offered vital educational touchpoints for aftermarket service providers.
Key figures from Automechanika Ho Chi Minh City 2022:
- 173 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions
- 10,000 sqms of indoor and outdoor exhibition space
- Six country and region pavilions
- 10,112 visitors from 42 countries and regions
- 570,904 impressions on V-Connect from 90 countries and regions
- Seven concurrent fringe program events
Ms. Fiona Chiew, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, mentioned: “We channeled a lot of our efforts into championing the sustained growth and development of Vietnam’s automotive industry. We geared many of our onsite activities and online solutions to highlight domestic opportunities to global audiences. And so, it was very promising to see a solid response from overseas professionals taking part in the physical show and engaging with services on V-Connect.”
This year, the show hosted 173 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions across 10,000 sqms of space. Key companies included the likes of Benzol, CEPSA, CSG, DTE Systems, DUNLOP TECH, EPICOR, EXEDY, Greatway, INVENTIONS, LOGIFORM, LTK Cable, Lubrex, Maxbelt, OBD Vietnam, PIX, REPSOL, and Tasotti, to name a few.
During the three-day show, there was a strong optimism about the local and regional market prospects, with many industry players keen to get back to business and interact with onsite activities. “Players can find opportunities in Vietnam’s automotive production and the aftermarket. Attention from Vinfast and Thaco highlight the ingenuity of local manufacturing, with Vietnamese-made vehicles already circulating the global market. In addition, stronger purchasing power domestically is also boosting local car sales, which in turn, is creating more demand for aftermarket services. Therefore, B2C experiences at Automechanika Ho Chi Minh can help end-users understand the importance of car care and maintenance,” said Mr. Nguyen Hoang Khanh, Managing Director of Würth Vietnam.
Echoing the sentiment of participants across the fair, Ms. Sandra Chen (Executive Sales) expressed that Shining Blink Enterprises Co Ltd from Taiwan decided to exhibit because: “Automechanika is one of the most well-known trading platforms in the automotive industry. We joined the brand’s show in Vietnam because we were confident about the networks and connections in Southeast Asia. Vietnam is a strong emerging market, and so we are looking to establish wider retail, distribution, and wholesale channels for our products both within the country and across the ASEAN region.”
Further feedback also indicated many companies used the show to find new distributors and re-establish networks lost from the pandemic. Mr. Nuno Alvarez, Sales and Marketing Manager at REPSOL / United Oil Company Ltd Joint Venture (Singapore), was one such exhibitor believing: “Automechanika Ho Chi Minh City is the right B2B platform to support our objective of expanding REPSOL’s visibility and market presence across the country. We are looking for partners to expand our market reach, covering all possible segments in the automotive and industrial lubricants market, with the full range of REPSOL products available. The progress is indeed promising, and we look forward to following up on a good number of engagements from the show. It is definitely a good place to meet business partners in Vietnam.”
In total, the show attracted 10,112 onsite visitors from 42 countries and regions like Australia, Cambodia, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, the UAE, the US, and Vietnam.
Attending the show to take advantage of Vietnam’s unique automotive landscape, Mr. Vincent Poulain, Export Manager – APAC from IGOL (France), emphasized: “We are here mainly to gather information about the market. It is clear that the local automotive industry is developing very fast, and so we are exploring a number of market entry points to capitalize on the growing opportunities in the passenger, commercial, and motorcycle sectors. From speaking to a number of leaders at the show, I believe our lubricants are well-suited to the market’s needs, and I am excited to take our strategic business project further.”
For the first time, V-Connect was a vital part of the Automechanika Ho Chi Minh City’s toolkit, with many appreciating remote gateways to onsite exhibitors, conferences, and workshops. Australia, Cambodia, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the UAE, the US, and Vietnam took up a large proportion of registered visitors from 90 countries and regions. The networking functions were some of the most popular tools that visitors utilized for onsite and online meetings. “The extension of V-Connect was great because we could share our portfolio to an even wider online audience. Several potential customers reached out via the platform, which we plan to communicate with after the show. The tool is certainly a beneficial value-added service for our business expansion,” explained Mr. Mujeeb Ur Reh, the Director of Operations at Global Lubricant Industry LLC (Benzol) from the UAE.
Analytics from online users suggest that the most popular sectors explored included OEMs, passenger vehicles, and aftermarket solutions. Importantly, these interest areas lined up with the show’s main highlights in Automotive Manufacturing & Automation, Automotive Services & Maintenance, and Accessories & Customising.
In this regard, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, the Country Manager of the US-based firm Epicor Software Vietnam Company Ltd, noted: “Since the pandemic, smart factory innovations and Industry 4.0 have rapidly increased, and demand in Vietnam’s automotive parts manufacturing is no different; many companies are looking for intelligent, end-to-end solutions to transform their business operations. I am glad to see this trend promoted at the show as we are here to form business relationships with carmakers and tier one manufacturers in the domestic as well as regional market.”
Events amplified market trends and business opportunities
Across the arena, a collection of educational and experiential events zeroed in on Vietnam’s distinct trends and needs in the automotive industry.
To illustrate, onsite and online audiences received the Automechanika Connected Exchange well. Mr. Anurag Sood from Car Amigos (India) applauded the relevance of information shared about the recent advancements in automotive manufacturing and automation, electromobility, and digitalization. He found: “The conference was very informative, especially the topics about electric vehicle charging. Electric vehicles are the future, but the infrastructure needs to grow in order to encourage more car sales. I attended the event as I was hoping to understand how these developments may possibly apply in New Delhi too.”
Elsewhere, Auto Service Day was one of the most popular activity areas at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center. Owing to the co-organizer’s strong understanding of the consumer market, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dam, the Founder of OTO-HUI, explained: “Our series and activities were unique because we wanted to help car owners recognize the importance of maintenance and repair. It was, therefore, great to see end-users at the show learning more about car care and accessories, in addition to workshop owners examining the latest product lines and services for their customers.”
Ms. Judy Wang, President of Yorkers Exhibition Service Vietnam, said: “I believe our interactive events were an enticing way of attracting a broader range of players from across the supply chain. While speaking to local business owners was encouraging to hear many expressing a desire to upskill and upgrade their services and solutions. This feedback perfectly aligns with our ongoing targets and offerings, which we will carry forward during the show’s next edition from 23 to 25 June 2023.”
Automechanika Ho Chi Minh City social media pages #AMHCMC22
facebook.com/automechanikahochiminhcity
linkedin.com/showcase/automechanikahochiminhcity
instagram.com/automechanikahochiminhcity
Play It! Channel VN (YouTube channel)
The fair is co-organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, Chan Chao International Co Ltd, and Yorkers Exhibition Service Vietnam. For more information, please visit www.automechanika-hcmc.com or contact Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, +852 2802 7728 / autoasia@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com.
