Autopromotec hits record numbers for exhibitors, attendees
BOLOGNA, ITALY – Italian style is world renowned, from the colorful, form-fitting trousers and narrow leather shoes worn by men to the model-beautiful women who can be seen in abundance, as well as the diminutive and fuel-efficient Fiats and smart cars quickly navigating cobblestone streets. This innate sense of style was a prominent fixture at this year's 22nd Autopromotec, a biennial trade show that focuses on the automotive distribution, repair and collision industries.
A record 1,400 exhibitors set up in Bologna to display auto parts, high-tech vehicle lifts, auto parts and tire balancers and changers, among other types of products, like car wash equipment. And more than a few insights were offered as to the state of Europe's automotive industry.
The Italian Trade Commission (also known as ICE), which promotes commerce between Italy and the rest of the world, invited Advanstar Automotive to this event to review the show and newest products. Many of the Italian items displayed a sense of artistry and style that permeates this European country's culture. For example, vehicle lifts (one of the most saturated niches at the show) looked like industrial steel sculptures with their artfully placed hydraulic springs and beams resembling muscular arms.One collision repair robotics manufacturer demonstrated a high-tech robotic paint-drying system, along with future plans to industrialize the body shop via conveyor belts and these automated dryers, expected to revolutionize the number of paint coats required for bodywork — indeed a verification that it can be exciting to watch paint dry. Another company showcased a digital custom painting system that requires no human hands.
Bologna, Milano and Venice are known as a manufacturing triangle in Northern Italy, says Giorgio Cometti, president of the Italian Automotive Service Equipment Manufacturers Association (AICA), Italy's prominent service and parts organization.
"Italy is the number-one manufacturer of service equipment in the world," says Cometti.
"Italians have always been known for craftsmanship," says Patrick Capriati, senior marketing promotion officer for the Italian Trade Commission's Chicago office. "We've taken this and combined it with technology."
Looking at a flat world
Visitors from foreign countries were up 18 percent, according to the show's organizers, who add that exhibitors have increased 27 percent since 2005, and foreign exhibitors represent a 44-percent increase. There are 84,500 firms in the Italian auto repair industry, according to show organizers.
Because the trade show has obtained U.S. Trade Fair Certification by the Department of Commerce, the number of U.S. exhibitors has grown significantly. At a symposium held during the show, many speakers lamented that Europe faces some of the exact same obstacles as those faced in the U.S. automotive industry.
In Italy, "the aftermarket needs to constantly be learning," says Dave Garratt, from GEA.
Silvano Berardo, from Exponentia and another symposium speaker, says the diagnostic tools in today's shops must be useful to the technicians in order to manage the information required. He stresses the importance of training at the service level: "People are the best asset we have today." Exponentia is an alliance of leading manufacturers that offers training and a host of other services.
Symposium speaker P.H. Rehberg, from Asanetwork, says that even with less service dealers, "margins are still a disaster."
He also predicts the European Union is becoming more or less like one solid marketplace, where service and repair will shift slightly from dealers to independent repair shops. He adds that the European automotive industry is "saturated," with growth occurring in Eastern Europe, Asia, South America and India.
Rehberg stresses the role of technology in the repair shop sector. "We need connection between the equipment manufacturer trade and the vehicle manufacturer," he says. "Repair shops need information on the shop floor. The old-fashioned shop with low-tech equipment has no chance of surviving."
As is the case in the United States, Asian manufacturers entering the marketplace is a future Europe must also live with, adds Rehberg. He says e-commerce will be a heavy influence on European parts makers, and that innovation will be the best defense against product copying.
At Autopromotec, the bridge between the Italian and U.S. automotive industries was further shortened by a number of memorandums signed by leaders of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), who all forged agreements with the AICA to increase trade, technology and cooperation between the two countries.
"It's a global flat world," says ASA President Ron Pyle, who signed one of the agreements with AICA. "As it continues to shrink, there are going to be fewer barriers to independent trade."
He sees many similarities between the way Italy does business and the methods in which the United States operates. He calls the Italian automotive marketplace a "forward-thinking" area.
Branching out to other countries like the United States is an inevitable step for Italian companies, too. Especially since the Italian service industry is saturated, says Emanuele Vicentini, manager of promotion and development for Promotec, S.p.a. "The U.S. is the largest and most important market in the world," says Capriati. "(Italian companies) must create a physical presence in the U.S."