Automechanika Birmingham 2023 – Overview
Well, it’s been over a week since the leading trade exhibition for the UK automotive aftermarket and supply chain – Automechanika Birmingham 2023 closed its doors. However, it is undoubtedly still on the minds of everyone that attended and still a hot topic of conversation in many offices, workshops, garages and manufacturing plants within the automotive industry.
Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, the automotive industry has had to be patient and wait 4 years for the return of the much-anticipated Automechanika Birmingham.
Networking opportunities and industry workshops
The long awaited three-day event however did not disappoint, and provided exhibitors the opportunity to showcase new products and promote their business and industry. The record attendance of 14,402 visitors included access to; 511 exhibitors, hours of free workshops, a 3-day keynote conference, not to mention the endless networking opportunities including the Women Automotive Network, and for members of the independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation – the IAAF (which fortunately we are!), the IAAF networking events.
Vibrant and buzzing
The excitement and buzz around the exhibition was clearly infectious. Our recruiters were still on a high following their return to the office days after the show.
Simon Albert, managing director of event organiser Messe Frankfurt UK, said: “This is undoubtedly the best Automechanika Birmingham to date – not just because of the quality and number of attendees, but because of the overwhelming positive feedback we have received from exhibitors and visitors alike. This has been incredibly rewarding for my team, our exhibitors, partners and suppliers, who have all collaborated closely to deliver the event.”
Robert Cox, Senior Recruitment Consultant for GCA said “From walking through the doors early on Tuesday to leaving at 4pm on Thursday afternoon I was overwhelmed by the vibrancy of this year’s Automechanika. The show was alive, every stand overflowing with people and the enthusiasm for the products and services was infectious! It was a great feeling to be welcomed onto all stands with open arms”.
Future talent and opportunities
In partnership with Automechanika the “Women Automotive Network” held a Drinks Reception for visitors to come together and continue the conversation on how the automotive industry can continue to attract a diverse workforce. GCA Senior Recruitment Consultant, Kayleigh Bradley explained “I had the pleasure of attending the Women in Automotive networking event and I have to say – Wow! The positivity around promoting female successes in our industry, and also attracting future female talent, was great to see. The turnout was incredible, and it was nice to see a few gents there too! I am very much looking forward to being involved in more of these events and demonstrating how we at Glen Callum practice what we preach in this area with 50% of our workforce being female.”
Linking perfectly with the first day of Automechanika and following the success of last year’s event, the IAAF once again hosted an exclusive networking event for its members. As proud members of the IAAF we had representation in attendance from Glen, Kayleigh and Robert. Rob explained, “The Tuesday proved to be a very full day for me, after leaving the show I popped across to Resort World to attend the exclusive IAAF networking event. It was great sharing a few beers and chatting the evening away with industry friends, clients and potential new clients”.
A recurring question at the networking events was ‘what is the employment / candidate market like at the moment?’ and ‘how can we attract the talent that we need to drive our business forward?’. It was encouraging to see businesses in the automotive aftermarket interested to discuss these hot topics and to take onboard our advice on developing a solid recruitment strategy and an attractive candidate attraction package.
Meeting our clients face to face in one space, and even meeting back up with candidates that we have successfully placed and see them thriving in action in their new roles was a privilege. Thanks to everyone that took the time to say hi, introduce themselves, have a conversation with us or maybe even shared a coffee break with us.
Trade shows, such as Automechanika, offer a great way to keep up to date with the latest trends and industry news, which is key to maintaining the forward-thinking approach that GCA prides itself on. What’s more, Automechanika Birmingham 2023 allowed members of the GCA management team the opportunity to share the positivity around our sector and to celebrate the amazing industry we all have the pleasure of working in.
The Glen Callum team would like to thank everyone involved in organising, exhibiting and for visiting Automechanika Birmingham 2023 and making it a huge success. Director Glen Shepherd wanted to extend his thanks “to all of the great people we met and talked to last week, see you in two years time!”.
If you missed the show or simply didn’t get chance to catch up with us, please feel free to contact the office on 01384 485274 or email jobs@glencallum.co.uk
Automechanika Birmingham will return to the NEC on 3-5 June 2025.
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