The 2019 edition of Autopromotec closed on May 26, 2019 at the Bologna exhibition. During the five-day event professionals from the whole supply chain had a look at the best solutions in the automotive maintenance and service industry and at the same time sampled the future of car assistance, a market that is moving fast towards autonomous driving, connected cars, electricity and shared mobility.
Autopromotec 2019 has a lot more in store than even the record-breaking 2017 edition, with a 4.4% increase in the number of participating companies and a total surface of 162,000m2, 4,000m2 larger: indeed, more than 1,650 companies have chosen this event to showcase their products and services. The share of non-Italian companies is 43%, from as many as 53 different Countries. The map of the 2019 edition of Autopromotec is divided into 17 halls and 5 outdoor areas, hosting all Aftermarket sub-sectors.
Indeed, companies are grouped by product category, thus allowing visitors to follow personalised itineraries based on their respective professional interests. The world of workshop equipment, tyre assistance, lifting and rim and tyre servicing is on display in an area nearby (H. 19, 20, 14, 15 and 22), as well as spare parts, components and Car Services (H. 16, 18 and 21); as a new feature, a whole hall is dedicated to lubricants (H. 28 and part of Hall 29). Body-shop equipment and products are also on display in two adjacent halls (H. 26 and 29); the diagnostic universe is showcased in Hall 30, while the part about service stations, car wash facilities and Car Care is available in H. 25; finally, multi-purpose equipment, tools and compressors are displayed in H. 36.
Confirming the role of Autopromotec as an event for insight and professional growth for automotive repair market operators, the 2019 edition of AutopromotecEDU has also been back: the comprehensive calendar of meetings and round tables on market hot topics will offer industry operators interesting ideas to optimise, innovate and boost their business.
The heart of this year’s edition is the evolution driving the automotive world, which as a consequence is revolutionising the automotive repair industry, too: FUTURA, the special testimonial of Autopromotec 2019, took visitors on a voyage of discovery into the future of vehicle assistance.
In order to raise awareness among car repairers about assisted driving solutions, thus ensuring their customers enjoy complete safety after maintenance, Autopromotec 2019 has organised “Hybrid & ADAS Village”: an exclusive area dedicated to showcasing latest generation ADAS systems for hybrid cars, in collaboration with Quattroruote Professional. In outdoor Area 48, specifically in the 14,000 sq.m racetrack, visitors may see first-hand how vehicles behave when the safety systems engaged; they may run several dynamic tests, assisted by the drivers from Quattroruote’s Guida Sicura programme.
The actual Autopromotec journey towards the future of car service continued with the project “Officina X.0”, developed in collaboration with Accenture in Hall 36, which provided the opportunity to discover how artificial intelligence, augmented reality and connectivity are already available and functional in the X.0. Car workshop industry.
The absolute new feature for 2019 is “Autopromotec Motorsport”, celebrating the correlation between aftermarket industry companies and motor sports, under the patronage of ACI Sport and ANFIA-Motorsport: aims at celebrating the high technological level of this sector, promoting a dedicated exhibition path, with a specific guide for those companies involved in the production and development of components and services, in the racing world.
Moreover, Hall 31 Bis housed an exhibition entirely devoted to racing, with a selection of motor sport excellences and a display of the services of the main associations and institutions in this space, but also schoo1s, universities and training centres.
Finally, as an homage to the Italian genius, creativity and passion for motors, Autopromotec 2019 welcomed all visitors to the Quadriportico of the trade fair ground with an exhibition called “Italia, passione in rosso”, a special and exciting selection of vintage cars brought by Ruoteclassiche, including 6 rigorously red specimens of the Italian motor heritage, curated in collaboration with FCA Heritage as well as private collectors.