Asia Automotive 2000 surpasses all expectations

Thailand’s premier auto exhibition, Asia Automotive 2000, surpassed all expectations according to principal organizer, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (BITEC).

BITEC managing director Dr Prasarn Bhiraj Buri said, “Business exhibitors and visitors from around the world attended. We are very happy with the outcome. We met our goal of ensuring Thai manufacturers showed their potential to a global business audience and obtained new ideas to give them more influence in the international auto marketplace.”

Dr Prasarn said the number of exhibitors rose from 179 at last year’s exhibition to 230 this year, of which 180 were Thai firms and 50 from overseas. He said this figure, plus the favorable responses heard from auto-related businesses at the event, suggested auto and auto parts exports would bounce in the months to come, thanks to AA 2000.

“We could very well see exports from Thai auto and auto parts makers on the rise on account of this successful event,” he said.

Asia Automotive 2000, or AA 2000, was co-organized by Singapore-based Hannover Fairs Asia, with support from the Ministry of Industry, Thai Auto Parts Manufacturing Association, the Board of Investment and several other key government agencies and private firms.

The expo was divided up into five main sections: National Pavilion, SME Auto Parts Pavilion, Thai Auto Part Pavilion, Thai Garages Pavilion and Financial Institutions Pavilion.

National Pavilion showcased state-of-the-art automotive technology from exhibitors from 11 countries. Two highlights of this section were the German Pavilion and Austrade Pavilion.

The German Pavilion featured many leading German auto parts manufacturers while a low-emissions car from Australia took pride of place in the Austrade Pavilion, the first time the vehicle, which derives its power from a generator, an energy storage system and a 1.4 litre gasoline engine, has been displayed in Asia.

Dr Prasarn said the presence of leading-edge auto parts makers and products had given Thai automotive manufacturers the rewarding opportunity to compare and incorporate foreign approaches to auto business and technology.

In terms of spreading the word about what Thai auto-related firms had to offer, SME Auto Parts Pavilion and Thai Auto Parts Pavilion were the places to go. These areas enabled second and third-tier Thai auto parts manufacturers to showcase their products to a sizeable global business audience.

Dr Prasarn said many Thai auto and auto parts manufacturers had expressed their satisfaction in being able to reach out to an otherwise unavailable audience.

“They appreciated being able to exhibit their products to vast number of people, from potential customers, to business peers, to the general public - especially as most other auto exhibitions in Thailand fail to accommodate second and third-tier SMEs.”

As well as the pavilions, a variety of seminars covering auto industry issues were held on each of the four days of the event. The talks included such topics as e-commerce for the auto industry. Speakers at these events represented such bodies as NECTEC, the Thai Automotive Institute and the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Of the visitors recorded at the expo, 35 were from Australia, 31 from China, 24 from the Netherlands, 2 from Panama, 81 from Singapore, 443 from Taiwan, 10 from the US, 9 from the UK and 5,651 from Thailand, to name a few.