For over two decades Autosport International, Europe’s largest motorsport trade show, has been at the forefront of technical advances and a prime location for networking within the £4.6 billion motorsport industry. The 2012 show is looking to emulate the success of previous events as Solutions reports.

Autosport International opens its doors at Birmingham’s NEC on 12th January 2012 beginning with a two day dedicated trade show, while the public will be welcomed on 14-15 January 2012. In 2011 the show attracted a trade audience of almost 30,000 people from more than 50 countries, providing visitors with invaluable networking opportunities within the motorsport industry and a platform to showcase technical and engineering innovation.

Over £800 million of business was generated as a direct result of the of the event with leading motorsport and automotive marques including Porsche, Caterham, Chevron, Ginetta and Radical represented – all of which will be exhibiting again in 2012.

International Motorsport Business Week

The show is also part of International Motorsport Business Week, which runs from 9-15 January 2012. The week brings together a sequence of focused networking opportunities with major industry figures through a series of symposiums, conferences and seminars centred on the business side of international motorsport. Key speakers to have featured previously at the event include Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone, ex-FIA president Max Mosley and Lord Drayson, former UK Minister for Science and Innovation.

International Motorsport Business Week includes the renowned Motorsport Safety Fund ‘Watkins Lecture’ on industry safety issues, Race Tech’s World Motorsport Symposium for leading motorsport engineers and designers, the MIA’s Low Carbon Racing Conference and the UKTI Business Exchange, a platform for one to one business meetings between international visitors and UK suppliers.

“2011 was the busiest I’d seen the show,” reports Nigel Stewardson, international trade adviser for the London International Trade Team, UKTI. “I met clients that I wanted to see and everyone I spoke to at the event was in a buoyant mood. To get all the exhibitors pleased at a show on this scale is a real challenge and I was over the moon with how it went.”

Initiatives such as the UKTI Business Exchange offer companies within the industry the opportunity to make new contacts and talk to key decision makers, as well as giving motorsport newcomers an in-road into this highly lucrative sector.

The week culminates with Autosport International, which includes Autosport Engineering – an area dedicated to engineering innovation – the Trade and Technical Area, which runs for four days and the Manufacturing Technology Area.

Manufacturing Technology Area

Going from strength to strength, the Manufacturing Technology will feature high profile exhibitors such as Haas Automation, Renishaw and Yamazaki Mazak.

“Even though Autosport International is not a machine tool event, our presence in 2011 was very successful,” says Tim Hately, business development director at Haas Automation. “The stand was continuously busy for the two day event and even just before the show closed we still had potential customers looking at the machines.”

Whether companies have supplied the marine, aerospace or defence industries and have gone on to support those involved in motorsport, or vice versa, the common demands for precision and rapid turnaround mean that crossing between these various industries is almost second nature. Autosport International provides an excellent opportunity for those with the manufacturing technology capabilities suited to motorsport to speak with those in the industry and develop their existing business portfolios.

Autosport Engineering

Expect to find some the world’s leading companies in the Autosport Engineering area, including Alcon, Arrow Precision, DC Electronics, Deutsch, Eibach, GEMS, Penny & Giles, Quaife, Xtrac and Zircotec.

“We made a choice to only do two shows in 2011 and Autosport International was one of them,” reveals Cliff Hawkins, development director at Xtrac. “We could visit European exhibitions but most of the people we want to see come to Autosport International.”

The loyalty of exhibitors is clear with many continuing to return to the show year on year, such as Quaife Engineering, which has two stands for 2012 – one within Autosport Engineering in Hall 9 and one in Hall 8, which remains for all four days of the event.

“Autosport International is a great place to show off our new products, because everyone who is involved with motorsport is at the show,” explains Sharon Quaife-Hobbs, director at Quaife Engineering. “There’s no doubt that Autosport International is the best motorsport show in the world and that’s why we’ve been coming here for the last 21 years. Despite the tough financial climate the show is always busy, very positive and we always get a great reaction to the new products we bring to the event.”

Ian France, Autosport International’s show director, added: “For us, it’s important that Autosport International is a world leader in motorsport engineering and business development opportunities. Our exhibitors make the show and the strength of those confirmed for 2012 illustrates that it will be yet another successful year, especially for those looking to speak to the right people in order to break into the industry.

“From those in surface technology to tooling, gearboxes to suspension, the diversity of services under one roof makes it a truly unique show that attracts visitors the world over in order to reinforce relationships and, more importantly, make new contacts that so often leads to the expansion of business.”

International Motorsport Business Week programme of events

9-10 January: Race Tech World Motorsport Symposium
11th January: MIA Low Carbon Racing Conference
12th January: MIA’s Business Awards Dinner
12-13 January: MIA Workshops
12-13 January: UKTI International Business Exchange (IBEX)
12-13 January: Autosport Engineering in association with Racecar Engineering
12-15 January: Autosport International
13th January: Motorsport Safety Fund ‘Watkins Lecture’

Autosport International
www.autosportinternational.com