Automechanika Birmingham 2025. Record Attendance!

An interview with Joanne Knowles, Event Director at Messe Frankfurt UK, organiser of Automechanika Birmingham.

➡️ What were the key goals of this year’s edition? What were the main priorities for the organisers?

Automechanika Birmingham is not just another trade show – it’s a front-row seat to the future of the industry. This event is designed to give independent garages, technicians, supply chain, bodyshops and detailers more value in one day than months of working behind closed doors.

From hands-on learning, live demonstrations and new product launches to high-value networking, knowledge sharing and international collaboration, this year’s show delivered an unmatched experience for every attendee.

As the world – and industry - continues to evolve at pace, our aim as ever was to challenge perceptions and change the game. And Automechanika Birmingham 2025 really did deliver!

➡️ How would you generally assess this year’s event in terms of attendance and participant engagement? Has the high number of new visitors and positive feedback already translated into increased interest in registering for the next edition?

This year was a clear success. We saw record-breaking attendance with a 20% rise in first-time visitors, many of whom were decision-makers or buyers. 

When looking at the sectors that attracted the most interest, six percent of show attendees visited specifically for tyres - highlighting strong demand within this area. 

We also offered over 150 hours of free content, more than 550 exhibitors from across the globe and 133 talks and seminars including key topics to support the tyre sector such as transforming garage operations for maximum profitability and championing tyre safety to practical strategies for engaging consumers online and driving sustained business growth.

Exhibitors reported very high levels of engagement, with meaningful conversations and genuine leads. This feedback has already translated into a strong surge in early interest for the next edition. 

Importantly, we’re seeing increased demand from international companies who now view Automechanika Birmingham as the gateway to the UK aftermarket - a market worth over £21 billion and growing.

This year’s Automechanika Birmingham has been our strongest yet, not only in numbers, but in energy, ambition and impact. The feedback from visitors and exhibitors has been incredible, and we’re delighted to have delivered a show that continues to sit at the heart of the UK automotive calendar. 

The industry has chosen Automechanika as the place to come together, to tackle its biggest challenges, celebrate success, show off the latest innovations and shape a stronger future.

➡️ This year’s edition introduced several new initiatives, such as Motorvate, Ignite Arena, and the networking app. What were their main purposes, and how were they received by visitors and exhibitors? Could you tell us more about these elements and their significance for the overall event?

Motorvate is our exciting new initiative to tackle the industry’s talent and skills shortage. Not only that, but we also wanted to showcase the sector and all of the hundreds of fun and dynamic careers available!

Motorvate isn’t just about igniting interest, it’s also an event for career development. By connecting students, professionals and industry leaders, this new initiative provided invaluable opportunities for mentorship, skill-building and networking. Our goal was to help individuals at every stage of their career journey gain the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to thrive in this vibrant sector.

As part of Motorvate, the Ignite Arena offered a jam-packed programme of bite-size talks, discussions and informal conversations with some of the most influential names and brands in the industry, that put the spotlight on careers, skills, inspiration and the future of the automotive aftermarket. 

Also new for this year, we relaunched our networking app, developed with AI-powered matchmaking, the networking app helps to connect visitors and exhibitors based on business interests, making it easier than ever to pre-book meetings, explore product offerings and build valuable industry relationships ahead of the event.

➡️ Why is Automechanika Birmingham a valuable platform for Polish companies? What tangible benefits can they gain, both in terms of brand exposure and business opportunities? And how would you encourage Polish automotive entrepreneurs to consider exhibiting at the next edition?

Automechanika Birmingham offers unmatched access to the UK aftermarket and is now firmly on the radar of key buyers across Western Europe and beyond. 

The event presents a unique opportunity to showcase high-quality manufacturing to a quality-focused UK audience, meet major UK distributors, retailers and workshop networks in one place, raise international brand awareness through a highly professional platform, form strategic partnerships for logistics, distribution, or private labelling and gain competitive insight into UK and global trends, innovation and regulation

We already have Polish brands succeeding here and we’d love to see even more. The UK values high engineering standards and cost-competitive sourcing, and Polish businesses are ideally positioned to meet this demand.

➡️ Is there anything you would like to add or emphasize that hasn’t been covered yet? We invite you to share any thoughts freely on any topic related to Automechanika Birmingham or the automotive industry.

What sets Automechanika Birmingham apart is its personal, business-focused atmosphere. Exhibitors don’t get lost in the crowd; every brand has a chance to shine. And now the UK is looking for new, long-term partners to keep the aftermarket moving. We believe Polish companies, with their innovation and proven export success, are ideally placed to take advantage of this momentum. 

Whether you’re a parts producer, service provider or distributor, this show is your entry point to a high-value, loyal market.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received so far reinforces Automechanika Birmingham’s vital role as the national meeting place for the UK automotive aftermarket - and sets a strong foundation for us for 2027.

Thank you for the conversation.