Frankfurt am Main, 11 November 2025
Automechanika, the leading international trade fair brand for products and solutions in the automotive, workshop and service areas, will now be held in two additional locations in future: Jakarta and Baku. Messe Frankfurt is also investing in a new Festival of Motoring. This event – popular with motor sport fans – has been taking place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg every year since 2016. From 2026, the event will also be happening in Sydney, Australia.
Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt: “We are continuing to expand the activities of our Automotive division. The automotive business is under increasing pressure to change, and trade fairs have proved to be key catalysts of this transformation. Our network already comprises some 40 trade fairs and other events, and we are continuously expanding it to incorporate leading companies in the industry and new players from related sectors. The result: we repeatedly offer our customers access to promising new markets.”
Automechanika in Azerbaijan in March 2027
At the press conference in Baku, Stephan Kurzawski, Senior Vice President Messe Frankfurt, announced that Automechanika Baku will be celebrating its premiere from 3 to 5 March 2027: “As a key transit country on the New Silk Road, Azerbaijan offers direct access to the European market for companies in China and Turkey in particular, and we are expecting Chinese and Turkish exhibitors to have a large presence.” Kurzawski added that: “At present, B2B fairs in the Caucasus region are thin on the ground, so we believe that there are tremendous opportunities for Automechanika to become a hub for neighbouring countries as well.”
The licensee behind Automechanika Baku is Tajsir Expo LLC, a new company in which Business Media Central Asia and Iteca Caspian each hold a 50 percent stake. The organiser, Business Media Central Asia, also organises the Automechanika fairs in Astana and Tashkent. The Tashkent event was held for the second time from 22 to 24 October and was once again a success, demonstrating welcome growth. Iteca is Azerbaijan’s dominant player in the trade fair sector and belongs to the London-based ICA Events group.
With around 1.74 million vehicles registered, Azerbaijan has a rapidly growing automotive market. The government is actively investing in the country’s transport and logistics infrastructure, including the expansion of road and transport networks and of vehicle fleets. These measures are leading to increased demand for modern automotive equipment and services. From January to August 2025, Azerbaijan’s car imports rose by 26.4 percent – clear evidence of the market’s continued growth. With its continuously growing vehicle stock, dynamic import activity and structurally underserved aftermarket, Azerbaijan offers enormous opportunities.
Automechanika to debut in Jakarta in 2026
Messe Frankfurt is now planning a third show for the ASEAN region: Automechanika Jakarta. This new event will join the Automechanika Kuala Lumpur and Automechanika Ho Chi Minh City shows that are already established in the region. The trade fair will be organised in cooperation with the Automotive Parts & Components Industries Association (GIAMM) and is slated to celebrate its premiere from 24 to 27 September 2026, shortly after the next Automechanika Frankfurt. Stephan Kurzawski: “With Automechanika Jakarta, we are following up last year’s debut of our Asiabike Jakarta event with yet another trade fair in this rapidly growing market. Our colleagues are already making plans for 350 exhibitors and some 15,000 square metres of exhibition space in the new Nusantara International Convention Exhibition (NICE).” Indonesia is currently the largest automotive market in Southeast Asia. In 2025, the Association of Indonesia Automotive Industries (GAIKINDO) and the Association of Indonesia Motorcycle Industry (AISI) are expecting sales of some 900,000 cars and between 6.4 million and 6.7 million motorcycles.
With a population of 280 million, a strong production base and its focus on exports, Indonesia represents a very promising market with outstanding growth potential. The country’s rapidly growing domestic market – driven by an emerging middle class – is generating rising demand for services in the automotive aftermarket. Not only is Indonesia an established force in its own region, but it has also become an important exporter of Completely Built-Up (CBU) vehicles at the international level. In 2023 alone, 571,000 vehicles from various major automotive manufacturers were delivered to over 90 countries. According to analysts’ projections, the Indonesian aftermarket should double in size over the next ten years, growing from USD 29 billion to USD 64 billion.
A format for petrolheads: The Festival of Motoring comes to Australia
Another highlight is the first Festival of Motoring in Sydney. This will take place from 20 to 22 November 2026 and be organised by Messe Frankfurt. Michael Johannes, Vice President Mobility & Logistics at Messe Frankfurt, had this to say: “The Festival of Motoring has been a big success in Johannesburg since 2016. Now we are taking it to Australia for the first time. And with Michel Malik, producer and presenter of Australia’s successful and longest-running radio show ‘The World on Wheels’ and CEO of the trade magazine group ‘BodyShop News International’, we have found a great partner for this event – one with the requisite expertise who is also very well connected in the Australian automotive industry.” Michel Malik: “Bringing the Festival of Motoring to Sydney has been a goal of mine and it was long overdue. Holding it at Sydney Motorsport Park was a no-brainer thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities and world-class racing circuits.” The festival showcases all the things that set visitors’ hearts aflutter – supercars, motor sport and off-road vehicles, the very latest car models and new drive technologies, not to mention classic and collectible cars of all ages. The festival is great for the whole family and offers lots of entertainment, action and pure emotion – including test drives on the racetrack.
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