15. - 20. 4. 2008
BASIC INFORMATION Year: 18. Dates: 15-20 Apríl 2008 Venue: Incheba Expo Bratislava Under the auspices of: Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Ľubomír Jahnátek Slovak Minister of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications Ľubomír Vážný Professional cooperation: Media partners: Institute of Forensic Engineering - Žilina University of Žilina Radio Expres Autoškola Marína s.r.o. Zoznam Internet portal Number of direct exhibitors: 181 out of that international: 19 Domestic: 162 Gross area: 45,000 m 2 Accompanying events: 6,000 m 2 Number of visitors: 215,132 Number of registered journalists: Number of participating brands: 48 Number of Slovak exhibition premieres: 70 Participating countries: Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Turkey Festive opening of the exhibition The festive opening of the Autosalón / Autoservis Bratislava 2008 trade fair took place on 15 April 2008 in the premises of the EXPO CLUB. An invitation to the opening was accepted by the Slovak Republic s President Ivan Gašparovič, Minister of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications Ľubomír Vážný and other leading governmental dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in the Slovak Republic.
At the festive opening, the guests were addressed by the Managing Director of Incheba a.s., Alexander Rozin and by the Slovak Minister of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications Ľubomír Vážný. In their speeches, both of them praised highly Incheba s effort to provide, each year, an increasing level of exhibition areas and services, a record scope of the exhibition and the number of represented brands, a high quality, and a creative form of the presentation of exhibition displays, and, in their conclusions, they wished all exhibitors a lot of business success and signed business contracts. At the end of the festive opening, the Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič, with the assistance of the Slovak Minister of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications, Ľubomír Vážný and the Managing Director of Incheba a.s. Alexander Rozin, started off the start of the exhibition and, by that, opened festively the exhibition. After the end of the festive opening, the guests set out for a show around the exhibition, where, with interest, they saw individual displays, in which they were most interested in the latest models of cars and motorcycles.
During the Autosalón, the exhibition was also visited by many other interesting guests of the political, cultural and social lives. Accompanying programme The accompanying programme of the exhibition was divided into the programmes for the professional and general public. An off-road test range 4x4, a traffic playground, crash tests, an opening of a tuning season, autograph sessions and exhibition performances of well-known motoring personalities, cultural programmes of individual displays, and a vintage car display in the D1 hall were prepared for the general public. A professional accompanying programme ran from the first day of the exhibition. On 16.4.2008 there was an international professional conference of members of the Motor Car Seller and Service Guild. The professional conference was attended by almost 200 specialists, who, after having heard a morning lecture part, had an opportunity to get answers to their questions in the afternoon hours. On Thursday, 17.4.2008, a major courier test, in which more than 15 utility vehicles took part, took place in the free Area D.
On Friday, 18.4.2008, a professional workshop on the topic of road traffic safety and traffic signs, organised by the Slovak Road Administration, took place in the premises of the EXPO CLUB. The workshop was attended by almost 80 professionals, who heard professional lectures and, in the afternoon hours, also saw demonstrations of companies operating in the field. On Saturday, very much waited for Crash tests took place in the free area D, organised by the company Autoškola Marína in cooperation with the Institute of Forensic Engineering - Žilina University in Žilina. That unique event, organised in Slovakia once a year during the Autosalón Bratislava exhibition, attracted the interest of the professional as well as general publics. During the day, three crash tests took place, a vehicle - fixed obstacle crash test, a vehicle - pedestrian crash test and a vehicle - cyclist crash test, which were connected with demonstrations of releasing people involved in an accident by workers of the Rescue Fire Brigade. The interest in that promotion was confirmed also by the visit rate, where the crash tests attracted almost 1,000 viewers to the free area D.
On Sunday, 20.4.2008, in the free area E, an event called The Opening of a Tuning Season, was organised for the fourth time. In cooperation with Incheba a.s., it was organised by the publisher of the AT Magazín. The event was met with a high interest among autotuning fans, who presented more than 300 modified cars. The success of the event was also underlined by a high visit rate in the free area, almost 4,000 visitors. At the conclusion of that event, viewers chose in a vote the three most beautifully modified cars, whose owners were rewarded by valuable prizes. Evaluation of a contest On the first day of the trade fair, a contest on the most communicative exhibition and prizes of the Autosalón Bratislava 2008 was announced. A prize was won by: BMW Group Slovakia, Mercedes-Benz Slovakia, s.r.o., Nissan Sales Central & Eastern Europe kft. organisational unit, and Toyota Motor Slovakia, s.r.o. In cooperation with the publisher of the Nový Auto Magazín and Halló Auto magazine, four prizes of the Autosalón were awarded in the following categories: The most sporting car - CORVETTE The most environmentally friendly car VW PASSAT BLUEMOTION The most attractive novelty LANCIA DELTA The most beautiful car MERCEDES-BENZ SL
Promotion of the trade fair The promotion of the trade fair was supported effectively by media partners - Radio Express and the Zoznam portal. Articles before and during the trade fair were published in all professional magazines, Auto motor a šport, Autoaktuál, Autožurnál, Autobild, Transport, Svet motocyklov, Motomagazín, FAB, Autoburza, which, in addition, brought separate PR articles about the prepared motor show. From among the dailies, we focused on the most read media, SME, Nový čas, Šport, Trend, and HN. In the electronic media, the trade fair was given large attention, which is proved by inputs in the Slovak Radio - Rádiožurnál, Rádio Regina, Fun Rádio, Rádio Expres, TV Markíza, TA3, STV and TV JOJ. The advertising campaign was strengthened by a more pronounced use of cityligths in Bratislava and billboards throughout the territory of Slovakia as well as advertising spots before the main television news bulletin on TV Markíza. Very effective was the form of distribution of invitations to business partners, by which more than 60,000 domestic and international organisations were invited. A big interest of the media was also declared by the registration of domestic and international media workers in the press centre during the exhibition. Position on the market The 18th year of the international motor and accessory show Autosalón/Autoservis Bratislava has confirmed that, by its scope and structure of exhibitors, ranks among the most prestigious
motoring events organised in Slovakia. With 181 exhibitors in an area of 45,000 m 2 it has confirmed its dominant position of the city of Bratislava and its close surroundings in the sale of cars and utility vehicles in Slovakia. The record visit rate of 215,132 has clearly confirmed the interest in such a motoring event organised in the capital of Slovakia and it proves the fact that the exhibition is a unique opportunity for comparing and buying a new car as well as a place for work meetings of domestic and international business partners. The exhibition areas, new entrances to parking lots as well as services of the EXPO CLUB improve the infrastructure of Incheba Expo Bratislava each year, which has been praised not just by exhibitors, but also by the professional and general publics that have visited the Autosalón. Evaluation In terms of the structure of exhibitors, the occupied exhibition area, an excellent attendance rate and attractive accompanying events, the 18th year of the international motor and car accessory show Autosalón/Autoservis Bratislava 2008 was a breakthrough year in the history of organising motor shows in Bratislava. As it comes from assessments by exhibitors, visitors and the media, we have to evaluate it as the most successful motoring event organised in Slovakia this year.
Information about the next year The next, 19th year of the international motor, accessory, garaging and servicing equipment show Autosalón/Autoservis Bratislava2009, to which you are hereby warmly invited, will take place at Incheba Expo Bratislava on 21.04. - 26.04.2009. The growing interest in a presentation at the Bratislava motor show is also confirmed by the fact that already today we register applications for the next year of the exhibition and that car brands reserved exhibition areas in halls already during the exhibition. Motoring is one of the most dynamically developing industries in Slovakia. Bratislava and its close surroundings have an almost 30 % share of the sale of cars and utility vehicles, in some makes even more than 50 %. This is why the presentation at the motor show is an unrepeatable opportunity to introduce on the market the latest models, organise social events with business partners as well as win new business partners and customers. These are the main arguments that should influence exhibitors decisions to participate in the Bratislava motoring feast. We believe you will find our offer of the presentation at the Autosalón/Autoservis Bratislava 2009 exhibition interesting and that visitors from among the professional as well as general publics will be able to see your display also next year. We look forward to working with you.