Last week, we were invited to attend the final press conference in Autopromotec’s press tour as the organisation ramped up its promotional efforts in the build up to its 60th anniversary show, due to take place from the 21st to the 24th of May in Bologna. Held at the Hotel Único in Madrid, Enrica Lazzarini, the Communications Director and Emanuele Vicentini, the Global Branding and International Development Advisor gave some insights into the key topics and themes attendees and exhibitors can expect to see at this year’s iteration of the trade fair.
Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability and Connectivity, the Key Themes for 2025
Enrica Lazzarini explained that this edition will focus on key trends redefining the future of workshops such as artificial intelligence, sustainability and connectivity and with that in mind, the organisation had created a rich and diverse programme intended to cover these megatrends and to cater to the expectations of the professionals attending and exhibiting at Autopromotec. Conferences and roundtables will cover these topic areas, as well as technical data management within the framework work of data legislation, changes in ADAS regulations for safety device maintenance and the future of sustainable mobility.
One of the key events to be highlighted was the International Aftermarket Meeting, which will be led by European speakers from the aftermarket focusing on the topic of “Cybersecurity vs Competition”. The conference will include a keynote speech, a roundtable discussion moderated by Frank Schlehuber and a Q&A session, as attendees will hear talks on the EU’s legislative framework as a basis for competition and free choice of customers, the key drivers which have the potential to disrupt the aftermarket ecosystem and the secrets behind mandatory cyber security management concepts amongst various additional areas covering regulation and technical development. Visitors will also have the ability to interact, network and engage with some of the industry’s most innovative solutions at the Automotive Innovation Village, the Sustainability ESG Forum and the Body Shop Arena where live demonstrations and workshops will be held.
For tyre retreaders and tyre recyclers, the latest instalment of the Future of Retreading Conference will be held alongside the prizegiving ceremony for the winners of the fourth Recircle Awards. Speakers and timings will be announced in due course via the Autopromotec and Retreading Business platforms.
In terms of attendance and participation, the Global Branding and International Development Advisor Emanuele Vicentini explained that the organisers are looking at “returning to Pre-COVID exhibitor and attendee levels”. At the time of publication, 91% of the exhibitor space has been sold with the remaining 9% pending confirmation. This has resulted in nearly 1,300 exhibitors confirming their attendance, with 26% of the total exhibitors from outside of Italy including 12 from Spain and 13 from the UK. In terms of visitor attendance, the organisation is expecting 100,000 attendees with more than 30% coming from outside of Italy, reflecting the truly global nature of the show.
