Hot rods. The auto industry's latest products will be on display from April 1-5 at Autosalon Bratislava which takes place at Incheba.Courtesy of Incheba
Autosalon Bratislava and Autosalon Nitra used to both be fall events, but in 1998 fair organizers Incheba a.s. Bratislava and the Slovak Automotive Industry Association surgically separated these "twins" into a spring and fall show.
Bratislava Autosalon, now held from April 1-5, 1998, is focused mainly on personal car purchasers, and the exhibitors are mostly car retailers. "As importers, we do not participate in Bratislava Autosalon - we send our retailers. We go to Nitra because it is different and more important to us." said Karol Hudec, Marketing Department of Škoda Slovakia.
Nitra Autosalon offers a wider range of personal cars and vehicles including tractors, trucks and other heavy transport vehicles, but the Bratislava event attracts its share of customers. "Bratislava Autosalon is mostly focused on the Bratislava region. The fair has a national character with the possibility of international participation." Milan Urban, Director of the Slovak Automotive Industry Association. Bratislava's advantage is its location in the Slovak capital, where "more personal cars were sold" Miroslav Machala, Manager of Bratislava's Autosalon.
Incheba is providing 15 percent more space this year than in 1997. "About 120 exhibitors are going to participate, using 12600 m2. Free space provided for vehicle demonstrations will come to about 1000 m2," said Machala.
The participation of international companies at Bratislava Autosalon is not an issue any more. "Five years ago foreign companies represented 10 percent of all exhibitors. Now they have set up their branch offices in Slovakia and attend the fair as visitors." said Machala.
Organizers decided to split the two fairs because of consumer and exhibitor pressure. "The disadvantage of having two Autosalons in the fall was most evident in 1997. They took place in September within just a few days. The problem was that some exhibitors did not have enough time to move from Nitra to Bratislava." said Urban. But not everyone is convinced that the country even needs both events. "To have two automotive fairs in Slovakia is excessive," said Tomáš Dvoráček, a Marketing Department official at Divízia Seat.
