2010 British Motor Show Cancelled

British Motor Show

By Thami Masemola
March 19, 2009 6:00 PM
Filed Under: British Motor Show, European

The British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has announced the death of the British Motor Show today, for 2010 at least. Those involved are saying this is only a temporary situation which should return to normal when the world economy picks up, but skeptics are worried this is the final nail in its coffin.

For years now audiences have been dwindling at the show. At its height in 1978 a recorded 908,194 people attended at Birmingham's NEC. Even the return to London in 2006 doesn't seem to have helped the situation. In fact, London 2006 was one of the least attended in many years with only 415,000 fans showing up.

The British Motor Show is by no means alone in this. Earlier this year the North American International Motor Show in Detroit suffered a setback when automakers like Ferrari, Porsche and Nissan snubbed the event due to bad economic times. The year 2009 is sure to see more such actions from manufacturers. Already there is pressure to cancel the 2009 October Tokyo Motor Show after Ford, GM, Chrysler and Volvo chose not to be a part of it.

Source: car

Press Release (Click to expand)

Following a thorough consultation with the UK motor industry, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has taken the difficult decision to cancel the 2010 British International Motor Show.

SMMT, with the support of the UK motor industry, remains committed to showcasing the achievements and products of the automotive sector. However, the economic downturn and the unprecedented challenges facing the industry both in the UK and around the world, have made it impossible for exhibitors to commit to a 2010 event.

"The British International Motor Show is the UK's largest consumer exhibition, hugely popular with the public, and has been attracting increasing numbers of visitors over recent years, making the decision to cancel the 2010 Show an extremely difficult one. However, the global credit crunch has placed the automotive sector under unique pressure and has created a level of uncertainty that deters manufacturers from committing to large-scale, international events," said SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt.

"The UK has a strong, diverse and highly competitive motor manufacturing industry, home to globally successful companies and iconic products admired around the world. Both SMMT and the industry are committed to displaying the achievements of the sector but in a way that better reflects the changing dynamics of the industry," concluded Everitt.

Speaking on behalf of International Motor Industry Events (imie), the organisers of the British International Motor Show, joint managing director Rob Mackenzie said: "Given the great strides that the Motor Show has taken since its return to London, we fully endorse the decision to postpone BIMS until market conditions will again permit us to deliver a world class event that truly showcases the UK industry."