The 14th edition of one of the world’s largest automotive show, 2018 Auto Expo is scheduled to be held from 9th – 14th February, 2018 in Greater Noida, will be missing out on action from some of the biggest automotive brands like Ford, Volkswagen group, Bajaj Auto & Harley Davidson.
Companies have cited low Return on Investment as one major reason to stay away from the Auto Expo. As per statistics, 7 car manufacturers, 2 big two-wheeler players and 3 truck manufacturers will not be participating in the upcoming Auto Expo.
The cost of participation in the Auto Expo ranges between INR 30 – INR 50 crores, depending upon the space bought for display.Experts believe that low return on investment (ROI), expensive participation costs, lack of new products and the profile of the visitors at Greater Noida are some of the main reasons why OEMs have shied away from the event. Instead, these companies would rather plan one-off engagement events, which work out to be cheaper and are specifically designed to cater to the brand’s target audience.
For example, if a company launches or showcases its product at Auto Expo, its coverage will get diluted, as there with be 100s of other products getting showcased / launched on the same day. If the same company launches that product on any other day, when no one else is going to launch, will get full coverage with maximum concentration. And on top it, at a fraction of a cost than what they spend at Auto Expo launch.
Bajaj Auto, Royal Enfield, Harley Davidson, Fiat, Jeep, Nissan, Volvo, Ford, Nissan, Triumph, Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Chevrolet, General Motors, Man Trucks, Scania will not be participating in the expo.
Industry veterans, Mahindra & Mahindra’s MD, Dr. Pawan Goenka & Mr. Vikram Kirloskar, Vice-Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar, both were disappointed with the lack of participation from some of the major brands and believed that auto companies should ideally not miss out on the opportunity which the Asia’s largest Auto Expo provides.
