New Boardwalk Centre the venue for automotive expo

"We hosted the first South African Automotive Week Tradeshow at the Boardwalk in 2007, but outgrew the venue. With the international and local interest in the 2012 edition, no venue in the province has been big enough to accommodate the 10 000m² tradeshow and a host of related automotive meetings and activities," says Andrew Binning, director of SAAW 2012. "This is the third time we have outgrown our venue," he says.

Access to hotels and facilities

"Fortunately, the Boardwalk was able to open up to us an underground level of a new international standard convention centre. The venue offers a number of advantages in terms of accessibility to the main hotels, parking and other facilities, such as restaurants and coffee shops. Most importantly it creates the kind of impression that resonates with international investors and national visitors,'' says Binning.

"This will be the first of many international conventions and expos to be hosted in the new venue, which is part of a R1bn investment in Nelson Mandela Bay by empowerment leisure company Emfuleni Resorts," says Boardwalk general manager Clifford Ngakane.

Over 300 exhibitors are expected to be showcasing their products and equipment at the South African Automotive Week Tradeshow, which is the only dedicated automotive components industry showcase in South Africa. Delegations have been confirmed from Thailand, China, the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe and the United States, while individuals from a number of other countries have also registered.

Coega pavilion a highlight

National pavilions will showcase the industry in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the North-West, the East London Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), and the Coega IDZ.

A 270m² Coega IDZ pavilion will be one of the highlights of the expo, according to Binning "Together with its suppliers and those in the East London IDZ, as well as exhibits by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, the Eastern Cape Automotive Industry Development Centre, and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the expo will make a powerful statement about automotive manufacturing in the Eastern Cape Province," he says.

The South African Automotive Week will include a number of conferences focusing on key challenges and opportunities in the South African automotive industry and will be held from 10-13 October 2012.