Munich to host next IAA, say organisers

FRANKFURT: Munich will host the next edition of Germany’s biggest car show IAA, according to its organisers, as the industry scrambles to rebrand the fair after a poor showing in 2019.

Frankfurt was home to the biannual show for almost seven decades, but last year’s edition was marked by the absence of several international carmakers, a sharp drop in visitors and prominent anti-car demonstrations staged by ecologists.

“Munich should be the site for an IAA with a fundamentally new concept,” the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Seven cities had put forward their candidacies, including Berlin and Hamburg, but Munich — the home of BMW AG — prevailed with its quaint “city centre, and highly attractive spaces as event locations”.

“As a technology and strong industrial location and as home to numerous high-tech groups, startups and research institutes as well as innovative companies in the automotive industry, Munich is an excellent partner for the reorientation of the IAA,” the VDA said .

The IAA is held every two years, alternating with a car show in Paris. And like similar events in Geneva and Detroit, organisers have found it increasingly hard to attract exhibitors.

Auto shows are very expensive, and manufacturers are increasingly baulking at the cost, particularly at a time when they are having to plough huge amounts into the development of electric vehicles and other future modes of transport.