The Australian International Motor Show is back, sort of. After falling attendance numbers and poor support from manufacturers, the VACC and RACV have come up with the Australian Motoring Festival which will debut next year in Melbourne.
The festival will be different to the regular motor show layout, with more hands-on opportunities for show-goers. This includes on and off road driving experiences, special films, and more aftermarket exhibits and demonstrations.
The last Australian motor show was in 2012 at Sydney. It was a fairly disappointing turnout, not just fans but also the carmakers. Big-name companies such as Ferrari, BMW, Volvo, and Audi chose not to attend due to high running costs of having a stand.
With a more diverse display of all things motoring, the festival is expected to be a lot more popular. David Purchase, VACC executive director, said in a recent statement,
“Extensive research shows that people want to be able to engage and interact with the exhibits and activities at motoring events and that’s what we intend to deliver at the Australian Motoring Festival.”
Gordon Oakley, RACV motoring and mobility manager, said the new layout will cater for all ages, with a wide range of exhibits and educational activities. He said,
“This will be an entirely new event on the Australian motoring calendar and it will be a very different experience from the traditional motor show.”
The festival will run from March 26-29 at the Melbourne Showgrounds next year.
