2008 British Motor Show: Visitor Numbers Up 14 Percent

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LONDON - August 5, 2008: The organisers of this summer's British International Motor Show, sponsored by Zurich Connect, have announced that 472,300 people visited the ExCeL-based event – a huge increase on the 415,000 who came to the successful 2006 exhibition. The growth in attendance reaffirms the event’s position as a must-see Show in the international motoring calendar.

The Show closed on Sunday (August 3rd) at the end of a special motorsport-themed day, which included a live broadcast of the Hungarian Grand Prix and appearances from commentating legend Murray Walker OBE and racing icon Sir Stirling Moss OBE.

Throughout the 12-day event, car fans and motoring enthusiasts were treated to a feast of world vehicle premieres, stunning concept cars and driving challenges, while families and children enjoyed a range of interactive events.

By far the biggest consumer exhibition in the UK, the Motor Show hosted 23 global debuts, a total of 600 cars and 60 vehicle manufacturers. The cars on display had an estimated value of over £37 million.

“The success of this year’s Motor Show can be attributed not only to the quality of the global debuts and the support of such a fantastic collection of motor manufacturers, but also to the wide range of interactive attractions and family-friendly features,” enthused Kirsty Perkinson, Marketing Director for the Show.

From luxury yachts and top-of-the-range motor homes to quad-bikes and classic cars, the Motor Show had something for everyone. Almost 6,000 visitors with a ‘need for speed’ tried their hand at racing on Mazda’s Zoom-Zoom Challenge while in excess of 26,000 of the Show’s bravest visitors took a ride on Land Rover’s Ultimate Experience.

Many manufacturers offered test drives of their cars and vans around a specially-designed driving route, while Honda presented its entire range in the thrilling live-action Dreamscape show, which ran daily and told the story of the company’s 60-year history.

Feedback from exhibiting car brands has been extremely positive.
“Following our decision to hold the Vauxhall Insignia world debut in London, GM's Motor Show experience was excellent from beginning to end,” commented Denis Chick, Director, Communications, GMUK and Ireland. “The number of people showing interest in all of the GM brands exceeded our expectations, from families and business car drivers drawn to the all-new Insignia, to supercar fans drooling over the new Corvette ZR1 and Chevy Camaro.”

Similar growth in interest was seen by Honda, who generated 17 per cent more leads than at the Show in 2006 as well as taking 30 per cent more test drive bookings. Peugeot increased their customer contacts by a third over 2006. Niche brands also reported resounding success, with Norwegian electric car manufacturer Think realising an eight-fold increase in prospective UK buyers following the Show.

The Motor Show Music Festival saw performances from world-famous acts including Alice Cooper, Blondie and Status Quo, with Meat Loaf closing the Festival on the final night.

Preparations for the next British International Motor Show are already under way. “No sooner has this Show closed than we start planning the next one!” said Perkinson. “We have had a terrific range of events and exhibitors this year, and we will have to work very hard to raise the stakes again in 2010, but we are ready for the challenge. The feedback we have had from exhibitors has been immensely positive, so we are confident that the Show will be even bigger and even better in two years’ time.”