24-27 April in Bahrain in cooperation with Messe Essen GmbH has been postponed until October 4th according to the Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority (BECA).The event, to be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center, was hoped to be packed with different activities in addition to parallel events at the Bahrain International Circuit such as 4X4 rides and drag racing.
It has been postponed due to lack of adequate entries, said BECA senior sales officer and BIMS 2008 project manager Ali Al Shehabi.
Obviously, BECA’s German partners promised more than they could deliver on short notice.
"Exhibitors that have confirmed their participation in BIMS this year are from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UK, Germany, Japan and the UAE," he said. "But the entries that we have received are not what we were expecting and need more exhibitors. We hope to encourage more exhibitors to join the event by October." National pavilions from Germany, Taiwan and the UAE have already reserved a presence at the event.
BECA, which owns and produces BIMS in joint venture with Germany's Messe Essen GmbH, is headed by Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro.
BIMS 2008, when finally held, promises to be a spectacular experience for trade show visitors as well as the entire family.
"BIMS is shaping up to be a hallmark event for Bahrain with its unique exhibits of production, concept and performance cars across different brands," he says.
"Its inaugural launch in October coincides with the celebration of Eid Al Fitr, enabling thousands of car enthusiasts and families to visit the show." Dr Fakhro said that the new dates in autumn would make it more viable for Bahrain's auto dealers to showcase their new models and concept cars.
"We are working closely with the automotive media for additional visitor marketing promotions and have launched an extensive promotional campaign in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Bahrain to increase visitor attendance to BIMS 2008," said BECA acting chief executive officer Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen.
“Motorsports in particular, and the automotive industry, in general, are an important driver of Bahrain’s economy. The success story that is The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix and the recent launching of the German, high-performance sports car maker, RUF GmbH in Bahrain, the first ever automobile manufacturing and assembly facility in the Arab world, are testimony to the wealth of entrepreneurial and high-tech skills residing in the country,” says Mohammed Dhirar Al Shaer, CEO of BECA. “Bahrain Motor Show is one of the ideal platforms for the Kingdom’s automotive industry to be placed on the international map and win in the race for economic prosperity.”
This is most unfortunate for all concerned. The show is a great concept and we hope it can be salvaged in October.
