High demand for Sydney floor space

Sydneysiders have been starved of the opportunity to see new cars in the one venue for the past two years. So they're sure to turn out in droves for the 2010 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS).

Certainly the exhibitors at this year's event are expecting big numbers... why else would they be climbing over the top of each other to lease floor space at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre during the show's October run?

"It is true we are slightly oversubscribed on space, but it is a nice problem to have and we are working well with all the brands to try and meet their particular requirements," said Russ Tyrie, the show's director.

"This will be one of the best-supported shows on record and is a real boost for the automotive industry. Everyone on the AIMS committee is gratified with the overwhelming confidence and support the industry has shown in wanting to make this the best show possible.

"The response we have had from the brands highlights how well the industry is recovering and confirms AIMS as the premier motor show in the southern hemisphere."

AIMS for 2010 is the first motor show in Sydney since the 2008 event and it is, in fact, the first major motor show in the country since the Melbourne International Motor Show (MIMS) in March of last year.

As the Carsales Network has reported previously, the organisers of AIMS (the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries) and MIMS (the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce) have entered into a joint arrangement to share the name 'AIMS' and market the show as a truly international event, with the country's two largest cities (Sydney and Melbourne) sharing the event in alternate years.

Both bodies (the FCAI and VACC) were arguably driven to establishing the joint venture that ensures the major international alternates between the two cities because, as it stood, the country's automotive businesses couldn't properly support two large-scale shows each year, one in Melbourne, the other in Sydney. The timing of the agreement between the FCAI and the VACC has worked out well for both parties, with AIMS effectively held over during the worst of the GFC, which has hurt smaller motor shows in other capital cities around the nation and elsewhere around the world.

"Major motor shows around the world have taken a battering in recent years, with many major brands choosing not to exhibit, so we are really proud that our local industry has shown such strong support," said Tyrie on that point.

The official website for AIMS is www.motorshow.com.au and the show will run from October 15 to 24.

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