Melbourne motor show to return

The Melbourne motor show will return in 2015 after a two-year hiatus, but not as we know it.

The traditional display-only motor show has been scrapped in favour of a more dynamic event that will allow patrons to drive cars as part of a hands-on, interactive approach dubbed the Australia Motoring Festival.

The four-day event is being organised by the VACC and RACV and will be held outdoors at the Melbourne showgrounds, between March 26 and 29, a couple of weeks after the 2015 Australian F1 Grand Prix between March 12 and 15.

Test drives, rides and interactive technology experiences are being touted as drawcards for the new family-friendly event, which will also host children's activities and the screening of car-themed films.

"The Australian Motoring Festival is a new concept and devised to connect automotive manufacturers and distributors with the vehicle-buying public in a new and dynamic way," said the executive director of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce, David  Purchase.

The VACC announced in February that it would split from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) to forge its own take on the motor show.

"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," said Purchase.

Hoping to revive the Melbourne motor show after a two-year absence – albeit with an 'experiential' twist – the Australian Motoring Festival will be a very different animal to what we've previously seen, stressed RACV General Manager of Motoring and Mobility, Gordon Oakley.

"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," he said.

The change in event strategy was pushed by many car-makers during negotiations in 2013, but it remains to be seen if all mainstream car brands get on board for the festival.

Previous motor shows have a left a bad taste in the mouths of many car companies, and thus far none have confirmed their attendance.

The last major motor show held in Australia was in Sydney in 2012 and drawcard brands such as Audi and BMW did not attend. Both brands were taking a wait-and-see approach to the new Melbourne event in 2015.

"We're considering it," said Audi Australia's General Manager Corporate Communications, Anna Burgdorf.

"Cars are meant to be driven, not just admired, so this idea of interactivity is interesting," said Burgdorf, who cautioned that "no final decision" had been made and noted that the outcomes of "highly expensive" motor shows are notoriously difficult to measure.

BMW Group Australia's General Manager Corporate Communications, Lenore Fletcher, said there were more opportunities competing for marketing dollars than ever.

"Kudos to VACC for the new approach – the interactivity sounds like a good way of attracting more people," said Fletcher. "Have we made a decision? No, not yet. The big issue is the amazing array of options we can spend marketing dollars on."

Mercedes-Benz Australia was one of the few big brands that did attend the Sydney-based 2012 Australian International Motor Show.

"Motor shows have been good for us in the past in terms of selling cars," said Senior Manager for Public Relations, Product and Corporate Communication, David McCarthy, who added it was too early to confirm his company's attendance.

"We would want to see the proposition, how it runs, how much it is," said McCarthy.

The Melbourne motor show first began in 1925, but due to falling crowd numbers and the rising cost of both floor space and set-up (totalling more than $1 million in some cases) many brands turned their backs.

The event was ditched after its final showing in 2011 and the last major Australian motor show took place in Sydney in 2012, despite an agreement between the Sydney-based FCAI and Melbourne-based VACC to alternate the Australian International Motor Show between the country's two largest cities once a year.

New car sales are still strong in Australia and the lack of a motor show since 2012 doesn't seem to have diminished the appetites of buyers, who now do most of their car research online before making a decision.

Holden is yet to comment on its position in relation to the dynamic festival at the time of writing, although Toyota and Ford said they would consider signing up as participants.

"Yes we would consider it," said Toyota Australia Public Relations Manager, Mike Breen. "It'll take some time before we make a decision, but the interactivity adds more appeal. It's what was missing from past motor shows," he said.

Ford Australia's Brand Communications Manager, Neil McDonald, had a similar response and said the company would look at the proposal but added, "We also need to know more about costs, site layout and the projected number of visitor numbers".

Hyundai and Mitsubishi also confirmed they were considering joining the Australian Motoring Festival, but said it was too early to make any firm announcements.