THE National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) has announced the host city for its 2019 show.
In a statement released recently, the association said the decision followed a competitive host city bidding process and that the show would be hosted by Durban’s Thekwini Municipality in partnership with the Durban Automotive Cluster (DAC).
It will take place at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) from 12 to 14 March 2019.
The inaugural NAACAM Show in April 2017 was held at the Durban ICC and saw 1 304 delegates participate in a two-day conference and exhibition. Delegates engaged with 46 speakers on nine conference themes, including manufacturing best practice; black supplier development and transformation; the future of the automobile; and the South African Automotive Masterplan.
The NAACAM Show 2017 exhibition saw 183 automotive component manufacturers, government and support service agencies present their offerings to delegates and key automotive stakeholders – this included the profiling of 38 black-owned suppliers
According to the association, a highlight of the 2017 show was the facilitation of 122 pre-arranged buyer-supplier linkage meetings. “Delegate feedback in 2017 was incredibly positive, with 60% of respondents agreeing that it is likely that new business will be secured in the future, based on their NAACAM Show participation,” the association said in a statement.
In 2019, with the support and endorsement of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) Purchasing Council, Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness Initiative (ASCCI), as well as National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) and National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), the NAACAM Show aims to be the premier automotive manufacturing growth, technology, transformation and stakeholder engagement forum in Africa.
The NAACAM Show is an initiative wholly owned by industry, with senior component manufacturing leaders providing oversight to its delivery.
Renai Moothilal, NAACAM’s Executive Director said: “Direct supplier oversight of the initiative is key to ensure that we deliver an event which reflects on the sector’s most relevant issues and opportunities, whilst also clearly showcasing the capability and capacity of the SA automotive value chain. We are grateful to the executives who have given their time to assist us in our mission”.
In 2019, the NAACAM Show will have an increased focus on Sub-Saharan African opportunities and alignment with the Automotive Masterplan objectives. The attraction and hosting of international technology suppliers and foreign direct investors is also a priority for the 2019 iteration of the Show.
Next year will also see the organisers present an enhanced delegate and exhibitor experience based on global benchmarks for this kind of event.
More information can be found at www.naacamshow.co.za.