2014 Sydney motor show cancelled

Confirmation that next year's Sydney motor show will not go ahead comes less than four months after the event's organiser scrapped this year's Melbourne motor show – originally planned to take place in June – due to a lack of support from manufacturers.

AIMS event director Russ Tyrie said the show’s organiser was committed to the future of a local motor show but could not give a timeline on when the event would return.

While failing to give an explicit reason for the decision to cancel the 2014 show, Tyrie told CarAdvice he “wouldn’t necessarily say” it was based on a lack of enthusiasm from manufacturers.

A host of big-name brands – including Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Mini, Renault and Volvo – chose not to attend the last Australian international motor show in Sydney in October, preferring to spend their marketing budgets in other areas. Some manufacturers have claimed it can cost up to $2 million to operate a big stand for the 10 days of the show.

Their no-show was mirrored by the official crowd numbers, which fell to just 135,000, down from 155,000 the previous year in Melbourne, and well off 2004’s 250,000-plus record.

Tyrie told CarAdvice the AIMS Joint Venture was “very bullish” about returning with a show in the near future, but admitted a 2015 event was not confirmed at this stage.

“This does not mean the end for motor shows in Australia though with the AIMS Joint Venture currently developing and planning a concept for future motor shows.

“We are in the midst of extensive market research and undertaking discussions with industry and government stakeholders to determine a show model that can best meet the needs of the industry and the public.”

The 2014 Australian international motor show was to be the first held at Sydney Olympic Park as the event’s traditional home, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, is set to undergo a major redevelopment.