MIAS 2024: An Honest Review
What MIAS 2024 became, and what it should be
The Manila International Auto Show is done, and now it's time to take stock of what we saw.
Well, it was busy. The turnout was incredible, and the first day was perhaps the busiest I've ever seen in almost two decades of attendance. The attendance numbers from the show weren't in yet when I started writing this, but I will not be surprised if it's the biggest ever. Given how it was on the first day, I would have bet the show hit 160k. And just as I wrapped up this editorial, the actual number was very close: 162,000 visitors from Thursday to Sunday. That's a new record.
The event was also hot, and by that we mean temperature. Summer is already here, and we really felt it on the first day in the test drive area in front of the World Trade Center Manila. But even if you went indoors at WTC, you'll spot a lot of people using brochures and leaflets as makeshift fans. SMX didn't seem to have that problem; their A/C was working fine.
Yes, MIAS was also at SMX to accommodate even more automobile brands there. The organizers and participating companies did very well to provide free shuttles back and forth to make it easier for showgoers to move from one venue to another, though the lines outside got quite long in the afternoon.
The dual-venue approach was novel; the organizers did a great job managing the limitations of the primary venue. The split between WTC and SMX allowed brands to have bigger spaces and also allowed showgoers to select where they would start the day. Moreover, it allowed visitors to park at either SMX or WTC; I opted for the former during the two days I went rather than park at WTC.
It just illustrates the need for reinvestment to improve the venue and expand the hall, or maybe even another developer or investor can establish a larger venue for trade shows such as this. They are reclaiming part of Manila Bay for an entertainment city, so perhaps it’s a good idea to put up a much larger convention center similar to what Bangkok has with Impact Challenger.
The venue was a limiting factor, but what was more concerning was the atmosphere and conduct inside: it felt more like a nightclub than a major automotive trade show.
For starters: the lack of light. If you watched my video on the walkaround of the show, you’ll notice that the booths we covered in WTC were dark. Apparently, all brands had to dim their lighting while another brand was presenting or holding a show. It made life for us attending the show in a professional media capacity a little more difficult, but more than that: it was a little dangerous. Tripping over something and hurting yourself was a real issue given how dark it was.
Next: the noise. Every exhibitor seemed to have an audio system that rivaled Manila’s clubs, complete with a sound engineer or sound check technician who was completely deaf already. That was true whether you were outside waiting for a shuttle, inside the lobby, or in the vicinity of some of the booths. And they were all competing against each other to be heard.
It was so loud at one exhibitor’s booth that I decided to skip their showcase altogether because it was way too loud. An adjacent exhibitor showed me the readings they were getting on an app and it was reading at 102 to 109 decibels. While these apps aren’t always accurate, it was hard to argue with the punishment our ears were receiving. Visitors actually walked away from their booth. The noise cleared out the customers; simple as that.
We attended the Bangkok International Motor Show and the Manila International Auto Show practically back to back, and we can see and hear the difference. Actually, so can you: just compare our reels from MIAS and BIMS on our social media (IG: @autoindustriya), and you’ll see and hear what we mean. Let’s forget the difference in venue size, but focus on how the cars were properly lit up in Bangkok and how easy it was to discuss each one.
The organizers asked for my honest feedback, and here it is: MIAS needs order, cooperation, and enforcement to elevate it into the international automotive trade show that it aims to be.
A motor show should not be a fiesta with laser lights, EDM at high decibels, noontime show dance troupes, and oh there just so happens to be cars there. It shouldn't be that way. The cars should be the stars. That's what the daily average of 40,000+ people went to the show to see, sit in, test drive, and buy.
An auto show should be conducive for industry players to network amongst themselves, for customers to examine the latest cars launched, for sales associates to work the floor, and for media to shoot pictures, record videos, and publish articles. It may be too much for us to ask for a media exclusive day or even morning given the costs, but just give us fast internet in the media room so we can work and we’ll be fine.
Participating brands need to cooperate to elevate MIAS to what it should be, and the organizers need to proactively ask for compliance. That’s really it. There’s another obvious matter about MIAS that needs to be discussed, but that will come separately, and soon.
