KL International Motorshow
New Straits Time: Cars, Bikes & Trucks

This is the big one we've all been waiting for the KL International Motorshow 2000. Started from November 25 to December 4, the show is going to be a real show with the world's major motor manufacturers promising to bring in concept cars. To be the biggest and the best show to date in the region, it will be a fitting presentation of the Malaysian Automotive Association, the new body formed by the merger of the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) and the Malaysian Motor Vehicle Assemblers Association (MMVAA).

Response has been tremendous, says its first president, Cik Aishah Ahmad. "I am happy to report that for the first time ever, every available space at the coming show has been sold out and in fact, we are overbooked and had to wake up additional floor space in PWTC at Level 4, Merdeka Hall. "We are confident that the KL International Motor Show will be the largest motorshow in South-east Asia," she said in a statement.

The KL International Motorshow is an event which the MAA started in 1984 and held at the most popular venue at that time - Changkat Pavilion. The high point of the show then was the launch of the Volvo 360. Six years later, in 1990, the MMTA held the second show at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). The third show was held in 1994, attracting 380,000 paying visitors.

Three years ago, the MAA called exhibition organisers to tender for the 1998 show but this never materialised because of the Asian currency crisis. "We're very excited about the show because we've never had so many franchise holders and exhibitors taking part in one show. We're expecting 1014 concept cars and prototypes to be displayed," said MR. Jonathan Kan, the managing director of Trade-Link Exhibition Services Sdn Bhd, the appointed show organisers.

The show is held during the school holidays and the show hours will be from 10am to 10pm so that everyone will have the chance to visit the show. "We'll be inviting in-car entertainment people, accessory suppliers, car maintenance distributors and all other suppliers involved in the car business." said Kan. "Bikes will also be exhibited,' said Kan a 17 year veteran in the exhibition business and was there for 10 years before deciding to go into business on his own in 1992.

He has since organised major events like Woodtech 94, 96 and 99. He gave the impetus to the local furniture manufacturers by organising the first Malaysian International Furniture Fair in 1995."At that time, the furniture industry had no fair and our local producers had to go overseas. It was expensive and not everyone could do it. When, it was held in Malaysia for the first time, many people were sceptical that it could be done, and whether foreign buyers would come to Malaysia. That fair was the turning point for the rubberwood-based furniture industry, till then, there was no real knowledge of the variety of the furniture which could be manufactured from it, " he said.