According to the latest information on its website, preparations for The Tire Cologne “are continuing as planned according to the current status for the determined date.” But the tyre trade show has been dealt a further blow in addition to restrictions on large gatherings that were announced yesterday. One of the largest names in the tyre industry has decided against exhibiting due to the risk posed by coronavirus.
No comment yet from organiser Koelnmesse, so perhaps it is too early to speculate on the fate of this year’s The Tire Cologne. Officially it is business with usual, with around 600 companies and brands expected to display their wares between 9 and 12 June. But with the show just three months’ away, Koelnmesse must decide its response to a new decree that restricts large events.
In the wake of decisions to cancel a number of exhibitions and trade fairs in Europe, including the Geneva International Motor Show, the organisers of The Tire Cologne met yesterday to discuss how the coronavirus could affect this year’s show and how they should respond to the situation. After taking many factors into consideration, they’ve decided to continue preparing for the exhibition’s doors to open on 9 June, but are keeping a close eye on developments nonetheless – and will act to minimise the potential risk to exhibitors and visitors.
Anyone searching for Superior Industries Europe’s stand at next year’s The Tire Cologne will look in vain. The wheel manufacturer says it won’t exhibit at the trade show. Gerald Steinmann, Superior Industries’ director of marketing and e-commerce for the aftermarket, explains why.
The organisers of The Tire Cologne are feeling pleased with themselves. Not only is 70 per cent of the next show’s exhibitor floorspace already booked and rented a good nine months before it begins, the exhibitor list includes all five of the world’s leading tyre makers.
Despite being just seven months since the premiere of The Tire Cologne, Koelnmesse and the BRV are already working on the next edition, which will take place in June 2020.
We first saw the Ronal R64 alloy at The Tire Cologne show in May, and Ronal reports that the light commercial vehicle rim has now arrived in the market. Designed for payloads of up to 1,400 kg, the Ronal R64 is a five-spoke design suitable for fitment on vehicles such as the VW T6, Ford Transit, Citroën Spacetourer, Peugeot Traveler, Toyota Proace and SsangYong Rexton.
Davanti has established exclusive distribution deals in five new territories following its participation at The Tire Cologne. The brand stated that the impact of the show has “exceeded expectations”. Davanti held a series of meetings during the event, which resulted in confirmed deals to distribute tyres in the Czech Republic, Serbia, Macedonia, Belarus and Moldova.
Vredestein launched the Wintrac Pro at The Tire Cologne, with arguably the best-attended press conference in the exhibition halls and no small amount of fanfare.
Maxxis hosted a large, professional stand with plenty of information about different products at Tire Cologne. However, the headline news was the launch of the Victra Sport 5 at a well-attended press conference during the course of show week.
During the course of May’s Tire Cologne Zafco promoted the new Zeetex SU4000 4S – an all season car tyre launched following the success of its predecessor ZT4000 4S. In addition, the stand displayed “the most celebrated summer tyres of Zeetex” including the ZT1000, HP2000 vfm, SU1000 vfm, HT1000 vfm and CT2000 vfm. There is also an array winter tyres such as the WP1000, WV1000, WH1000, WH1000 SUV and WQ1000.
Cooper Tire Europe has reported on what it says was a successful The Tire Cologne trade fair, an event that saw the Cooper and Avon brands drawing large numbers of visitors to the stand. The Cologne show proved, the tyre maker adds, “an excellent venue” for the global launch of its new Discoverer AT3 line.
Distributed in the UK by Traxx Tyres, Vitora is a relatively new tyre brand. At The Tire Cologne we caught up with Luke Bedford, who is in charge of international sales for Vitora, and he filled us in on what’s been happening since the brand was established two years ago.
Less than two years after Prinx Chengshan Europe came into being, the company has already sold quantities of tyres numbering in the millions across Europe. Not only that, but the Chinese-based firm has also invested in a manufacturing base in Malaysia during the same period of time. Tyres & Accessories met up with European managing director Ivan Majsky and the rest of the European sales and marketing team at Tire Cologne in order to find out more.
Although present with its Goodride, Golden Crown and Westlake brands at The Tire Cologne, Richard Li stressed that the main focus for the Zhongce Rubber Group (ZC Rubber) during the show was upon the last of the trio. Westlake is, explained the assistant general manager and marketing director, the tyre maker’s “flagship brand in Europe.”
