The 98th edition of the Brussels Motor Show closed its doors on the 19th January, attracting more than half a million people to the halls of the Brussels Expo during the ten days of the event. The show was organised by FEBIAC – the Belgian and Luxembourg federation of the car and bike industries.
Announcing the presentation of 18 world premiere vehicles, 10 continental premiere vehicles and more than 100 national premiere vehicles, the 98th edition of the Brussels Motor Show was already assured – even before opening to the general public – of entering the annals of motor shows with its impressive list of firsts gathered together by exhibitors in the Belgian capital.
Never in automotive history have motorists’ questions been as numerous as this time round. The increasing development of alternative forms of motorisation to traditional petrol and diesel engines as well as the environmental awareness of motorists wishing to limit their ecological footprint while maintaining individual transport are all elements that have largely contributed to the success of the 98th Brussels Motor Show.
– We had different objectives at the time of launching the 98th edition of the Brussels Motor Show, explains Pierre Lalmand, Director of the Brussels Show on behalf of FEBIAC. The first was to inform our visitors about recent technological developments in the automotive industry. The feedback from all our exhibitors was that the Belgian public displayed unprecedented enthusiasm for hybrid and electric solutions. From this point of view, our first objective has been achieved.
The second objective of the 98th Brussels Motor Show was to provide a forum for alternative solutions to car travel. This was achieved by having two entire halls dedicated to exhibitors from the motorised two-wheeler sector. Also, for the third consecutive year, #WeAreMobility exhibition was set up and for the first time, it was organised in the centre of the Show and throughout the whole event.
Pierre Lalmand also notes that for many Belgians, micro-mobility or shared mobility solutions could become real possibilities at some stage in their daily commutes, which is why each visitor to the Brussels Motor Show got the chance to see these solutions through the #WeAreMobiIity exhibition.
The 98th edition of the Brussels Motor Show was also marked by the organisation of the 6th edition of the Dream Cars exhibition. Accessible with an additional ticket, the Dream Cars exhibition, which brought together 40 extremely exclusive cars, managed to convince more than one in five visitors of the Brussels Motor Show.
Finally, the Brussels Motor Show also had another objective – to spark enthusiasm of young people for the automotive sector and the professions within the industry. A task carried out by the various manufacturers present but also by the Job On Wheels by FEBIAC initiative.
With more than half a million visitors once again gathered over the ten days of opening to the general public, the 98th Brussels Motor Show is without doubt a success in the eyes of its organisers. This massive turnout, even though the Salon lasted a day less than in 2018, illustrates once again how important the Belgian public find the basic freedom of planning travel options with a full knowledge of the facts, without any threats, constraints or prohibitions that some may try to impose.
The 99th edition of Brussels Motor Show is planned for 15 to 24 January.
