Automechanika Frankfurt will be the first Automechanika event to feature Body & Paint as an independent product category in 2020. The organisers celebrate the occasion by launching an international competition – with events taking place in six countries. Body & Paint professionals will go head to head and compete with other national bodyshops by designing the bonnet of a car, using the country in which the Automechanika fair is being held as their inspiration. The event series will be launched for the first time at Automechanika Birmingham from 4 to 6 June 2019, and will be followed by competitions in Johannesburg, Shanghai, Dubai and Mexico City. In each location, a panel of experts will pick a national winner who will then get to go to Frankfurt for the finals. In addition, trade visitors will be able to help select the people’s choice winner by voting for their personal favourites at the event and online.
The competition criteria include uniqueness of design, a link between the design and the country in which the Automechanika event is taking place, the use of various techniques (effects, matt/glossy finish), a harmonious colour palette and the type of spray guns used, as well as workshop safety considerations and the use of environmentally friendly products. Work that rely solely on transfers or airbrushing are not the focal point of this contest.
Kick-off in Birmingham
The first stage of this contest is taking place at Automechanika Birmingham from 4 to 6 June 2019. With the support of DeBeer Refinish and Octoral as headline sponsors, as well as SATA and the UK’s NBRA (National Body and Repair Association) various workshop teams will be presenting their designs at the event while offering visitors insight into the creation of their artwork with photos and videos. Wineth Malvar, Global Marketing Director – Brand, Channel & Segment, Automotive Finishes Division for Sherwin-Williams: “It is great to be able to see the creativity and artistry with which the painters approach their task. We are proud to be a part of this industry, and are looking forward to seeing what the first round of the competition has to offer at Automechanika Birmingham.”
