On January 25, 2025, the AutoZum trade fair for the aftermarket industry, held biennially in Salzburg, concluded. For the first time in about 50 years, the event focusing on car parts and workshop accessories was again organized by Messezentrum Salzburg—with great success, according to the organizer. A total of 160 exhibitors came to present their innovations and product ranges.
Compared to the last AutoZum in 2023, which recorded 11,636 professional visitors, the appeal of the fair for workshop professionals has apparently increased significantly: according to the reports, this time 15,776 experts from the workshop and automotive world streamed into the halls to learn about new products in the automotive industry. Alexander Kribus, Managing Director of Messezentrum Salzburg, expressed great satisfaction with the event's progress in the reports at the event's conclusion.
Stage for Stars of the Exhibitor Scene
The AutoZum is considered a central meeting point for the after-sales industry in Austria. In addition to the exhibitor area with its three halls, which serves for direct exchange and information sharing, automotive experts update themselves on the latest developments and issues in the industry through a program of lectures and discussions. New solutions can be experienced live and sometimes tested on the product itself, contacts are refreshed and new ones are made.
The industry event had 22,000 square meters of hall space available, and the products on display covered all areas of the aftermarket: from diagnostics to workshop equipment, from storage equipment to the latest spare parts and accessories.
In-Demand Core Concerns
The focus of the event was placed by the exhibition management, as announced in advance, on industry trends such as e-mobility, digitalization, and alternative drives, but also on questions relevant to workshops and car dealerships such as the shortage of skilled workers. These topics were present throughout the halls and were also addressed in specialist lectures.
All Industry Topics Covered
The specialist forum program was supplemented in cooperation with the specialist magazine Auto & Wirtschaft with a wide range of special topics such as AI (artificial intelligence) and 3D printing, marketing concepts as well as workshop, environmental, and damage management. The Austrian Association of Tire Specialists, VRÖ, specifically addressed areas from logistics to recycling at its Tire Day during the fair.
Crises Present Opportunities
The current crisis-laden mood in the automotive industry was also a topic at the trade fair according to the exhibition management: in any case, it was clear that the entire automotive industry, and thus also the after-sales industry, is facing major challenges, which also offer opportunities.
One finding was that “the growing number of electric and hybrid vehicles requires new workshop solutions.” This area was one of the focal topics of this year's trade fair. At the same time, the possibilities presented by digitalization were expanded with the second major theme of the fair: digital tools could optimize processes and thus compensate for the shortage of skilled workers, it was said. Extremely attractive new professions are currently being created in this field in the industry.
E-Area
A special area was dedicated to battery-electric drives with the Future Mobility Area: for example, Evalus, a company recognized by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Labor, Social Affairs, and Consumer Protection for e-vehicles and as a training company in the field of e-mobility, presented itself and provided insights into service and repair.
Tire Prices
In addition to the specialist lectures, the fair also offered a framework for awards. Traditionally, the Austrian Association of Tire Specialists, VRÖ, awarded honors to those tire manufacturers that, in the opinion of the members, provided the best support to customers over the past two years, at its Tire Day scheduled for Friday. The award is given in the categories of passenger car and truck tires. Result for passenger cars: Hankook ahead of Conti and Falken. Trucks: Falken ahead of Barum as well as Conti and Goodyear, both equally rated.
Exhibitor Voices
The exhibitors also seem to be satisfied with the course of the fair. At least the results of the survey conducted by the organizers paint a positive picture:
Franz Lettner, for example, managing director of Birner, a provider of car parts and workshop equipment with around 25 locations strongly represented in Austria, was almost surprised by the demand: “The influx to AutoZum 2025 has exceeded our expectations.” Especially young people frequented the stand and informed themselves, according to the focus program of the fair, about the trending topics of digitalization and new drives:
“Young mechanics and workshops in particular benefit from our digital tools and training offers that we presented during the fair.”
The head of the division Helmut Stuphann from Bosch Mobility Aftermarket Austria was interviewed. The company supplies a wide range of automobile manufacturers in original equipment and therefore has an almost vehicle-covering range of products.
The solutions, according to Stuphann, are also intended to support the “current change in the aftermarket industry,” meaning increasingly digitized and alternative drive-related offerings. Workshops in particular showed strong interest in the innovations around modern workshop equipment, spare parts, and useful software solutions. “This way, we comprehensively support our partners in increasing their competitiveness and profitability.”
As another leading provider of parts and equipment with multiple locations throughout Austria, Kastner was asked for its trade fair summary. Managing director Ernst Kieslinger noted with satisfaction that the industry is still willing to invest in innovative high-quality products and enter into long-term partnerships, given the high workload in the workshops. AutoZum offers the ideal framework to present its products to a larger audience:
“As a company rich in tradition, we feel obliged to support our customers not only with the latest technology but also with sustainable and forward-looking solutions.”
From the neighboring country, the Upper Bavarian wholesaler of car parts and workshop equipment, Stahlgruber, was represented at the Salzburg fair with its Austrian branch. The subsidiary of the Swiss corporate group LKQ Europe considers itself one of the largest and leading parts wholesalers in Germany and Austria.
Under managing director Torsten Kluh, the automotive specialist presented itself with a modernized, enlarged stand. According to Kluh, this allowed important future topics for workshops, such as remote diagnostics and electromobility, to be properly showcased. AutoZum supports the company’s goal of continuing to play a leading role in the development of the workshop industry. Encouraging feedback was also heard here:
“The high demand and positive interactions with visitors have confirmed that our concept has hit the mark with the market.”
Satisfied New Trade Fair Management
The management of AutoZum was initially in the hands of the Salzburg Exhibition Center when it first launched in 1974, and thereafter was entrusted to the organization of an external trade fair organizer until 2023. In the year 2025, the exhibition center has now taken over the leadership again under a new concept. The organizers are fully satisfied with the event, which was able to be set up in a short time in close cooperation with participating companies and A&W Verlag. Managing Director Alexander Kribus:
“The first edition of AutoZum under the leadership of the Salzburg Exhibition Center was a complete success. Together with our major exhibitors, we organized an event in a short time that almost reached the level of 2019.”
Andreas Ott, Director of B2B Exhibitions at Messezentrum GmbH, underscores the high importance of AutoZum for the automotive industry in Austria:
“The high demand for topics such as digitalization, future-proof drive technologies, and sustainable solutions shows the clear need for a strong industry platform for the Austrian market and highlights the significance of AutoZum as an indispensable platform for the automotive aftersales sector in Austria.”
The boost in success, it is said, should now be used for preparation for the next exhibition. Date: January 19 to 22, 2027.
