Resounding success in Munich: IAA MOBILITY established itself as a new global platform for mobility

400,000 participants from 95 countries—744 exhibitors and 936 speakers from 32 countries—67 percent of visitors under the age of 40—international media reach of 137 billion—survey shows very positive exhibitor and visitor response—next IAA MOBILITY in Munich from September 5 to 10, 2023

Munich—The first IAA MOBILITY in Munich is a resounding success. The organizers, visitors and exhibitors are very satisfied with the new concept. Under the name of IAA MOBILITY, the first platform for the mobility of the future has brought together the most varied modes of transport—from cars and bicycles to digital solutions and urban air mobility. In total, 744 exhibitors and 936 speakers from 32 countries took part at the IAA MOBILITY, presenting and discussing their innovations and visions for the climate-neutral mobility of the future.

“We took a courageous step and were rewarded by the visitors,” said Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), which organized the first IAA MOBILITY this year jointly with Messe München. “400,000 participants in only six days are a clear case of ‘voting with their feet.’ The visitors were evidently very interested in and delighted by the whole experience. The IAA MOBILITY is now the largest mobility event in the world. New electric cars, bicycles, e-scooters, energy policies and urban planning, digitization and more—here in Munich we presented and discussed what needs to be thought together in the future. At the IAA MOBILITY Conference, we also experienced lively discussions on the path to the new mobility. The exhibitors unveiled more than 100 premieres of their latest models and concepts, underscoring the fact that the transformation of mobility is being driven forward toward climate neutrality and digitization.”

“The new IAA MOBILITY is a strong signal to the world that international exhibitions in Germany are now possible again,” said Klaus Dittrich, Chairman and CEO of Messe München. “We can hold such major events safely; the safety and hygiene concept has worked outstandingly well. The exhibitors and visitors have kept to the rules and shown a lot of understanding.”

At the premiere of the IAA MOBILITY 2021, the organizers have written trade show history by bringing the current topics of the mobility industry into the city center and thus making them available to a broad public. The city of Munich and the state of Bavaria have been committed to organizing this mobility show and can benefit from the experience gained here because trade fairs contribute indirectly to the economic strength of the region.

“The city of Munich has proven to be a wonderful host for the IAA MOBILITY and confirmed the potential of the location. The visitors in the city enjoyed the opportunities on a large scale and demonstrated a great understanding of the restrictions associated with a major event of this type. We are looking forward to the next IAA MOBILITY, which from now on will be an important economic factor in Munich,” Dittrich said.

Hildegard Müller added, “I wish to thank the city of Munich and its citizens, and the numerous visitors, who have generously welcomed the IAA MOBILITY. The stands were filled to full capacity and the streets were filled with people. In some places we had to limit access temporarily to avoid overcrowding. We found that people fully accepted the restrictions due to constructions and the crowded city center and wish to express our sincere thanks! I also wish to thank—alongside the city—the Free State of Bavaria, which has consistently supported the IAA MOBILITY. My special thanks also go to the security and rescue services as well as the police. With their commitment and responsible approach, they ensured that the event run safely. Now Munich and Bavaria are the new home of the world’s largest mobility event.”

Summary of data on the participants: a total of 744 exhibitors presented themselves at the IAA MOBILITY 2021, including automotive companies with 98 exhibition areas, 75 bicycle brands, 152 supply firms, tech companies and 78 startups. Among them were well-known OEMs such as Renault, Hyundai, Ford, BMW, MINI, Mercedes-Benz, Wey, Ora, Audi, Porsche, Cupra, Volkswagen, Huawei, Microsoft, IBM, Bosch, Magna, Schaeffler, Continental, Michelin, and the bicycle brands Canyon, Specialized, Riese & Müller, Rose, Kettler and many more.

Over 40 national and international partners and sponsors from industry, the service sector, the media, and academia attended the IAA MOBILITY 2021, presenting their knowledge and expertise. The partners included PwC, Google, Facebook, IBM, Here Technology, Team Viewer, Siemens, Seven.One Sports, Dolby, Hays, Accenture, The Boston Consulting Group, Capgemini, TikTok, YouTube, Motorsport Network, Bloomberg, MyClimate, Amazon Web Services, VAUDE, Share Now, Bits & Pretzels, Dassault Systems, the World Economic Forum, the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, Humboldt Innovation, Women in Mobility, the University of St. Gallen and a large number of other partners from academia, the hospitality sector and the event industry.

The IAA MOBILITY occupied a total of 260,000 sq m of event space, 195,000 sq m of which was located on the trade show grounds and 65,000 sq m in Munich’s inner city. In all, 255 vehicles were in use on the Blue Lane, 7,000 test drives were booked. At the IAA MOBILITY, 936 speakers presented and discussed ideas and innovations in all areas of mobility. The Citizen Lab right in front of Munich’s city hall offered 42 hours of discussions on the mobility of tomorrow over a period of six days.

Overall, the IAA MOBILITY was attended by 400,000 participants and 3,500 journalists from 95 countries. This means that the new IAA MOBILITY attracted 32 percent more visitors per day compared to the average number of visitors at the last IAA in Frankfurt—despite the continuing COVID-19 restrictions. on international travel.

Sixty-seven percent of visitors were under the age of 40. Eighty-six percent of visitors graded the concept for the IAA MOBILITY as either good or very good. They gave especially positive ratings to the mix of exhibitors and the opportunities to try out innovations on-site.

The international (potential) reach of the IAA MOBILITY 2021 exceeded 137 billion hits worldwide. The social media channels of the IAA MOBILITY recorded 140 million page impressions. Reports from the IAA MOBILITY were accessed over 38 million times on YouTube and TikTok alone. Coverage was especially intensive in countries such as China, the USA, South Korea, Spain, Italy, Brazil, and of course Germany.

This media reach makes the IAA MOBILITY this year’s most important media event after the Olympic Games and the European Football Championship.

“The IAA Mobility has proven that the safety and hygiene concept created by Messe München does an excellent job, even at a highly complex event,” Dittrich declared. It was based on a smart guidance system, consistent admittance checks (including the Open Space), good ventilation in the exhibition halls, social distancing, face masks and the requirement that visitors be vaccinated, recovered, or tested, whereby tests must have been carried out within the last 24 hours. All those involved accepted the rules, which made the trade show a safe experience.

“We are now evaluating the event and will further develop our strategy so that we can welcome an even broader spectrum of exhibitors at the next IAA MOBILITY, and to continue the dialog on the future of mobility. I am certain that in 2023, after the end of the pandemic, we will also be able to welcome a significant number of international exhibitors who could not attend this time because of the travel restrictions,” Hildegard Müller said.

The next IAA MOBILITY will be held in Munich from September 5 to 10, 2023. Starting immediately, inquiries about taking part in 2023 may be sent to mobility@iaa.de.

Regardless of the event format in Munich, the IAA MOBILITY will continue operating its website iaa.de, making it a worldwide digital platform for the transformation of mobility on the path to climate neutrality, for innovations around cars, bikes, scooters, car and ride sharing, digitization and urban development.

The best photos of the IAA MOBILITY 2021 are available here

The film about the IAA MOBILTY 2021 is available here

The public-domain photo. and film material is available here

The complete list of exhibitors is available here

The complete list of partners is available here