Daimler Trucks Pulls Out of Mid-America Trucking Show in 2016

[kscarbel2]

Transport Topics / May 13, 2015

The president of Daimler Trucks North America said the company will not attend the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show and will instead focus attention next year on the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover, Germany.

In an exclusive interview with Transport Topics, Martin Daum explained the decision and outlined changes he hopes organizers will consider so that DTNA can “support MATS to become a significant show in the world.”

“We want to come to Mid-America in a two-year sequence. I really like the IAA format over in Europe – having it every two years,” Daum said.

“That makes sense for our industry because we don’t have the short-lived cycles like the passenger-car industry. We have longer investment cycles,” he said. “It is not that easy to every year make a big splash.”

Toby Young, president of Exhibit Management Associates, which owns and operates the show in Louisville, Kentucky, confirmed to TT that Daimler has informed him of its decision. He declined additional comment other than saying: “The Mid-America Trucking Show will most definitely take place in 2016.”

Looking ahead, Daum said he hopes MATS will be extended by one additional weekday, making it more of a place for original equipment manufacturers and suppliers to meet and share ideas.

He described MATS as “an industry show, where you bring your novelties, where you push the envelope, where you show something like we did this year with the SuperTruck, where you introduce new models.”

[kscarbel2]

Don't blame them a bit. Unfortunately, the U.S. has never had a professional truck show like the impressive IAA int'l truck show in Hanover.

MATS should be longer and biennial. And the amateur organizers of the event, Toby Young and his Exhibit Management Associates, should be replaced by the professionals at IAA.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

MATS fundamental problem is that their target market is owner-operators, and that's a shrinking market.

[Lmackattack]

Also ....who wants to go to a midwest show in the cold and wet season?

I attended the con expo show in Vegas years back and was very impressed with the town,weather and the show. Let's face it. If your going to travel you might as well enjoy where your at not just what's inside the building.