Bologna Motor Show 2016 – all you need to know

Motor Show 2016: passion and awareness

Passion, according to the Motor Show director Rino Drogo, will be the keyword in this edition of the event. 40 years is an important birthday after all and it should be celebrated in style. Those who will be attending the Motor Show hoping and expecting to be amazed and entertained will certainly get what they came for: the performance schedule is packed with events that promise intense thrills to the lovers of acrobatic riding. There will be freestyle, supercross and stunt riding performances by star professionals such as international stunt riding champion Kevin Carmichael. There will also be vintage cars exhibitions and several brands will present their new lines and products to both the audience and the press. There will be plenty of room for information and discussion too: roundtables and workshops will be held on relevant themes for the future of this industry, such as safe driving and sustainability. This is a sign that the automotive industry is evolving with society, becoming more aware of global issues and willing to play a positive role in tackling them.

Future and Tradition come together

Emilia Romagna has been dubbed “Italy’s Motor Valley” and there is undoubtedly a close bond between this region and the history of the automotive industry. Most of the Italians that have made their mark in this field, one way or another, happen to come from Emilia Romagna. The name Enzo Ferrari springs to mind – whose brand is still based in Maranello, near his hometown of Modena – as well as, in more recent years, Valentino Rossi. Other relevant automotive brands that originated here include Lamborghini, Ducati and Maserati. For the past 40 years, the Motor Show has been one of the most relevant and anticipated events of the whole industry, drawing professionals, brands and enthusiasts from all over the world. This occurrence contributes to the unique charm of this region, where rural traditions are still strongly present – culinary ones in particular – and coexist peacefully with the most futuristic technologies and enterprises.

The digital challenge

The Motor Show has changed with the times and it now presents itself as a fully digital, fully social experience, that will accompany its visitors through a immersive journey in the complex world of cars and engines. Alongside the traditional spaces for the exhibition and sale of cars and car-related products, there will be plenty of opportunities for new stakeholders, such as tech startups and digital innovators to make themselves heard and to discuss the possible evolution of this industry with other professionals and members of the general public. We have learned over the past decade that new ideas and fresh approaches are as important to the evolution of any industry as new technologies and that’s what the workshops at the Motor Show are meant to achieve. The way we look at cars as both status symbols and means of transportation has chenges, as has our awareness of the implication of using certain fuels or adopting certain behaviours on the road. The industry should and will evolve accordingly. This will be the revolution of this year’s Motor Show.