History
Autopromotec: yesterday and today
The 30th edition of Autopromotec, the most specialized international exhibition of automotive equipment and aftermarket products, will be held May 21 – 24, 2025 at the Bologna Trade Fair Center.
Branded from its earliest beginnings as an “international exhibition”, Autopromotec (back then called SARP – Exhibition of Tyre Retreading Equipment) was born in 1965 in Rome thanks to an AIRP (Italian Tyre Retreaders Association) initiative meant to give visibility to the technological developments experienced by the retreading sector in those years.
In 1967 the exhibition, now held in Bologna, launched the biennial formula still popular nowadays. A new phase begins in 1973, and SARP is partnered with SIAC (International Exhibition of Equipment, Car repair garages and Car body shops), and in 1991 the two exhibitions join together to form one, called Autopromotec.
The big turning point occurs in 2005, when Autopromotec includes new product sectors such as spare parts, components and car service to embrace the whole automotive aftermarket.
Today Autopromotec represents a selection of specialized trade shows where attendees can, thanks to the division of the show floor into sector-related halls, plan custom-made visits based on their professional interests.
The exclusive approach adopted by Autopromotec makes the show a showcase of cutting edge technologies, innovations, new products and market opportunities which are a benchmark for the sector. The exhibition has established an enviable reputation as a specialized, representative and professional event for highly qualified exhibitors (only manufacturers and authorized dealers) and, in its sixty-year history, it has kept pace with the technological and professional growth of the automotive sector, becoming a must-see for the supply and demand network. Autopromotec is the place where business opportunities turn into global networking strategies.
