The first car show amid the pandemic, the Manila Auto Show runs back-to-back with the Custom Car and Truck Show and the Transport Show
TWO years of the pandemic denied automobile enthusiasts their motor shows. Attempts to have a semblance of an event online, using virtual platforms proved useful but not as exciting.
Over the weekend, enthusiasts were treated to not just one but three of the country’s motors shows under the Manila Auto Salon. The Trans Sport Show, which is the longest running transport show in the country, the Custom Car and Truck Show, dedicated solely to the hardcore modifiers with their innovation and resources to produce extraordinary vehicles and the mainstay Manila Auto Salon, which is a tuner’s haven and ideas sharing community.
“We’ve all been waiting too long. There is nothing like the sight of shiny chrome, dazzling paint and an array of cars and mini trucks to get a car lover’s pulse racing,” Alex Isip, the country’s top car enthusiast and entrepreneur who is also been winning the best awards at the Manila Auto Salon since it started.
It took organizer, Sophie de los Santos and her Trans Sport Show (TSS) crew a year and a half to reconceptualize and prepare the compact edition of the show.
“Staging a comeback for our three car shows during the pandemic is the most challenging and daunting task we have ever done. A year and a half of planning, speculating, hoping, negotiating, and most of all braving this unforgiving storm in the events industry is like hanging on by your fingernails,” Sophie says.
The timing for the enthusiasts’ communities as well as the organizers was perfect. Last November 4 the IATF-EID released the new guidelines for indoor events like exhibitions and trade shows. Based these guidelines, under Alert Level 2, any public event is restricted to accepting only fully vaccinated individuals. Minors are the only one who can attend unvaccinated, which is
The announcement of the simultaneous run of the three shows excited the community and literally in some cases, brought out cars prepared since 2019, from the crates and garages.
The execution of a three-show weekend was strategic for the organizers for three reasons. First, it signaled business in the “new usual,” meaning an actual show but with safety restrictions in place. Second, it helped put the Philippines in the international car enthusiasts scene again as very few countries have ran car events of this kind since the global pandemic announcement in March 2020. Third, it becomes more relevant and meaningful to the participants, knowing that visitors are not just the curious but those who are really into cars.
“Yes it is strategic just for the purpose of jump-starting the motor show scene because, after 2 years of no car shows, it would be more worthwhile for them to experience all these three long running events in one go while taking the risk of attending an event under the new norm for the first time,” Sophie explains.
“I think only those of us who are hard core car people came to the show because we wanted to, not because we are just curious. The risk of the virus is still top of mind for most people. So I think those who are here are really looking for the innovation and the technology that comes from the minds of these car builders,” Renzel Ofreno, an engineer and veteran Trans Sport Show visitor said. “Since 1992,” he adds.
“I believe it was a big success in terms of quality and professionalism. The crowds may have been thin in the first 2 days, but it made up for it for the last 2 days,” car racer Mike Potenciano who also had an exhibit at the Manila Auto Salon.
“I think that we gave the public what all car and off-road enthusiasts have been waiting for. It was not as big or as grand as the past shows but we promised a very good show nonetheless. And I know that is what we did. We thank all of this year’s sponsors, exhibitors, and competition participants for hanging on with us and making this brave move possible – considering the challenges you also face. I salute you. Thank you for being at the show!” Sophie concluded.
