Wealth Auto Show spends big on decor - $2.5 million into creating welcoming ambience

While not divulging the total cost of staging the inaugural Wealth Auto Show, slated for next weekend at the National Arena, Wealth brand co-owner Garth Walker has told Automotives that decor for the two days will cost $2.5 million.

"We are going to be creating a massive entrance on the outside," Walker said. "We are here to put on a show."

The decor expenditure is more than the Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association (JUCDA) spent to put on its show in 2009. Then, The Gleaner reported that the JUCDA spent $1.5 million for the event at the Police Officers' Club, Hope Road, St Andrew.

In addition, rental of the Arena for Saturday and Sunday is another $2.5 million, making for a total of $5 million for the Wealth Auto Show, even before other costs are factored in. This is half of the $10 million it would have cost the Automobile Dealers Association (ADA) to stage its 2009 show, which was cancelled. This year's projected costs were $20 million, that show also not getting off the ground.

First-World auto show

However, with cost given as one of the reasons for the cancellation of two consecutive stagings of the ADA's automobile show, Walker makes it clear that the Wealth Auto Show is "not competing. There is a void in the market". So, he said, the intention is to "give dealers a chance to sell the cars and encourage persons to come out and look at cars in a setting other than going to the car dealer".

"We have two types of clients," he reminded, "the booth holders and the customers."

The Wealth Auto Show was launched officially at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel, on Monday, Wealth brand's Leighton Davis using an upswing in car import figures in 2011 over 2010 as the basis for saying "this shows that Jamaicans are still in the market for automobiles". He reinforced that Wealth plans to put on a "First World auto show for the entire family".

"We want to create history by bringing Jamaica a car show that's never been seen before," Davis said. More than 50 new vehicles, from trucks to sports cars, will be on show.

Tamiko Sadler, director of product delivery at Scotiabank, and Jamaica International Insurance Company's marketing manager Elizabeth Chung, representing major sponsors, gave their endorsements of the event. So did media partners the Jamaica Observer and RJR Communications Group, through Ed Khoury and Aneka Smith, respectively.

Michael Stern, minister of state in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, noted that although motor-vehicle duty has decreased revenue has gone up some $16 million this year over the corresponding period in 2010.

"I am optimistic. We have a country to grow. We are doing everything possible to make the country stronger and safer," he said, noting that "both new and used car dealers are facing some challenges".

With several measures to reform the automotive-industry framework now up for discussion, including increasing the age limit on used cars allowed into the country, Stern said, "it took us two years to come up with the duty reduction. It is going to take one and a half to two years to debate the package now before Cabinet".