Design fails to drive Motor Show

Manufacturers including BMW, Jaguar and Toyota are standing by their decisions not to exhibit at the London Motor Show in October, regardless of the masterplan for the event created by Work director Tim Pyne.

The move has serious repercussions for event specialists such as Imagination, a spokesman for which confirms it is not working with Ford on the London Motor Show for the first time.

“No other designers will be involved in the creation of the show stands, as [Pyne] is responsible for its overall look and design,” confirms London Motor Show director Mark Saunders.

Ford has withdrawn as it feels the event is “not commercially viable”, says a spokeswoman, after meetings with organiser Clarion Events.

“We adopted a wait-and-see attitude and looked at different proposals from [Clarion], but still decided not to exhibit,” says Ford retail and events marketing specialist Brian Cook.

Themed display areas showcasing cars together by category replace traditional manufacturers’ stands, which have been a lucrative source of design work.

They are designed to woo back manufacturers which pulled out after last year’s event as space will be cheaper. Places on the stands cost £10 000 per car, which allow visitors to make direct comparisons between models, says Pyne.

The idea for the format came from Clarion Events chief executive Andrew Morris, who approached Pyne.

“We had to make the show a more attractive proposition,” says Saunders. “We were keen to bring in an outside design influence.”