Motor Shows have a long history in Melbourne and Sydney, with both cities hosting exhibitions befitting of their influence and importance as Australia’s two largest capital cities.
 
The Sydney Motor Show was originally held at Moore Park (Sydney Showgrounds) however in 1988 the Motor Show relocated to the first purpose built exhibition centre in Australia, the newly constructed Sydney Exhibition Centre located at Darling Harbour.
 
Melbourne Motor Show was first held in 1925 with the first 61 exhibitions held at Melbourne’s iconic Royal Exhibition Building. The Motor Show was relocated to the newly constructed Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in 1996 and was the first commercial exhibition held in the exhibition complex. In total 14 Melbourne Motor Shows have been held at the MCEC.
 
During 2009 the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the organising body of the Australian International Motor Show held in Sydney and the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce, the organisers of the Melbourne International Motor Show agreed to form a Joint Venture.
 
Under the Joint Venture, the Motor Show will now be shared in alternate years between Melbourne and Sydney, which commenced with Sydney in October 2010.
 
The Motor Show will be branded as the Australian International Motor Show in both cities. The Melbourne edition of AIMS moved from the traditional timing in March to adopt new dates in July. In 2011, AIMS Melbourne dates will be 1-10 July inclusive.
 

Facts

■  Motor Shows attract the largest audiences for indoor exhibitions in Australia.
■  Males accounted for over 70% of all Motor Show patrons.
■  Over 36% of visitors to the Motor Show are aged under 30 years with 22% aged over 60 years.
■  Over 60% of patrons surveyed intend to visit the next Motor Show.
■  The proportion of patrons attending the Motor Show for the purpose of gathering information prior to making a vehicle purchase decision is approximately 36%.
■  Females attending the Motor Show are more likely to attend the show for the purpose of gathering information prior to making a vehicle purchase decision.
■  Over 300 semi trailer loads of equipment is required to build exhibitor stands for the Motor Show.
■  Over 450 people work on site during the Move-In to get the Motor Show built. These include riggers, electricians, tilers, carpenters, sound and lighting engineers and plumbers.
■  Around 150 mobile phones are found in and around the Motor Show during public days.
■  Almost 8km of staging truss for lighting grids and 65km of electrical cable is used in the construction of exhibitor stands and set up of audio visual equipment.
■  Over 23,000sqm of floating floor and carpet used in the exhibition.
■  Approximately 400 motor vehicles will be displayed when the Show is completed!