While the recently held Automedics Autofest event was ongoing Motoring World managed to record certain interesting details that characterised the 7-day event, a reminiscent of news magazine’s slogan, when it debuted decades ago: “Others watch the news, we tell it…”
Rival Organizer on Spy Mission
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]emale representative of a rival show organizer was at Autofest. Quite expected, she walked leisurely round, talked to no-one, but used her five senses to capture what was on ground.
And on her way back, she did not look as worried as she did on arrival. Like the Biblical Joshua, she must have returned to her boss and pronounced: “No cause for alarm; it’s nothing more than a mechanic training show; we’ve got the real stuff…”
Industry Spy too
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ertain non-participating auto companies sent in spies to gauge the quality of the show to help their decision as to whether or not to prepare for subsequent editions.
They returned with mixed feelings. One of them, we learnt, concluded: Nah!! I don’t think so…”
Puff-puff Stuff
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he event attracted journalists from most of the nation’s mainstream media. Like uninvited guests, they sat round plastic tables and chairs provided for them.
After some hours of waiting, they were well entertained with Nigerian popular snack known as puff-puff, which they accepted grudgingly, but did not find funny. They left shortly afterwards.
Not a Media Event?
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]rganizers of Autofest are too big and busy to bother about what makes news and what does not. After all they are probably not newsmen, but engineers.
No wonder the most significant exhibition at the event, a 60-year-old Citroen, which will be celebrated in London from January, was hidden away. We identified it, published it. It attracted 10s of thousands of readers from all over the world. But organizers didn’t even bother to visit Motoring World online, which is understandable. They are busy. Yeah, too busy to waste their time about media coverage, when there were thousands of mechanics to train at the venue.
