2023 Manila International Auto Show hits new 149k visitor record

If you visited the Manila International Auto Show this past weekend and felt that it was much more crowded than ever before, don’t worry because your observations are spot on. Even on the first day we already knew it was packed; in past editions we would normally see a modest number of visitors outside of the press and industry personnel.

The organizers of the 2023 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) have just announced that they have achieved a new record for visitors over the four-day event from April 13 to 16. Based on their tally, they clocked a total of 149,000 visitors when the show closed last night.

The new total reaffirms MIAS’s position as the most visited automotive event in the country. Actually, the record they beat is the 2019 edition which saw 142,000 visitors; that is a pre-pandemic number. In 2022 when MIAS returned, the show garnered 120,000 visitors.

The 2023 edition represents a 24% increase compared to 2022, and a 5% increase compared to the previous record set in 2019.

This year, there were 16 automobile brands inside the main hall of the World Trade Center Manila in Pasay, and various aftermarket brands and partners in the lobby and the adjacent tent. There were also truck and commercial vehicle brands on display at the front parking lot of WTC, along with car club displays on the main driveway as well as the Russ Swift Stunt Show at the loading bay in the back.

The success of MIAS highlights one key observation: the venue needs a big upgrade. The industry is buzzing with interest, and it would be good to have MIAS organizers and other event organizers to push WTC to upgrade its facilities by expanding the main hall. Given the number of visitors and the number of brands that want to participate, the venue is already bursting at the seams.

It may also work in WTC’s favor to work with the surrounding lot owners to have upgraded parking facilities.