Automotive Management LIVE

At Automotive Management LIVE you get a free day of talks, supplier meetings and vehicle displays focused on running your motor retail business, rather than a public new-car exhibition. Automotive Management LIVE is a one-day trade event for UK motor retail, run by Bauer Media and held at the NEC Birmingham on Wednesday 11 November 2026 in Hall 10. It brings franchised and independent dealers, dealer groups, vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers together. It sits alongside other shows in our automotive sector listings.

The 2026 edition

You can attend free.

• Date: Wednesday 11 November 2026, one day only
• Opening times: 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Venue: NEC Birmingham, Hall 10
• Admission: free, with advance registration through the event website

Other motoring dates at the same venue follow soon after. The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show opens on 13 November and MCL follows on 21 November, and the Commercial Vehicle Show opens at the NEC on 20 April 2027. More dates in the city are on our Birmingham trade shows page.

Who you will meet

If you exhibit, you meet a largely decision-making audience. The organiser says the event is aimed at motor retail managers from across the UK, from single-site operators to large group networks, and groups its visitor benefits by job role: general management, marketing, sales and aftersales. Its figures for the 2025 edition were more than 1,300 unique visitors and over 95 representatives from AM100 companies. According to the organiser, 90% of 2025 attendees were involved in decision-making and 74% were financial decision makers.

Conference programme

You can pick the stream that matches your role, with talks across three theatres plus a spotlight interview at the AM Hub.

Theatre	Stream	Focus, as described by the organiser
Theatre One	Strategy and Leadership	Managing change, growth and profitability
Theatre Two	Operations	Efficiency, customer loyalty and operational performance
Theatre Three	Technology and Innovation	AI, automation, data and digital retail

Session titles for 2026 include getting a return on dealership technology, how battery health affects a used EV’s value, helping private buyers choose their next car from EVs and hybrids, used car market dynamics and the shortage of workshop technicians. Listed speakers include Group 1’s customer experience director and group director of aftersales, Umesh Samani, founder of the Independent Motor Dealers Association, AM editor Tim Rose and executives from Autotrader, Keyloop and CitNOW Group.

Features on the show floor

You can see new vehicles and meet colleagues.

• Showroom Spotlight, with vehicles from Denza (Z9 GT and Bao 5), Farizon (V7E), MG (S9 PHEV), XPeng (L03, G6 and X9) and Stellantis (Peugeot E-208 GTI)
• Championing Women in Dealerships, with a live interview at the AM Hub between AM deputy editor Aimée Turner and Nahide Crisp
• The AM Hub, a space run by Automotive Management where attendees can meet colleagues and regroup during the day

Exhibiting

If you supply dealers, you can exhibit alongside more than 90 suppliers expected in 2026, according to the event website. The exhibitor list already includes AA Cars, Autoglym, Barclaycard Payments, BookMyGarage and CarCutter. The organiser invites suppliers of digital tools, parts, finance, marketing and mobility services, and offers a downloadable exhibitor brochure and a stand enquiry form. For stand planning, our guides on shell scheme or space only and following up exhibition leads may help.

Getting there

You can arrive by rail, air or car. The NEC is a five-minute walk from Birmingham International railway station, which is linked to Birmingham Airport by a free air-rail service. You can pre-pay parking online before the day, which the venue says saves £5, and a free shuttle bus runs from the car parks.

Source: automotivemanagementlive.co.uk, automotivemanagementlive.co.uk/2026-agenda-jfap, automotivemanagementlive.co.uk/2026-features, thenec.co.uk/events/automotive-management-live