AM Live is the biggest stage of the year for automotive suppliers but with so many stands and so much noise, the challenge is cutting through. Here are five practical ways to make sure your business stands out before, during and after the show.
AM Live has become a key date in the calendar for automotive suppliers. It’s the one day when some of the biggest names in retail, ambitious suppliers and curious decision makers all come together under one roof.
But here’s the challenge: with so many stands, so many conversations and so much noise, how do you make sure your business stands out?
We’ve broken it down into five simple things every supplier should be thinking about before the doors open.
Everyone has a stand, a logo and a strapline. Few have a story that cuts through.
The suppliers that leave AM Live with real momentum are the ones who can explain, in one sentence, the problem they solve for retailers. Not a pitch. Not a list of features. A clear, memorable story that makes a dealer think: “I get it - and I need that.”
If you don’t know what yours is, now’s the time to sharpen it.
The exhibition floor is crowded. If you want people to come looking for you, the work starts long before show day.
Your wider marketing activity in the weeks before AM Live is just as important as your stand design. Share insights that show you understand retailers’ challenges. Comment on posts from prospects on LinkedIn. Add value to conversations.
If your message is just “see you at stand 123”, you’ll blend into the background. If you’re already on people’s radar for the right reasons, they’ll come to you with curiosity.
Trust is everything in automotive B2B. And retailers trust suppliers who can show results.
A quick client quote, a simple case study or even a single stat can change the tone of a conversation. It moves you from “sounds interesting” to “you’ve done this before - maybe you can do it for us.”
Better still, package it into a one-pager or visual handout. Something your prospects can take away and show their colleagues.
Conversations are great but, unless you plan for what happens next, they fade fast.
Think about how you’ll capture contact details in a way that feels natural. What’s the simple, non-pushy next step? Is it a follow-up call, a product demo or a piece of content you can send them afterwards?
If you don’t decide this now, you risk walking away with nothing more than sore feet and a handful of business cards.
The event doesn’t end at 5pm. In fact, the real work starts then.
Before AM Live even begins, map out who in your team is responsible for outreach, how quickly they’ll make contact and what they’ll send. The faster you follow up, the warmer the conversation will be.
Leave it a week and you’ll already be competing with a dozen other suppliers who got in first.
AM Live isn’t just about turning up with a good stand. It’s about clarity of story, visibility before the show, proof that builds trust, smart lead capture and follow up that keeps the momentum alive.
Get these five things right and you’ll turn a busy day at the NEC into meaningful conversations that last well beyond the exhibition hall.
Need help standing out?
At Drive, we work with automotive suppliers to make sure their brand stands tall - not just on the day of the show but in the weeks and months that follow.
If you want your AM Live activity to deliver more than a nice day out, let’s talk.
Whatever your automotive marketing challenge, we’re ready for the journey.
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