AFTER a two-year absence, Wealth Auto Show is scheduled to return to the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on July 2 and 3.

Garth Walker, chairman of Creative Media and Events Ltd — parent company of Wealth Magazine and Business Access TV, said the event is a pivotal one for Jamaica’s automotive industry.

“The auto industry sells cars right across the island on a daily basis. But for a new-car buyer, it’s always good to go and see all cars, financial institutions, insurance companies, and auto accessories dealers in one location. The more auto shows are staged, the more awareness is given to auto dealers who then can sell more vehicles. It’s like having a two-day dealership set-up in Montego Bay,” Walker told

Auto on Wednesday.

The chairman said the show’s ‘destination’ was a strategic one, as that side of the island is underserved.

“We chose to go to Montego Bay because Jamaicans on the northern and western side of Jamaica deserve to get a world-class auto show. Everyone keeps their events in Kingston and we wanted to meet the needs of Jamaicans elsewhere. And we did sell more cars at the auto show in MoBay than in Kingston,” he said.

Asked how much it cost to stage the event, Walker opted to say it takes “millions to stage a world-class event”. He, however, was quick to say he expected upwards of 5,000 patrons to pass through the doors.

Walker said although the annual show has morphed into a biennial event, it could revert to the previous arrangement.

“We decided to have the show every two years, hence the pushback from last year. We will still judge the temperature of this year’s staging and allow the demand and supply formula to determine if we revert to every year,” he said.

According to Walker, the feedback from the new-car dealers have been positive, with a 60 per cent take up so far. He had a word for prospective patrons.

“This auto show will we a one-stop shop for buying a car; our financial sponsor — Jamaica National — will have the lowest interest rate in Jamaica for 48 hours only at the show, five per cent. We will also have great entertainment on both show days, with celebrities such as comedians Ity and Fancy Cat and a huge Kids Zone for families to come and enjoy,” he added.

Walker and his business partner, managing director Leighton Davis, held their first auto show at the National Arena in St Andrew in 2011 after a four-year dearth of such events in Jamaica. During that period, they argued that despite the economic challenges the automotive industry was facing due to the downturn in the global economy, there was a need for dealers to showcase their latest offerings or face the possibility of a sector shutdown.