The Gaikindo Auto Expo 2005 was held in Jakarta, Indonesia from Saturday, July 9 to Sunday, July 17, 2005. The venue for the show was the Balai Sidang Jakarta Convention Center, located in the center of Jakarta (about 30 minutes by expressway from Jakarta International Airport). The convention center has total exhibition space of 12,831 m², and the show used ancillary facilities and outside spaces to expand that to approximately 44,000 m².

Access to the venue is very good, with public buses stopping near the site.
Admission was 20,000 rupiahs (approximately ¥240) from Monday to Thursday and 25,000 rupiahs (approximately ¥300) from Friday to Sunday. Children 12 years or under and senior citizens 65 years or older were admitted free.

The theme of the show was “Indonesian Auto Industry Towards Friendly Environment.” Toyota and Honda had fuel-cell and hybrid concept models on display, and the organizer set up a special corner on environment-friendly vehicles.

A total of 144 companies exhibited at the show. Other Japanese brands included Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Subaru, Isuzu, Yamaha and Nissan Diesel. Among the major foreign brands were Audi, Bentley, Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, DaimlerChrysler, Porsche, Peugeot, Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen and Volvo. Most booths focused on Indonesia premieres and vehicles already on the market. We were particularly impressed with the show’s contest to choose the “Exhibition Car of the Year.” Journalists and committee members selected entrants in each category (sedans, SUVs etc.) to display this title.

Visitor services included two rest areas within the venue, which were located in the center of the exhibition hall and allowed the public to enjoy the show atmosphere while they took a break. We also noted the large guidance signs and the thorough work of the cleaning staff, two amenities that allowed us to observe the show in comfort and peace of mind.

The show reportedly attracted approximately 160,000 total visitors. Indonesia has been one of the most steadily and consistently expanding markets within the rapidly-developing Asian automotive industry, and there continues to be high demand for automobiles among the Indonesian public, so the Auto Expo has taken on an ever larger role. In the past, the show was held biannually, but it became an annual event this year, so we look forward to seeing it next year too.