Walero at Autosport International 2016.

Last weekend saw Walero make its second debut at Autosport International 2016, a fabulous start to the year for us and an unforgettable exhibition at the NEC Birmingham!

Like most exhibitors showcasing at ASI would say; the run-up to Autosport is a bit of a whirlwind! No sooner has it started then it ends, and you’re left looking back at what feels like a motorsports-shaped blur of events, having to compare notes with all those involved and fill in the missing snippets through social media spy work…

Our journey this year began in sunny Shelford, South Cambridge, on the cold, frosty evening of Wednesday 16th January. Managing Director, Fiona, and Marketing Director, Gem, prepped the van like pros – loading it with all things grey and yellow, the odd lifeless limb belonging to a dismembered mannequin and shedloads of shortbread (absolutely essential!) and off they went!

94 miles, one toilet stop and an entire Justin Bieber album later, they arrived. They were met by a scene familiar to many experienced Autosport show-goers: stands mid set-up, exhibitors slurping at take-away coffee cups, the hustle and bustle of pre-Autosport banter. It’s a much-anticipated event in motorsports, and the atmosphere holds its own from start to finish. With less than 12 hours before the doors opened to traders, Gem and Fi needed a hand unloading the van, and as the old adage goes; they got by with a little help from from their friends. A ma-hoosive thank you to Yvonne and Charles who did an absolutely incredible job with the stand. It looked epic, and credit goes to both of them for the time and effort they put into making it shine.

The first two days of ASI are trading days – a brilliant opportunity for young businesses such as ourselves to network, connect with prospective retailers, and reunite with contacts made at previous shows. We had a fab time catching up with friends from way-back-when, such as Calum Lockie and Mike Wilds; both Walero-wearing race drivers with a fantastic string of championship titles to their names.

A few other friendly faces to drop by our stand were international racing driver, Ben Barker, British racing driver, Lewis Plato, and Tom Cave; British rally driver – three handsome heartthrobs in the world of motorsports! Walero has had the pleasure of meeting a whole host of young drivers over the months, from rally to carting, and we are thrilled to have them rely on Walero temperature-regulating, antimicrobial base layers.

Of course, we would be remiss not to mention that while Autosport was in full swing, British rally driver and MINI brand ambassador, Harry Hunt, was completing the final stage of the Dakar Rally 2016 all the way in Argentina (needless to say; in weather a little warmer than the Birmingham climate!). We were over the moon to hear of Harry’s success; finishing 10th overall – an outstanding result for his first Dakar and a priceless experience to prepare him for next year’s race.

The final half of Autosport welcomed into its halls a wave of motorsports lovers, flooding the stands in their thousands. Never a dull moment, we met young and old alike, and were excited to introduce the newbies to a brand with big plans for 2016.

We are extremely proud of all the team here at Walero, and especially grateful for all those who helped make our second ASI such a success. A special thank-you goes out to Luca Diella and Josh Leak of 750 Motor Club, who helped us out during all four days of the convention, making sure all who visited the stand left with a smile on their face and a lolly in their hand!

Roll on Autosport International 2017!