As many as 530,000 people are expected to visit the auto show, which seeks to earn Rp 4.4 trillion (US$311 million) in sales.

The exhibition, scheduled from April 25 to May 5 at the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) Kemayoran in Central Jakarta, is to feature at least 14 automobile brands, including BMW, Chevrolet, Mini, Jeep and Nissan, as well as 12 motorcycle brands, including the high-end BMW Motorrad, Harley-Davidson and Husqvarna.

Show manager Rudi MF of PT Dyandra Media International told reporters in Jakarta the organizer expected even more participants as others had shown interest.

“Our sales target this year is the same as last year's sales revenue. Hopefully, the figure can go up,” he said.

Last year’s show had 526,431 visitors and recorded Rp 4.4 trillion in sales, he said.

Rudi told The Jakarta Post the high interest by auto distributors to participate in the exhibition indicated that they were optimistic about this year’s domestic sales of cars and motorcycles.

According to the Association of Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers (Gaikindo), domestic sales of cars may total 1.1 million units this year, lower than the 1.15 million in 2018. However, this year’s projection is higher than the 1.07 million recorded in 2017 and the 1.06 million in 2016.

Meanwhile, the domestic sales of motorcycles, according to the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI), may be stagnant at 6.3 million units this year.

Rudi said that as part of the efforts to lure more visitors, the 2019 IIMS was joining hands with two of Indonesia's top players in the digital industry – mobile operator company Telkomsel and Singapore-based mobile-first online marketplace Shopee.

The collaboration with digital-based companies was important as automotive industry players had put more attention on the digital sphere, he said.

"Partnering with the digital companies, we can reach out to new and wider audiences who have never visited our exhibition," he said.

Telkomsel media relations manager Singue Kilatmaka said that by partnering with the IIMS, his company expected to expand its segments of customers.

He said his company aimed to bring digital experiences to visitors to the IIMS through, among other things, LinkAja, a new e-payment platform that integrates Telkomsel's T-cash e-wallet and several other banks' e-money systems.

"The IIMS will be the biggest event to be supported by LinkAja," he said, adding that visitors could use the e-wallet to pay for their food and beverages at the exhibition.

Shopee country brand manager Rezki Yanuar said his company hoped to boost sales in its automotive category by participating in the event.

"The automotive category has grown to become a favorite among online buyers, especially male buyers," he said.

Shopee is to become the IIMS' official e-commerce and exclusive online ticketing partner. Rezki said ticketing would run from March 21 to May 5 on the e-commerce platform.

On top of displaying automotive items for sale, the exhibition would also entertain visitors with a collection of boats and interactive dump trucks. (ars)