Seismic Shift: Detroit Auto Show Moves to June

The world’s automotive press can pack away their parkas after next year’s North American International Auto Show. In 2020, the circus will move to the month of June.

This was not wholly unexpected. Pressure was mounting for NAIAS to re-invent itself, given a recent flight of manufacturers and increased competition from other events — automotive and otherwise.

June is a sound choice. The ability for participating brands to deliver dynamic exhibits instead of traditional static displays will engage show attendees in a way the party at Cobo Hall never could. With Michigan’s crippling Hoth-like January weather no longer a concern, opportunities abound for OEMs to showcase their wares outside of the show’s four walls.

“Our show is undergoing its most significant transformation in the last three decades,” said Rod Alberts, Executive Director of NAIAS. “Detroit will continue to be a global stage for some of the world’s most significant vehicle reveals and host an unparalleled international audience of media and key industry influencers.”

Costs for manufacturers could go down, as well. As it stands, the annual party in Detroit ain’t cheap. Estimates peg the investment by manufacturers who choose to attend NAIAS well into the millions of dollars — an increasingly tough sell in an age where budgets are tight and competition for attention is fierce. Germany’s Big Three won’t be at the 2019 soirée, joining Mazda, Volvo, Porsche, and JLR as companies not making the pilgrimage to Detroit in 2019.

There was a time when manufacturers tried to outdo each other with reveal stunts, including the crew from Jeep driving a then-new Grand Cherokee down Jefferson Avenue before driving up a staircase and crashing through a plate glass window.

NAIAS has recently found itself at a disadvantage, all thanks to automakers who are increasingly revealing new vehicles and concept cars at the L.A. show (about a month prior), an event which has enjoyed renewed relevance after moving itself across the calendar. Automaker presence has also skyrocketed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, held around the same time in January. Here, companies are ramping up announcement tied to hands-free driving assists plus in-car technology and other connectivity gear.

The new show envisions big outdoor debuts, test rides, and off-road events. Places like Hart Plaza, Detroit RiverWalk, and Grand Circus Park are touted as possible venues for outdoor events. Its timing should pair nicely with the Detroit Grand Prix and 4th of July celebrations as well, not to mention the Woodward Dream Cruise later in the summer.

The show is run by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association and its Executive Board. Organizers announced this morning that the first summer show will be held during the week of June 8th, 2020.

[Images: NAIAS]