bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

the idea of auto shows was/is largely to get a LOT of journalists in one place for brands to get a lot of coverage/exposure, but the world has changed. massively.

in a world of youtube, social media, livestreamed unveilings, dying magazines and newspapers, etc., auto shows are largely an anachronism and a gigantic waste of money for the automakers and the automakers also don't need journalists much, they can garner tons of global or targeted attention online as well as in traditional journalism.

cell phone companies don't want for cell phone tradeshows to make 'announcements' they have their own launch events.

that's been true, yes.

i don't view detroit as the world's automobile capital... lol

i disagree with your premise about turning up their nose, i think it's simple - they can get more focused and better coverage at a time and place of their choosing for much less money or money better spent.

they don't need some giant show to debut their vehicles along with the cacophony of all the other debuts as well.

i think most car shows will simply disappear. there maybe a couple left, like 1 per continent (maybe LA or DC, Geneva, Shanghai, etc.)

Toys4RJill

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Frankfurt Motor Show is the largest and one of the oldest I believe. International Geneva Motor Show is also massive. Paris Motor Show, Chicago Auto Show, NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show), and Tokyo Motor Show would also have honorable mentions for how large they are.

Stormwind

I wonder if politics have anything to do with what's going on here especially now that we demand fair and equal trading among other nations and this is the way that foreign brands are retaliating against that policy. although to be fair it's a good policy and it give american brands equal footing to compete (ford is the only one left sadly) but if we shut out foreign brands like they do to us american brands overseas I suspect alot of these foreign brands will go out of business as well.

Sulu

The Detroit autoshow -- formally known as the North American International Auto Show -- is about marketing, not sales; smaller, regional shows, like the Washington DC show, are about sales. There is a great difference: Marketing is about introducing new models and showing existing models, showing which market niche each model fits into (and what its competitors are), and moving the (new) models into showrooms; sales is about moving the real vehicles off the showroom floor and into the driveways of buyers.

Detroit may not be a large sales area of the USA but it is always been -- and remains -- as the heart of the American auto industry. The American automakers have -- and continue to have -- their headquarters in the Greater Detroit area. I believe that there should continue to be a major, internationally-sanctioned autoshow in Detroit.

There is talk of possibly re-scheduling the 2020 Detroit Autoshow to October 2020, making it a cheaper show and avoiding Detroit in the depths of winter, immediately following the holidays (source: Autonews). That would slot it between the Paris and Los Angeles shows (about 1 month after the Paris show and about 1 month before the LA show), and place it in the traditional time of year for new model introductions.

That may be too close in time to the LA autoshow. That brings up another point -- there may be too many annual major autoshows in the USA. Perhaps, in addition to re-scheduling the Detroit show, there should be thought given to alternating American international autoshows, such as is done with the Paris (even-numbered years) and Frankfurt (odd-numbered years) autoshows, and the Beijing (even-numbered years) and Shanghai (odd-numbered years) autoshows.

situman

Detroit is not exactly affluent or influential. I dont know what the attendance numbers are like there but in NY I'm already dreading the long lines, but I still want to go once every few years.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

audi now skipping it too, in addiion to bmw and mb.

http://www.autonews.com/article/2018...ining-bmw-benz

mmarshall

That used to be the case, but a significant part of the leadership switched to Irvine, CA....and now are leaving CA for Southern states because of the high taxation/regulation, lack of affordable housing for employees, and cost of doing business in CA.

Yes, the Detroit winter can be brutal. I don't remember exactly what year it was, but, not that long ago, the Detroit show opened one morning to a temperature of minus-18F, wind blowing, and some two feet of snow on the ground.

The D.C. Show may (?) get switched to April of next year instead of late January, for the same reason as Detroit...cold weather, though D.C. winters, on the average, are significantly warmer than those in Detroit.

Toys4RJill

LexBob2

Many manufacturers are increasing their presence at shows like the CES etc where they showcase their technology vs. the big spreads at conventional auto shows.

Toys4RJill

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

BrownPride

I don't think it has much to do with that. The Detroit show, like LA or NYC, costs a lot of money for automakers to participate. CES is around the same time of year and despite the Detroit show's record attendance as of late, it doesn't do much for sales in the area. Having grown up in metro Detroit, I know very well people are too loyal to the Big 3. Outside of 4-5 pockets of wealth it is a very middle class to working class region. Also, as others have said, due of social media it is easier than ever for automakers to market their new products. They don't need auto shows anymore.

On the topic of VW, they have a corporate presence in the area which is why I feel it is unlikely they would bail. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Chevy, and Ford are all around so it would make sense for them to show up too. It's sad though how VW's corporate presence in the region has dwindled. Michigan is just a mediocre state that lives and dies with the Big 3. Instead of inviting foreign automakers with open arms it rejected anything deemed a "threat" to GM Ford and Chrysler. Most people who want more out of life have fled.

BrownPride

Auto shows will always have some demand but they will definitely not be as significant as they were in the past. I see them churning along just fine in huge markets like LA, Chicago, and NYC while shows in other regions will shrink.

dicer

If just one of them would listen to my ideas, they would be the best selling cars ever. All the cars now are just mirror copies of other brands.