In less than two weeks from the announcement of the LA Auto Show rescheduling for March, the Detroit Auto Show is pushing back its date once again. The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) was originally supposed to take place in January. However, the event was moved to June in hopes of better weather conditions to display the latest updates in autonomous technology.
When the LA show moved from November to May of 2021, the spring quickly became very crowded with three of the largest auto shows in the world taking place within three months of each other. The New York International Auto Show is scheduled for April 2021. The stacked schedule made it very challenging for automakers and vendors to travel and set up for each show in such a limited timeframe. For this reason, and the massive opening created by the LA show being moved, The Detroit show made the move to the fall.
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“We have talked with many of our partners, particularly the OEMs, and they are fully on board and excited about the date change,” NAIAS Executive Director Rod Alberts said.
The NAIAS is scheduled to remain a fall show for the foreseeable future. Officials confirmed that the TCF Center has already been secured to host the event for the next three years.
“Our responsibility as an auto show is to host a global stage for current products as well as mobility innovations of tomorrow,” Alberts said. “September is an excellent time of year for new
product, and at the same time, alleviates the challenges a now crowded spring auto show calendar presents for auto show stakeholders.”
While the initial move will certainly hurt the city of Detroit’s economics in the short run, City leaders see the potential behind the move impacting the city in a positive way for years to come. Larry Alexander, CEO of Detroit Metro Convention and Visitor Bureau told the Detroit News that moving the auto show to the fall not only elevates its importance but opens up the month of June for other events to take place in the city. Alexander also believes the weather will still be good enough for outdoor exhibits.
The 2021 show dates are:
- Motor Bella: Sept. 24-26
- The Gallery: Sept. 26
- Press Preview: Sept. 28-29
- AutoMobili-D: Sept. 28-30
- Industry Preview: Sept. 29-30
- Charity Preview: Oct. 1
- Public Show: Oct. 2-9
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