It's become very apparent that the once famous Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS) isn't what it used to be. With automakers pulling out of the show left and right, it's become more clear than ever that the Motor City isn't the draw it once was.
From what everyone can deduce, it looks like 2019 will be the last year a January event is held at the Cobo Center. So, what's next?
It's safe to say that no one really knows.
While it seems there's some weight behind an October-based show, General Motors may have something else to propose. GM suggests that a June-based event may actually be the answer Detroit needs. That's because Detroit could turn it into a consumer-focused automotive festival of sorts.
That way the metro area could get an economic boost it really needs and also incorporate the Grand Prix that happens at Belle Isle.
What say you, Spies? Is GM onto something?
...But there’s another idea floating out there, courtesy of General Motors Co.: reshape the auto show into a consumer-first event anchoring a “massive festival of automotive” in the Motor City, said Tony Cervone, GM’s senior vice president global communications. Showcase the best of Detroit along its international border, drawing would-be consumers to downtown venues, concerts, perhaps even the tail end of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle.
And reposition the show for the people who matter — the people who buy the cars, trucks and SUVs. Evidence is mounting the Detroit auto show is less relevant to industry insiders than it was not too many years ago, with the best evidence being the simple fact that a growing list of automakers and their leaders are voting with their proverbial feet and not showing up...
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