EDITOR’S LETTER

Ron Garbinski, editor

RON.GARBINSKI@TIGEROAK.COM

Auto Show Refresh

THIS ISSUE’S FEATURE ABOUT THE PLANNING BEHIND FIVE of Michigan’s top events (page 34) prompted interesting dinner conversation recently with friends about the viability of annual events that attract big crowds.

Our story goes behind the scenes with planners at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit; the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race, which starts in Port Huron; the ArtPrize spectacular in Grand Rapids; the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City; and the new Ally Challenge presented by McLaren in Grand Blanc.

They’re major productions that, combined, draw almost 2 million attendees, with many coming from outside of Michigan. But these events may need some new energy and a change of spark plugs to keep them going strong.

Take the Detroit auto show, for example. More than 750,000 people attended this year’s event, which seemed to lack the luster of past spectacles. Auto shows have been a part of the Detroit scene since 1907. This annual event rebranded as the North American International Auto Show in 1989 and I’ve witnessed it enjoy much success since then.

But with notable big-car brands absent from the show floor the past few years, recent events lost some of their energy and excitement. Technology, for one, changed how new-vehicle introductions are made and reduced the availability of auto company executives at the show, which were main reasons the NAIAS attracts more than 5,000 journalists from around the globe.

The space for absent car brands this year was replaced with a huge food court, which distracted from the bright lights and fancy cars. The media center seemed to have fewer enthused journalists. Even the displays, to me, lacked freshness and energy during media preview days. Plus, the winter weather doesn’t help a January event.

To pump new energy into the Detroit show, organizers moved show dates to June for 2020. They anticipate the warm weather will provide more opportunities for outdoor displays, experiential exhibits and lots of special events, hopefully drawing more attendees.

The early June show changes the show’s dynamics on many fronts, as my automotive friends remind me.

Will there be more variety of new vehicle reveals? Will schools just getting out for the summer affect the June attendance numbers? Will that time frame generate more interested buyers? Will it appeal to the nondomestic brands that have shunned the show in recent years? Will it draw the same level of international press as previous shows? Time will tell.

The NAIAS committee hopes the new dates and show refresh will produce wonderful results.

I’m hoping for the same because the NAIAS is a memorable event for me, having attended the show and its many parties every year for decades. It’s even become a tradition for my younger son and me. So with all the promising changes ahead, I’m looking forward to continuing this fatherson outing for many years to come.

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