Automakers Laud New Show Dates
By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 1/17/2005
Auto industry exhibitors and journalists are used to rushing from Los Angeles to Detroit each January to start off the year's packed calendar of auto shows.
But finally, after next year, there will be a few car lengths between the two events. The Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, held Jan. 5–16 this year, will move to a late-November time slot to avoid overlapping with Detroit's North American Intl. Auto Show, which this year runs Jan. 9–23.
In addition to ending the mad cross-country race each January, the move is expected to enhance L.A.'s reputation as a site for new-model debuts. Manufacturers had been pushing for the date change for years.
"All the manufacturers have been overwhelmingly supportive," said Barry Toepke, the show's director of communications, who expects more automotive executives and journalists to turn out in the new slot.
"We will get a larger attendance," predicted James Thomas, communications director for Jaguar North America. "Effectively, L.A. is going to be the first show of the season. Anyone who wants to make a big splash will want to make the product debut here."
Thomas' opinion was shared by manufacturers and automotive writers alike at this year's show at the L.A. Convention Center. Home to a thriving car culture and a populace of more than 10 million people, Southern California already has a reputation as a prime location for the introduction of new luxury, sports and alternative-fuel vehicles.
Some believe the new time frame will make L.A. more popular for debuting other categories too. "I think it's great," said James Powers, a public relations consultant. "It will allow some of the showier cars to be introduced here, rather than Detroit."
Moving the show up on the calendar is seen by some as a sign that Southern California is catching up to Detroit as an automotive hub. As they took the wraps off the 2006 model of their high-performance CLS 55 AMG, Mercedes-Benz executives at this year's show repeatedly noted the importance of the region, where one quarter of the company's cars are sold.
"It's going to bode very well for this show," Mercedes-Benz spokesman Geno Effler said of the new time slot. "It's giving manufacturers an opportunity to show new and exciting cars here, and not have to pick and choose between them."
Manufacturers will be able to use one exhibit and one set of cars for both shows. And the new dates allow for three days of move-out, instead of one.
Toepke said it was difficult to find available dates that didn't conflict with auto shows held annually in Chicago, Detroit, Geneva, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Frankfurt, Germany.
This year, the L.A. show kicked off a design conference to highlight how many designers make their homes in the area. But the show still has some catching up to do.
While only about two dozen new vehicles made their North American or world debut at this year's L.A. show, 79 vehicle introductions were made at the 2004 Detroit show.
However, the 15-day Detroit show drew only 809,000 public attendees last year, while the 10-day L.A. show drew nearly 1.1 million public attendees. The 88-year-old Detroit show attracted 6,900 media representatives, compared to fewer than 1,000 at the L.A. show.
Toepke said the L.A. show isn't trying to compete with Detroit, where the United States' Big Three automakers are based. "Detroit is king of the hill in auto shows," he said.
But not everyone is pleased with the new dates. Martin Brink, a Germany-based writer with 4WD Auto Magazine, usually treks to the United States to hit the L.A. and Detroit shows at once. Once the new schedule goes into effect, he'll likely drop one of the events from his schedule.
And exhibitors and attendees still have to get through the expense of 2006, when the L.A. show will be held in both January and November. "Next year is going to be tough. The finance department is going to go nuts," Effler said.
