Detroit auto show returning to January
The Detroit auto show is returning to its traditional January slot from the late September dates it had occupied the past couple of years, organizers at the Detroit Auto Dealers Association confirmed Thursday.
The next North American International Auto Show will take place Friday, Jan. 10, through Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit. The show's charity preview gala will take place Friday, Jan. 10. The show's public days will be Jan. 11 through Jan. 20, concluding on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Media, industry and technology days are expected to follow the pattern of years past, which would be Jan. 8 and 9.
"The Detroit Auto Show is pleased to announce the iconic show will return to its roots with a January 2025 debut," said Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit auto show and the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, in a statement. "Our primary goal is to create an impactful auto show and showcase our great city and industry. After discussions with numerous partners, we believe a January date absolutely makes the most sense. In a constantly changing global automotive landscape, this update reflects our efforts to continue to reimagine the Detroit Auto Show with keeping an eye on what matters most — getting people excited about cars.”
The Detroit News was first to report that the auto show would be moved to January 2025. The last North American International Auto Show in January was held in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers had proposed moving the show to the summer to showcase Detroit during its warmer months, allow for outdoor activities and provide a more festival-like approach, as auto shows, in general, faced challenges.
The internet has made it easier for customers to research products. Automakers increasingly have opted for experiential events and for revealing vehicles through their own platforms or in commercials during televised sporting events over competing for the spotlight at auto shows with expensive stages.
Although the show put on the past two years by the Detroit Automobile Dealers Association was able to take advantage of the outdoors more, the September dates came shortly after back-to-school busyness and amid the kickoff to football season. In January, the show had fewer events with which to compete in the winter and could help stir up sales during quieter months.
Claude Molinari, CEO of Visit Detroit and chairman of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority that oversees Huntington Place, said winter is a slower time of year in the convention business with more local recreational vehicles, boat and auto shows.
“We don’t have a problem filling in days in September or June, frankly,” he said, adding about the move for Detroit hotels and restaurants: “It’s just fantastic for us. No industry has gone through more disruption than autos have in the past few years. We’re excited about the opportunity and hope automakers will see a great value to participate and join in the future."
After deciding to move away from January originally, the DADA planned for a June 2020 show, which was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Show organizers in 2021 opted to have an outdoor event at M1 Concourse in Pontiac called Motor Bella.
The Detroit show returned in 2022 in mid-September with several reveals, an indoor electric vehicle track, a visit from President Joe Biden and outdoor activations and attractions, including a giant inflatable duck.
The 2023 show focused on sprawling displays from the Detroit Three and competed for press attention with United Auto Workers' contract negotiations with the automakers. Ford revealed the 2024 F-150 truck in Hart Plaza the evening before the official kick-off of the show, where Jeep showcased the refreshed 2024 Gladiator midsize truck and Cadillac revealed the revamped 2025 CT5 sedan. Toyota Motor Corp. had a presence, but other major automakers skipped the event, with dealers filling in.
Other shows have faced challenges in attracting automakers, too. Stellantis NV last week said it won't make an appearance at the Chicago Auto Show next month, citing challenging market conditions. Regarding a January Detroit show, Stellantis spokesperson Rick Deneau referred to the company's statement from last week that it's seeking to be as efficient as possible in its media spending and is "evaluating participation in auto shows on a case-by-case basis, while prioritizing opportunities for consumers to experience our vehicles first-hand."
In a GM statement sent by spokesperson Sabin Blake, the Detroit automaker said: "The Detroit Auto Show is our hometown show, and we look forward to supporting our dealers and exciting customers with our latest portfolio of award-winning products in January 2025."
Added Ford spokesperson Said Deep: "No matter the time of year, auto shows continue to be a good place for us to engage with potential future and current customers to help them experience our new technologies and vehicles."
German automakers are skipping this year's Geneva International Motor Show after it makes its return to honor its 100th anniversary after a four-year absence, according to Automotive News Europe. The International Motor Show Germany in 2021 rebranded as IAA Mobility and expanded its offered attractions. The Tokyo Motor Show also refreshed last year as the Japan Mobility Show.
In 2003, the Detroit auto show attracted more than 838,000 attendees. In 2019, more than 774,000 people visited, producing an economic impact described as the equivalent of hosting two Super Bowls. The dealers association hasn't shared attendance figures for the last couple of years. In 2022, organizers were confident they beat their projections of 300,000 to 500,000 attendees. The show’s Charity Preview gala that year had 6,500 attendees.
Jim Schebil, owner and president of Fox Hills Chrysler Jeep in Plymouth, said January had proven itself to be a good time to hold the show.
"I think it's better because at that time, there's not a lot going on," he said. "It's a great time to have a party and have an auto show. When we had it in September, it seems like a lot of people had a lot of things going on."
He added that automakers traditionally introduce incentives at that time to clear out the previous model-year inventories: "It's a slower (sales) time. It does seem to boost our January and February sales, too."
Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Cox Automotive, an auto services company, said the decision to go back to January is a good move on the DADA's part since auto shows have changed so much.
"They've sort of gone back to the future," she said. "When I came into this business, auto shows were mostly for consumers to shop for new vehicles. And then they became media spectacles, but the days of them being a media show are pretty much over. So it makes sense ... almost every northern city has its auto show in the winter months, when they have a captive audience."
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Staff Editor Daniel Howes contributed.