Monday, January 28, 2019

Detroit auto show's attendance drops 4.3% in final winter year

Detroit auto show's attendance drops 4.3% in final winter year http://bit.ly/2B3erMX

DETROIT -- The 2019 Detroit auto show drew 774,179 total ticketed attendees this year, a drop of 4.3 percent, or 35,000 people from last year.

The 16-day Cobo Center event — which includes media, industry and public days — was its last show in the winter before shifting to June in 2020, was plagued by snowfall and intermittent severely cold weather.

The nine-day public show, which started Jan. 19, wrapped up Sunday with 100,757 attendees on that final day, according to a news release.

A figure for total attendance during just the public show days wasn't immediately available.

The show had an estimated economic impact of $430 million on the metro Detroit region, David Sowerby, managing director at Ancora, said in the release — the equivalent to hosting nearly two NFL Super Bowls a year in Detroit.

"Detroit displayed every facet of the mobility industry over the past two weeks, welcoming visitors from across the globe," 2019 NAIAS Chairman Bill Golling said in the release. "From startups showcasing their innovative technologies to executive discussions on a driverless future to industry giants standing on the world stage revealing brand-defining products and technologies, NAIAS was an incredible platform for one of the most exciting times in the history of our industry."

This year's formal Charity Preview event on Jan. 18 raised more than $4 million for children's charities with 10,072 attendees. Protesters outside the preview event used the forum to rally against General Motors' plans to idle five plants in the U.S. and Canada this year.

The annual fundraiser has raised more than $121 million since its founding by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association in 1976. The DADA produces the Detroit auto show.

An exhibition called the Gallery kicked off the auto show. In its 13th year, it drew more than 500 attendees to a display of cars and other automobiles worth $10 million.

AutoMobili-D, the Detroit auto show's mobility technology showcase, drew 46 percent more exhibiting participants this year, the release said. Sixty-five startups were there, as well as major automakers, suppliers and universities including Kettering University and Michigan State University.

Media preview days drew 4,568 journalists and the industry preview saw 35,185 automotive and technology executives from 1,679 companies.

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