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Detroit auto show moving to June

Photo: NAIAS
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Daniel Rufiange
2019 NAIAS will be the last one held in January

The rumour had been floating around for a while, and it has now been confirmed: Detroit’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) will move on the calendar from early January to June, starting in 2020.

Rod Alberts, executive director of the NAIAS, stated that “Our show is undergoing its most significant transformation in the last three decades.”

The 2020 Detroit show will begin the week of June 8, 2020. The motive for the change is to orient the event more towards consumers than towards the media. For several years now the NAIAS has competed with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

What’s more, the advent of social media means that manufacturers have less use for auto shows to unveil their new models. In fact, they can now present their models at any time of the year and in any location they choose, and be sure to have the spotlight to themselves.

Already, brands like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz have announced they won’t be present in Detroit, and this trend is being repeated around the world.

Auto show organizers’ wish to cozy up to consumers is not therefore surprising, and it’s clear that inviting them to a summertime event that can include outdoor exhibits and activities is the right strategy.

2019 will thus feature the last NAIAS taking place in January, followed by a 17-month wait before we see another major auto show in the Motor City.

NAIAS 2018
NAIAS 2018
Photo: NAIAS
Daniel Rufiange
Daniel Rufiange
Automotive expert
  • Over 17 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 75 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 250 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists