Despite a plan to expand the Cobo Center by 120,000 square feet, it looks as though the North American International Auto Show’s days in Detroit could be numbered. The topic was brought up at this week’s Mackinac Policy Conference — a meeting of several of Michigan’s top businesspeople — but it looks as though the proposal has lost momentum.
Organizers of the Detroit show say they will push legislation “within 30 days,” but there is no guarantee for the approval of the plan, especially considering Michigan’s economic state.
If the Cobo expansion is not approved, the show will likely take one of two directions. The first option is to sell the title “North American International Auto Show” to the Chicago show, according to The Detroit News. The Chicago show has gained popularity over the last few years and now outdraws the Detroit show by a fairly wide margin.
The other option would be to take the NAIAS brand on the road, making stops at major shows like the Los Angeles Auto Show, Miami Auto Show, Chicago Auto Show and New York Auto Show. If organizers took the latter choice, the Detroit show would essentially become a smaller regional show.
“We want to keep it here, but time has run out,” Joe Serra, senior co-chairman of the auto show and president of Serra Automotive in Grand Blanc, told The Detroit News. “It’s also time to do the right thing for the show, which means we have to look at alternatives.”
Although it would be a sad day to see the Detroit show reduced to the level of a lesser regional show, it’s a pretty accurate reflection of the times. The city of Detroit goes as the Big Three go, and times are definitely rough.
