In the never ending drama that is the Detroit North American International Auto Show, Oakland Country executive L. Brooks Patterson says he is committed to moving the January show from the dilapidated Cobo Hall to a facility in neighboring Oakland Country.
Patterson failed to mention what venues in Oakland County might host the annual event, but says he has at least three venues that are large enough or willing to expand interested in hosting the NAIAS.
According to The Detroit News, the three most likely venues are the Pontiac Silverdome (430,000 square feet), the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi (215,000 square feet) and the Novi Expo Center (212,000 square feet). Cobo Hall, which hosts the annual show and is criticized for being too small, offers 700,000 square feet of show space.
Although many are calling Patterson’s plan to move the NAIAS to Oakland County an act of “showboatingâ€, the future of the show in Detroit remains uncertain at best. A plan to expand the aging Cobo Hall was approved earlier this year but local officials are moving to block the required sale of Cobo to regional authorities, essentially ending any hopes of a Cobo update. Several high-profile automakers pulled out of this year’s show – including Nissan, Land Rover and Ferrari – with many more on the fence about next year’s show.
