Not too many years ago, the Shanghai Motor Show, or any other car salon in China for that matter, were treated as an oddity with limited appeal to western automakers and the public alike. However, times are changing and today, China’s burgeoning car market has put the country’s motor shows on the map with an increasing number of global players opting to present their world premieres at the likes of the Beijing and Shanghai Auto Salons.
This change of focus has posed some new problems in cases when motor shows in the West coincide with China’s car salons. One particular example is the 2011 editions of the New York and Shanghai motor shows as they share a common press day on April 20. To avoid conflicts the organizers of the two car shows met at a forum for global auto shows in Geneva and agreed to work together to evade overlapping dates in the future.
“We’re pleased with the outcome of our meeting with the Chinese delegation,” said New York International Auto Show [NYIAS] president Mark Schienberg. “The leaders of the Shanghai and Beijing shows are in full agreement that overlapping dates are something we’re going to avoid in the future.”
“Shared dates among major international auto shows put unnecessary strain on automakers, media and industry personnel,” added Schienberg. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Chinese shows to prevent overlaps, and look forward to a bright automotive future on both continents.”
