The North American International Auto Show’s move to June means the end of a wintertime tradition for countless families in metro Detroit. However, there’s a rival show in the works.
According to Crain’s Detroit, Novi’s Suburban Collection Showplace is planning to host its own auto show in January. This is traditionally when the North American International Auto Show would be held at Cobo Center in Detroit.
While NAIAS runs approximately two weeks, the new Southeast Michigan Auto Show is only scheduled to be a three-day event that runs from January 3rd to the 5th. Documents reviewed by the publication suggest tickets would start at $5 and top at out $10 for people 13 and up.
The event is being billed as a local show that is geared more towards families than journalists. That’s interesting to note as the North American International Auto Show is also trying to transition into a more family-friendly event. Of course, that wasn’t necessarily by choice as a number of automakers have dropped out of the show in recent years.
While the Southeast Michigan Auto Show wouldn’t be gear towards journalists, it will reportedly a have a VIP “kick-off event” which sounds like their version of NAIAS’ charity preview. There are also plans for ride-and-drive events, seminars and kids activities.
Unsurprisingly, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association isn’t thrilled with the idea of another Michigan auto show that could steal attention and attendance away from the North American International Auto Show. In a statement, NAIAS spokesperson Amanda Niswonger told Crain’s Detroit “The NAIAS and DADA are not involved in the upcoming Southeast Michigan Auto Show.” She went on to say “We are focused on making the 2020 NAIAS the biggest and best event of its kind, creating more opportunities to engage industry, media and consumers from around the globe and showcasing the industry’s latest products and technology in the beautiful city of Detroit.”
While the Detroit Auto Dealers Association isn’t involved, a spokesperson for the Southeast Michigan Auto Show told the publication several automakers and dealerships are already on board. There’s no word on which companies have signed up, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Ford, FCA and GM threw their support behind the show due to their local ties.
Also Read: North American International Auto Show Officially Moving To June In 2020
It’s also worth noting that the Suburban Collection Showplace is named after the Suburban Collection car dealerships. There’s no word on whether or not they’re involved in the show, but it would make sense.
Regardless, the Suburban Collection has a string of dealers supporting mainstream brands such as Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota. They also have luxury dealerships for Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Jaguar. At the top end, there are dealers for Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, McLaren and Rolls-Royce.
It remains unclear if metro Detroit could support two different auto shows, but this year’s North American International Auto Show was attended by more than 774,000 people.
