The North American International Auto Show has been cancelled for the second year in a row.
The 2020 event was supposed to be the inaugural summer show, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the TCF Center being transformed in a field hospital.
Last fall, organizers announced the show would return in 2021 and take place in September. Despite originally moving from January to June, organizers said it would “remain a fall show going forward.”
Also Read: Detroit Auto Show Moved Again, Now Slated For September Of 2021
Today we announced we will not hold the 2021 auto show as planned, but instead revealed a “bridge to the future” with an all-new show called Motor Bella. Read more: https://t.co/dEyelNAhtu pic.twitter.com/9OpWQP3bEX
— Detroit Auto Show (@NAIASDetroit) January 11, 2021
Fast forward to today and there are even more changes as the 2021 North American International Auto Show is dead and being reborn as an “auto-centric event called Motor Bella.” It’s also moving from Detroit to the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, which is located about 30 miles northwest of the Motor City.
Unsurprisingly, the coronavirus is to blame and the switch makes a lot of sense. Instead of packing tens of thousands of people into TCF Center, Motor Bella will be held outdoors at the M1 Concourse which is slated to have 1.6 million square feet (148,645 square meters) of dynamic vehicle and technology display space as well as a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) long track for technology and vehicle demonstrations.
The event is slated to take place between September 21st and 26th, and promises visitors a “multi-sensory experience” with “adrenaline-pumping track activities” as well as a “full complement of OEM and technology exhibits.” However, it will be a relatively short event as the public portion only runs from September 23rd through September 26th.
In a statement, Executive Director Rod Alberts said “The pandemic has caused changes in our society and world in ways not previously imagined, and we all should be looking for new and highly creative ways of doing business.” He added “This new event captures that creative spirit” and “will provide new mobility experiences and increasingly innovative approaches to tapping into the industry and its products.”