This page is for personal, non-commercial use only. You can order a copy of the presentation to distribute to your colleagues, clients or clients by visiting https://www.parsintl.com/publication/autoblog/

2020 is the first time since 1984 that I have not participated in an auto show. I was born in 1983. Participating in the auto show is an annual tradition for me like Halloween or Thanksgiving-think about it, my mom and I actually participated in the auto show on Thanksgiving to beat the crowd and drive the turkey to Friday.  

As an automotive journalist, attending auto shows over the past 15 years is obviously very different from my previous visits. I’m attending a press conference now, with fewer attendances, showing timetables and elaborate "brand experience" gatherings highlighting one or two newly launched cars, not just a carpeted area, cars of all brands are parked there. Oh, I must work now. There are stories to write, videos to shoot, and questions to ask. While waiting for the Nissan press conference to begin in 30 minutes, there are crowds from all corners of the world. Or be bombarded with video by the elderly and their rolling luggage. I may not have that.

I know that some reporters hate auto shows for various reasons, but for me, I cherish the opportunity to hang out in the showroom, sit in all the cars, play with gadgets and gadgets. You know, just like when I was 18 months old. If my attendance is now work, it really doesn't feel like it.

Of course, the importance of auto shows has declined over the years, and there have been many reports even before the pandemic was cancelled one after another. Since the Great Depression, car companies have increasingly refrained from participating in certain exhibitions and/or paid more attention to individual events that control venues and time.

Frankly speaking, this makes sense. At the auto show, a brand can only be displayed for a maximum of 30 minutes before the time of the next brand starts. In their own activities, if a brand wishes, they can hold them captive for a few days (but please don't). At auto shows, brands often have to bear the absurd construction and catering costs imposed by the convention and exhibition center and their own contractual obligations. For example, a public relations representative once told me that his brand wanted to build a beer truck on the booth. The person at the auto show told me, "No problem, you can use our preferred supplier Coors Light." When told that the brand is more When I like my partner supplier, a craft brewery, the people at the auto show effectively said: "No problem, we will buy kegs from the craft brewery, and then charge you three times the fee." On the construction costs associated with the union (you can’t even move the chair without objections), and the price tag included in the auto show certainly doesn’t seem worth it, as opposed to using your own hand to choose a separate event supplier.

No one looks so happy in the Ford Tempo. Or climb out of the third row of Highlander, for that matter.

At the same time, those who think the auto show is outdated tend to treat it as a media event, especially the few top auto shows that the international media reports every year. Detroit, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago in the United States, as well as Geneva, Frankfurt/Munich, Paris, Tokyo, and increasingly Beijing and Shanghai. The existence of brands in these activities, at least in the United States, is handled at the company level and mainly paid for.

This is not the case of the Phoenix Auto Show that I participated in instead of eating turkey and stuffing, nor the Indianapolis Auto Show when I was in high school. Those, like all other companies outside the "Big Four" in the United States, rely on regional distributor associations. They provide cars and funding, so you will usually see lower-end trim levels, with fewer models launched recently, if any, in addition to the large signs glued to the thick carpet under the terrible lights. There are smaller fixings. Lincoln did not spend millions of dollars to create a multi-layered art installation on the floor of the Portland Auto Show. Basically, they are more about "cars" than programs.

I have not seen them go anywhere, even though Detroit and Los Angeles have lost their corporate support and media importance. You see, the auto show, no matter who pays the bill, and whether or not the international media appears or not, still has great value for those who actually buy tickets to visit. They are great car shopping tools where you can quickly compare brands and models, answer questions that specifications and pictures can't answer, and all (ideally) no salesperson will hunt you down. They are also fun, whether you are an 18-month-old toddler with his mom at the 1985 Toronto Auto Show, or a 36-year-old kid hanging out with his colleagues at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

So, let me be excited about the Los Angeles Auto Show next week. This is my first time in 2021, and it may be the first time for many other reporters in attendance. It would be a good choice to stare at the car on the carpet again, especially the atypical number that I haven't seen with my own eyes. At the same time, it will be a weird one. In addition to having to present a vaccination certificate and a mask instead of a tie, brands either do not participate or completely rely on external activities before the show (they usually have activities and participate in the show), resulting in a ridiculous press conference schedule. After the meetings of Hyundai, Subaru and Kia, the case file included famous car nameplates such as Bremach, Biliti Electric Inc and Barbie.

Yes, that Barbie doll. People think Kia hamsters are stupid.

Perhaps the pandemic will prove to be the last nail in the coffin of a major auto show, but I hope I am right and the matched regional auto show will continue. I am now the parents of a 15-month-old boy. He took the green Land Rover Defender 90 and the blue Bentley Continental GT in his hands, and happily toddled. I want to give him the same chance, I have to climb all the real things. Maybe his grandma can come together.  

Please log in to post a comment.

Ford Mustang GT500 760 horsepower V8 is now available as a crate engine

2022 GMC Sierra Preview | GM’s "premium truck" is now actually premium cargo

Before the fatal crash in Florida, Tesla was driving at 90 mph in an area of ​​30 mph

2022 Polaris RZR Pro R and Subaru BRZ-like power go hand in hand

Mazda CX-50 crossover previewed before its debut on November 15

2022 Chevrolet Silverado Preview | Lots of updates, but you have to wait

News, comments, photos, and videos are sent directly to your inbox.

Thanks for subscribing. Check your inbox to get started.

We got it. Advertising can be annoying. But advertising is also how we keep the garage door open and lights on on Autoblog-and provide you and everyone with our stories for free. Free is great, right? If you are willing to visit our website, we promise to continue to bring you wonderful content. Thanks for that. Thank you for reading Autoblog.

You have not turned off your ad blocker or allowed our website. It only takes a few seconds.

You must be logged in to perform this operation.

Please enter a display name