GEARING UP FOR AUTO SHOW
Crews set for Detroit’s winter finale
Preparations were in high gear Thursday for Detroit’s famous international auto show, which will celebrate an important mile marker when it opens to the public next week for its 30th annual event. This is also an important year for the North American International Auto Show because it’s the last time car lovers will have to face the cold and threat of snow to check out the latest technology. The show moves to June in 2020. “We’ll have over 750 products on the show floor for consumers to come in and see,” said public relations manager Amanda Niswonger. “We’ll obviously have the latest from Ford, GM, Chrysler that they can come in an check out. “There will be some moving vehicle activations on the show floor, so that will be a nice sneak peek into 2020. I can’t say what those are at this time, but they’ll be able to see some vehicles moving and really experience the technology that automakers are putting into the product.”
The 2019 auto show is open to the public from Jan. 19 to 27. The usual range of muscle cars, high-performance supercars and the latest in electric-vehicle technology will all be on display, along with a few other surprises. “We’re celebrating 30 years since we went international in 1989,” said Niswonger. “So we’ll have a few celebrations for that. “Lexus and Infinity were with us in 1989 when we did go international, and they ’ll be with us again this year. That will be great, showing our partnership with them.” Workers were in overdrive getting things ready on Thursday, but setup for the show has actually been ongoing since Nov. 26. “That’s actually a shorter move in time than what we’ve had in the past,” said Niswonger. “That’s obviously through the holidays, so it kind of slows things down a little bit. That’s something we’re also looking forward to in June. We’ll have a shorter move-in because we won’t have to work around the holidays and the blizzards and all of that.”
There will be another big change this year that likely won’t go unnoticed. All the German automakers, except for Volkswagen, have pulled out of the show.
“We lost Mercedes, Audi and BMW,” said Niswonger. “But we do have a few adds to the show floor. So while it is smaller with the Germans pulling out, we do have great product to showcase and great technology happening in AutoMobili-D.” AutoMobili-D is an exhibition area with automakers, suppliers, investors and tech startups showcasing future mobility platforms. Niswonger said things will also expand next year when the show moves to June with outdoor events. The show will take over at Hart Plaza, which will add 14 acres to its footprint.
“What that helps us with is we’ll be able to offer more experiences, versus static displays,” said Niswonger. “So you’ll see more vehicles driving on the show floor and you’ll be able to do ride and drives. Automakers will really be able to show off their technology and more than just the looks of their vehicles.”
The 2019 media preview begins Monday, with the public show starting Jan 19. The show will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., from Jan. 19 to 26, with no one admitted after 9 p.m.
On Jan. 27, the show is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with no admittance
after 6 p.m.
There will be early entrance for those with disabilities daily from 8 a.m. at the Hall C entrance. Tickets are US$14 for adults, US$7 for seniors aged 65 and older, and US$7 for children ages seven to 12. Children six years old and under can get in free with a parent or guardian. You can buy tickets at naias.com.