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Flashy debut at Detroit auto show
<p><strong>Flashy debut at Detroit auto show.</strong></p>

Auto Shows Inform, Entertain, Get People to Dealerships

A study confirms what dealers knew all along: Auto shows are good for business.

DETROIT – Today’s auto shows serve as preludes to vehicle-buying for most attendees, and shows of tomorrow will offer simulator technology to give people the “feel” of displayed vehicles.

That’s according to members of the Auto Shows of North America at a press conference to discuss what they call “the power of auto shows.” The group is holding its annual meeting here.

“Dealers have always told us auto shows increase their floor traffic, and now we have the research data to confirm it,” ASNA Chairman Lou Vitantonio, president of the Cleveland Auto Show, says, referring to a commissioned study on how auto shows affect car buying.

Highlights of the Foresight Research study include:

  • 57% of show attendees say they are in the market to buy a vehicle within 12 months of a show.
  • 51% of attendees who purchase a vehicle after a show said the event influenced their decision.
  • 26% of 12-month purchase intenders left a show with their minds made up.

Research indicates many Millennials, ages 18 to 34, are avid show goers, says Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Auto Dealers Assn., which puts on the New York International Auto Show.

“Millennials represent 26% of the population, and that percentage matches their auto show attendance as measured by age groups,” he tells WardsAuto. “Not only that, Millennials use social media to share photos and tell others about their show attendance. So that’s good news.”

A well-executed auto show both educates and entertains, Vitantonio says. “People who attend are doing so for a specific reason, but also because it is fun and entertaining. It should be fun to buy a car.”

Although local dealer associations typically stage the events in their market areas, automakers are highly involved.

“Auto shows are vital for us,” says Erik Thomas, senior manager-auto shows and events for Hyundai North America. He calls them “edu-tainment.”

In addition to the obvious purpose of getting someone to buy a Hyundai, he says the South Korean brand uses auto shows to try to improve brand perceptions and at least get on consumers’ shopping lists.

Expect Simulators, Ride-and-Drives At Shows

“We are constantly having conversations on how we can improve the show experience,” he says, adding that “most definitely” technology will play a greater role in future events.

That includes car simulators that would give attendees a sense of the driving dynamics of a car that's just sitting there. “There could also be gaming and tournaments,” he says. “Look for more fun.”

And look for more outdoor ride-and-drive courses. Those have become popular at certain shows, says Foresight President Chris Stommel. “Ride and drives have an impact, and people stay longer when they are offered.”

Auto show executives acknowledge it’s challenging working with dozens of automakers who have individual wants and needs, and expect show overseers to fulfill them.

Asked, without naming names, if any one automaker is more difficult to work with, Vitantonio quips, “They all are.” But he quickly adds, “Everyone works together.”

Auto shows are wonderful places to display concept vehicles that give a hint of where a model in particular and an automaker in general are headed, Thomas says. “We try to have our concept vehicles even at smaller shows.”

But Vitantonio says: “I’m not so sure having a concept car increases attendance. People attend to experience what they can buy today.”

Auto shows are the only events of their kind “where people pay to get in,” Schienberg says.

Foresight began its auto-show research in 2006, first working with automakers to assess the effectiveness of their displays.

The firm has since branched out to look at other things, such as attendee demographics as well as who doesn’t attend (and why not). Foresight has collected data at 74 U.S. auto shows and five of them overseas.

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