Pre-2020, the Detroit Auto Show had always been in January. But with rising competition from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is also held in January but in the much nicer climate of Las Vegas, the show opted to make a move first to the summer, which was canceled due to the pandemic, then finally to September. Now, it’s moving back to January in 2025.
Since CES is still going to be held in January, what does this mean for the Detroit Auto Show?
Detroit Auto Show vs. CES
In theory, one show shouldn’t affect the other. CES is slated to run January 7 – 10 in 2025, whereas the Detroit Auto Show will run from January 10 to 20. For media members who want to attend both, there will be a problem since media days overlap, but for the general consumer? Frankly, it won’t matter at all.
For Detroit, the move back to January means business for the downtown area in a time that’s traditionally slow. Not to mention the fact that people in general don’t have a lot on their calendars in January – unlike September, which is upended in a back-to-school furor.
“Our primary goal is to create an impactful auto show and showcase our great city and industry,” said Rod Alberts, executive direct for the Detroit Auto Show and Detroit Auto Dealers Association, in a statement on Instagram. “After discussions with numerous partners, we believe a January date absolutely makes the most sense. In a constantly changing global automotive landscape, this update reflects our efforts to continue to reimagine the Detroit Auto Show while keeping an eye on what matters most – getting people excited about cars.”
Focus on consumers
Let’s be clear, media members are going to complain about this move because it’s Detroit in January. And if they have the choice to be in 50- or 60-degree weather vs. snowy blizzard-like conditions, most are going to choose Vegas over the Big D.
Thankfully, this move isn’t about the media. It’s about the consumer and people who actually live in Detroit. This is a nice thing to do inside in the middle of winter, and it makes car shopping so much easier because you don’t have to slog from dealer to dealer to get the hard sell on a car you may not want to buy after you sit in it.
The bottom line
Auto shows are changing, and manufacturers starting to pull corporate support – cue Stellantis withdrawing from the LA Auto Show in November of 2023 and the Chicago Auto Show in February 2024. We think that’s a damn shame. More than once we’ve walked the show floor on public days with friends who are buying a car, and more than once those friends have opted not to buy (or even test drive) their top vehicle because that automaker didn’t bother to show up.
So, while the fate of auto shows in general is TBD, we think this is a great move for Detroit.
