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Move to June Means the Detroit Auto Show Is About to Get a Lot More Exciting

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Renderings show how Detroit auto show organizers envision the event when it debuts in a new June 2020 time slot

The Detroit auto show is officially moving to June in 2020.

Not only will the North American International Auto Show shift from its traditional mid-January time slot, but it will also feature a sweeping change in format.

The show’s organizers at the Detroit Auto Dealers Association are reimagining the event as an indoor-outdoor festival that spills out of the Cobo Center and takes over downtown Detroit.

The goal is to make the show more interactive for attendees — and a more inviting stage for major automakers to unveil new vehicles and products. The show’s new format will increase the focus on test rides and test drives for new vehicles, off-road and self-driving vehicle rides, real-world technology demonstrations, and vehicle debuts that show the new vehicle in action instead of on a stage.

The retooled auto show is also expected to feature concerts, a food truck plaza, riverfront events, and exciting outdoor displays to encourage a celebratory atmosphere in the downtown streets.

The 2019 show will be the last one held in January, and the 2020 show will be held the week of June 8.

It took auto show organizers more than a year to get to this point. First they had to come to an agreement among themselves, and then they had to get the show’s stakeholders on board with the show’s new date and format.

The task was an urgent one. The show has been struggling for several years, as more and more automakers opted to introduce new vehicles at independent events or technology shows, or worse yet, skip Detroit altogether.

News Source: Detroit Free Press