DETROIT, MI — Organizers are shifting the 2021 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) from summer to fall.
The reimagined indoor and outdoor show, originally planned for the summer, will run from Sept. 28 to Oct. 9, 2021, according to a news release. This year’s show was canceled due to the novel coronavirus and because TCF Center — where the show takes place — was selected by the Federal Emergency Management Administration as a field hospital site in March.
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“We have talked with many of our partners, particularly the OEMs, and they are fully on board and excited about the date change,” said Rod Alberts, executive director of NAIAS, in a news release.
Officials are hyping the 2021 show as a “global powerhouse of current product and next-generation mobility combined with immersive brand activations and product engagement” for the public. Show dates have been secured for the next three years at the TCF Center in downtown Detroit.
“Our responsibility as an auto show is to host a global stage for current products as well as mobility innovations of tomorrow,” Alberts said. “September is an excellent time of year for new product, and at the same time, alleviates the challenges a now-crowded spring auto show calendar presents for auto show stakeholders.”
Attendees can expect the same product experiences that were originally planned for the June 2020 show, such as dynamic displays, ride-and-drive experiments and technology activations inside TCF and throughout Detroit, according to a news release.
“With seasonable autumn temperatures and technology and experiential activations positioned throughout the city, show visitors will be able to enjoy fall in a walkable, vibrant Motor City while embracing the future of the industry right before their eyes,” NAIAS Chairman Doug North said.
NAIAS on Tuesday is launching Q’d Up Mobility, a virtual series that will show what the 2021 show has queued up for guests, according to a news release.
The 2021 show schedule includes:
- Motor Bella: Sept. 24-26
- The Gallery: Sept. 26
- Press Preview: Sept. 28-29
- AutoMobili-D: Sept. 28-30
- Industry Preview: Sept. 29-30
- Charity Preview: Oct. 1
- Public Show: Oct. 2-9