Detroit auto show organizers set 2023 dates

Detroit — After the Detroit auto show made its return downtown this month after a more than three-year hiatus, organizers have scheduled the 2023 event for Sept. 13-24, according to a news release Wednesday.

The 2023 show will mark the second time the North American International Auto Show will take place in September after organizers opted to move it from its traditional January timing.

The show had been evolving even before the coronavirus pandemic, but the onset of the public health crisis led to the show being canceled in 2020 and 2021. The Detroit Auto Dealers Association, which puts on the show, last year hosted the outdoor Motor Bella event in Pontiac. This year, the show returned in a reimagined format at the Huntington Place convention center Sept. 14-25.

The new format brought elements of the show outdoors for the first time, in addition to displays and activities inside the convention center. It featured a visit by President Joe Biden and other dignitaries; air mobility demonstrations; ride experiences; and several product reveals, among other offerings.

"Auto shows around the world have changed dramatically since 2020, and we reimagined everything about the show to position it for the future," Detroit auto show Chairman Joe Lunghamer said in a statement Wednesday. "Show attendees want vehicle experiences, and manufacturers want a platform to provide these experiences."

Show organizers told The Detroit News earlier this week that the event drew "hundreds of thousands" of attendees, but declined to provide ticket sales numbers. DADA President Thad Szott said he was “fairly confident” the show had more attendees than the 300,000-to-500,000 organizers had anticipated, between the free outdoor events in Hart Plaza and ticketed offerings there and on the show floor. Pinpointing a specific number of attendees was difficult, Szott said, since the organization didn’t track how many people went to the outdoor activities and since a family pass gets in five people with just one ticket. 

David Sowerby, portfolio manager at Bloomfield Hills-based investment firm Ancora, said in the Wednesday release that the show had an estimated economic impact of $300 million on the regional economy. In 2019, the estimated impact of the show was $430 million and organizers said it drew nearly 775,000 people.

The Charity Preview for this month's show raised $2 million for children's charities in southeast Michigan.

jgrzelewski@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @JGrzelewski