Philadelphia Auto Show Grows More Relevant As Auto Show Model Falters

The 2020 Philadelphia Auto Show rolls into the Pennsylvania Convention Center February 8 thru 17 this year, giving it a bonus Presidents Day attendance bump opportunity!

The traditional auto show business model has been under siege in recent years as one major manufacturer after another — usually high-end brands with solid market share – have withdrawn from major auto shows chafing at the rising cost of exhibiting at big media oriented events.

As one senior executive of a major legacy premium brand put it … “When you are looking at spending many many millions of dollars on a single marquee show, you have to think about how many cars need to be sold to justify that cost. You just have to apply a realistic cost benefit analysis.”

The once undisputed international new car season kick-off Detroit Auto Show moving from January to October for the first time in 2020, has lost its luster for major brands like BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, Volvo and Mazda.

And the trend is international as the vaunted Geneva Car Show, which services the lucrative European, Middle Eastern and emerging nations markets throughout the world, has lost Jaguar LandRover, Ford, Volvo and Lamborghini.

The Philadelphia Auto Show region has long been considered a national bellwether for the car industry, consistently generated crowds of 250,000 people, with an astounding 75% of attendees buying new cars within the next 12 months.