New York Auto Show Ends On a High-Note

NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The 110th edition of North America's first and largest publicly attended auto show proved another smash-hit.  Filled with every type of vehicle imaginable, including 35 of which were unveiled for the first time in the world or U.S., the 2010 New York International Automobile Show (NYIAS) was one of the most exciting shows ever, placing New York as the world's car capital during the event's 10-day run.  

Unprecedented vehicle launches and media coverage helped push attendance to approximately 3% below last year's numbers despite continued uncertainty in the job market and economy.  

"This was one of the best shows we have ever had," said NYIAS chairman John LaSorsa.  

"Enormously strong attendance, great press coverage, a completely revised show floor layout, combined with an amazing range of world and North American introductions showed a confidence that was palpable to anyone visiting the Show this year," continued LaSorsa.

Initial attendance numbers show a slight drop of 3% compared to 2009, keeping the New York Auto Show the number one attended auto show in the U.S.  

"The Show is a celebration of one of the world's largest and most exciting industries.  We're thrilled that consumer reaction to the Show and the products on display was so positive," said Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA), which owns and operates the Show.  

"This industry has worked hard to address the needs of consumers, and I'm delighted that we had more automakers revealing more cars than ever before, which is an amazing testimony to the spirit and resourcefulness of the automobile industry as we emerge from one of the worst economic periods in our industry's history," continued Schienberg.

Consumer Choice

Situated in the heart of North America's largest new car market in the country for new car sales, the New York Auto Show provides practical information to consumers who are looking for information about their next new car or truck.  In fact, a recent survey of NYIAS attendees reveals that 74% of those polled plan to purchase a vehicle within two years and that 86% of those indicate that the Show is "influential" in their lease or purchase decision.  

The 2010 exhibition featured nearly 1,000 cars and trucks on the Show floor this year covering every type of vehicle segment available including the newest lineup of clean diesels, electric and hybrid vehicles, hydrogen cars, muscle cars, CUVs, sports sedans, mini cars, light trucks, exotic cars, and more.  New for 2010 included outdoor ride-and-drives from Jeep and Kia plus the indoor EV Pavilion which featured a range of pure electrics for consumers to take a ride in.  Also new was a special exhibition of 'tricked-out' cars and trucks from DUB.  

"The New York Auto Show lets visitors explore the latest technologies being developed in a fun, relaxed atmosphere," said LaSorsa.  "Our EV Pavilion Ride-and-Drive was one of the stars of the Show giving most visitors their first-ever ride in a vehicle powered only by electricity," he continued.

"The ability of consumers to be able to talk to product specialists in an informal and fun atmosphere without any pressure to buy appears consistently high on the Show's surveys of Show visitors.  The New York Auto Show is the easiest, most efficient and practical place for car buyers to compare almost every single make," remarked LaSorsa.  

Media Capital

The success of the Show's press week is driven by many factors including media coverage.  This year, strong national and local television news helped drive interest in new vehicles.  Highlights included a week-long series on Live! with Regis & Kelly featuring four brand new vehicles per day, multiple Today Show segments, and live business network coverage direct from the show floor by CNBC, CNN, Fox News, Fox Business, and Bloomberg.

Trade Show Component Boosts NY Economy

In addition to the glitz and excitement of the public show, the New York Auto Show is a unique business-to-business trade event allowing the auto industry direct access to the finance, marketing, advertising, and hospitality industries that are headquartered in New York City.  During the Show's press preview week, the world's automotive executives and media arrived in Manhattan for a week of product unveilings and dozens of industry forums, symposiums, awards ceremonies, conferences, galas and receptions.  

"The Show creates two very distinct and separate events to highlight and continue our century-long role as a leading player in the promotion of the automobile; one business-to-business, the other public," said Show Director Candida Romanelli.

"With our trade events like the new-for-2010 NADA / IHS Global Insight Automotive Forum and Nielsen Automotive's Advertising  Awards, we embrace the financial powerbrokers of Wall Street and the advertisers of Madison Avenue in a way that's not possible anywhere else but in New York.  And our press preview days remind us how New York City is a place where trends begin, opinions are formed, and news is made," continued Romanelli.  

Ford Motor Company President and CEO Alan Mulally officially open the Show's press preview days with a keynote address exactly three years after his first-ever auto show keynote.  In addition to the important annual events such as the World Car of the Year Awards, National Automotive Technology Competition, and the World Traffic Safety Symposium with a keynote address from NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, the New York International Auto Show hosted several important industry events.

Also new, the New York Auto Show teamed up with the automotive experts at J.D. Power to set the record straight when it comes to identifying the best authority for predicting successful new-vehicle launches.  The program asked the question: Is it the expert auto writers and bloggers who get it right most often, or does the consumer take the crown?  J.D. Power provided the answer using an exclusive combination of metrics.  

Next Year's Show

Next spring, the New York International Automobile Show will be open to the public from Friday, April 22nd through Sunday, May 1st, 2011.  Press Days are April 20th & 21st.  NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.

Visit www.autoshowNY.com for more information.

SOURCE New York International Auto Show