The 111th edition of the Chicago Auto Show officially closed to the public on Monday, Feb. 18, concluding a successful 10-day run of the nation’s largest and best-attended auto show. The Chicago Automobile Trade Association, producer of the show, reported a bump in attendance this year despite the slowing market.
“As the nation’s largest consumer show, we know people come here to shop,” said Ray Scarpelli Jr., the 2019 Chicago Auto Show chairman. “According to Foresight Research, nearly 70 percent of adults who visit the Chicago Auto Show are in the market to purchase a vehicle within 12 months. That’s what makes the Chicago show stand out from other shows and experiential events, further demonstrating the importance of automaker participation.”
The show’s impact was palpable at the dealership level; local new car dealers reported a noticeable increase in customers following the show’s strong opening weekend.
“There’s no doubt that we saw a big uptick in traffic and sales at our dealerships,” said Kevin Keefe, owner of Brilliance Honda and Brilliance Subaru. “The activity at the stores was noticeably higher the weekend after the Chicago Auto Show opened to the public.”
“We actually had more customers than sales representatives on the show’s closing Saturday,” added Jason Roberts, general manager of Advantage Toyota of River Oaks.
“In the end, we want the Chicago Auto Show to be judged on the number of new-vehicle sales it generates,” said Chicago Auto Show General Manager Dave Sloan.
The longest-running auto show in North America once again featured more than one million square feet of top-tier exhibits by global automakers and 20 brand-new vehicle introductions that made their worldwide or national debut and a host of interactive exhibits and test drive opportunities.
