mmarshall

As I usually do each year about this time, as a courtesy, I'll post the advance web-sites for the largest American auto shows of the winter season......Los Angeles, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. That way, those of you interested in going can plan well in advance and mark your calendars.

I'll be at the D.C. show for at least 3 or 4 days or part-days, as usual (my not-so-young legs and back usually can't take standing on them all day......4 to 5 hours at most). I'm not sure about the others, but you can get free show-passes for the D.C. show at any local D.C.-area auto dealership, usually at the sales-managers's counter.

Here are the show-dates:


Los Angeles (Public Show): November 21-November 30, 2014 (earlier for the press-event).

http://laautoshow.com


Detroit (Public Show): January 17-January 25, 2015 (earlier for the press-event).

http://www.naias.com/the-2015-show/overview.aspx


Washington, DC: January 23-Feburary 1, 2015. (as often happens, this will overlap a couple of days with the tail end of the Detroit show)

https://www.washingtonautoshow.com


Chicago: February 14-February 22, 2015

http://10times.com/chicago-auto-show



Have fun.....and enjoy:

MM

LexBob2

Don't forget the Chicago Auto Show. They bill themselves as the largest in the nation in terms of display space (1 million sq. ft.) and attendance (well over 1 million). Civic pride comes into these claims, but it is a big one, not as influential as Detroit or LA but there are always a few intros there each year.

mmarshall

OK, Thanks. Good catch. I thought the Chicago show was later in the spring, but you're right....it's in February. So I went back and added it.

Interesting......the Chicago show opens on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day. I wonder how many ladies will drag their men to the show (or vice-versa) and say......."Never mind the candy and flowers.....here, buy me a REAL gift".

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I usually go to the San Francisco International Auto Show Thanksgiving weekend. Also worked at the Lexus booth two years ago



I would say she has good taste

TripleL

Thanks MM! I usually do the Providence show, but I did the Boston one last year in January and may have spoiled myself add it was both bigger and nicer.

mmarshall

Glad to help.

Since you're not that far from New York City, you might want to catch their big show in April. That's usually a larger show than in Boston.

mmarshall

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's not considered a Class A show, is it? Certainly not to the level at Los Angeles. D.C. used to be a Class-B show; now, it's considered borderline-A, although not a solid A like L.A. or Detroit.


Probably good experience for you. Most of the people who work the displays at the D.C. show are either local salespeople from area-dealerships (I know a number of them) or low-level factory "Product-Specialists" with uniforms and badges. These "Specialists" vary quite a bit in their competence and knowledge.......some of them are excellent, and others wouldn't know where the rest rooms are if you didn't point it out to them.

I don't actively work the displays myself, but if the show is very crowded (as on weekends), and there aren't enough reps to handle the crowd, I sometimes help out on the floor at the displays myself, answering what questions I can, giving car-buying advice, and doing things like demonstrating how easy and quick it is to raise/lower the Mazda Miata's manual-top with one hand, which is always a popular attraction. But my legs and frame, despite regular walk/swim exercise, are just not what they were 20-30 years ago, and I can't stand on them all day long...I have to cut it short after several hours.

Sulu

Here in Toronto, we have the Canadian International Autoshow every February, overlapping with the Chicago show (13 to 22-February-2015).

www.autoshow.ca

mmarshall

Thanks, Sulu.

Must be awful cold, though, during a Canadian February there in Toronto. It gets uncomfortably cold even here in D.C. for the outdoor-loop test-drives at the D.C. show in late January.

LexsCTJill.....since you're also in Toronto, I guess you will also attend this show?

TripleL

You know I've been invited down there before and couldn't attend, great reminder as I might just do that this year , thanks.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Not like LA or Detroit, but this is the 57th year for SFIAS, featuring 36 Major manufacturers in the massive 1.2 million sq ft Moscone Convention Center (Second largest Autoshow in the Western US), Ride and Drive opportunities, 300,000-350,000 typically in attendance. So regardless of 'Class', SFIAS completely has merit in this threads discussion 'Winter Auto Shows'.