The Detroit Auto Show has laid out its game plan for a comeback in January 2025, opting for a return to its traditional wintry dates after a brief flirtation with fall festivities. Slated for a stint at downtown Huntington Place from January 10 to 20, the event is shedding its 'North American International Auto Show' moniker in a nod to Detroit's storied car culture.
Winter's chill may have dissuaded some in the past, but the show organizers are banking on the historical resonance of a January auto show, and seizing the chance to reignite the city's economy in what's often a slow month for business, "As we reimagine the show, we’re being agile about scheduling events to meet the needs and preferences of key stakeholders," Rod Alberts, the Detroit Auto Show's co-executive director, told CBS News Detroit.
Sam Klemet, the newly appointed co-executive director alongside Alberts, said in an interview, "We haven't been in January since 2019, so we saw this as an opportunity to kind of rebrand ourselves, and it's not even a rebranding, it's almost going back to what we've always been," he shared this sentiment with The Detroit News.
The kickoff for this revamp is scheduled with Media Day on January 10, followed by the charity preview including public days through January 20, combining award announcements, educational opportunities, charity events, public speakers, and more asserted by CBS News Detroit. The event also plans to engage with over a thousand high school and college students through its Future Innovators program, painting a vivid picture of future possibilities in the auto industry and mobility tech innovations.
Amid the fanfare, the Detroit Auto Show has not forgotten to pay homage, with January 20 earmarked for programming that honors Martin Luther King Jr. Day, focusing on "Acts of Service" to celebrate King's enduring legacy of community service, details provided by Detroit Free Press. With Delta Air Lines, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification firmly in place as premier sponsors, the auto show sets the stage for a vibrant and forward-looking Detroit indeed.
