2009 NAIAS: Interesting Facts

 

A long time ago.…
Although the first auto show in Detroit was held in 1907, the 2008 show, renamed the North American International Auto Show in 1989, will be our 20th international show. Back in 1907, it only cost 50 cents to attend the show. The first car to be shown at the auto show was the Ford Model T and President Dwight Eisenhower became the first U.S. president to attend the auto show in 1961.

The auto show has been held in a number of locations, including the Michigan State Fairgrounds, the Detroit Artillery Armory, with the first show held in 1907 at Beller's Beer Garden at Riverside Park on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, in conjunction with a hunting and fishing accessories show. The show has been held at Cobo Center since 1965.

Why we say the NAIAS is a “world-class automotive showcase”…
The NAIAS is the only auto show in the United States to earn an annual distinguished sanction of the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles (OICA), the Paris-based alliance of automotive trade associations and manufacturers from around the world. OICA is essentially the trade organization for the world’s auto shows. Visit their website here (www.oica.net) to learn more about the global auto show circuit.

More than 6,000 media attend? From where? Why?
More than 6,700 journalists from 62 countries and 42 United States attended the NAIAS 2007 Press Days. Almost 30 percent of media attendees were from outside the United States. In addition to Europe and Asia, many media came from a wide variety of countries from all over the globe including Azerbaijan, Argentina, Chile, Croatia, Egypt, Ecuador, Jamaica, India, Latvia, Moldavo, Peru, Rwanda, Turkey, Venezuela and Yugoslavia, to name just a few.

And one of the main things that draws these journalists is the sheer number of vehicle debuts showcased at the NAIAS. Since its designation as an international auto show in 1989, the NAIAS has hosted 1,049 North American and worldwide vehicle introductions – which is a fancy way of saying that these vehicles were seen for the first time in the world or in the U.S. at the NAIAS. Media know that if they want to capture a photo of a vehicle the first time it is debuted, their best bet is the NAIAS.

And we could carpet 750 football fields...
Donald E. McNabb Company sure has their hands full with the NAIAS year in and year out. This local flooring company has to hire fourteen semi-trailers to carry the 75,000-plus yards of carpet used for the exhibits and aisles at the NAIAS. And, yes, it’s enough carpet to cover the length of 750 football fields. Once the show is over, many people visit McNabb to purchase the semi-used carpet at a reduced price.

Money, money, money…
The NAIAS adds more than $500 million annually to the Southeast Michigan economy, with nearly $100 million directly to the City of Detroit. It's an incredible world-class event that provides jobs and revenue to local exhibit companies, service companies, restaurants, hotels, transportation companies, charities, and our residents every year. It is the single largest economic impact event in the Metro Detroit region.

In addition, NAIAS exhibits are collectively valued in excess of $200 million, excluding the value of the more than 700 vehicles in those exhibits.

And that means jobs, honey,..and several tons of steel
It takes about 10 weeks, or almost an entire college semester, for the NAIAS build. But times have changed, and so has the show. Fifteen years ago, the 'Detroit Auto Show' build was accomplished in four days. Exhibits today are bigger and very unique with their own technological bells and whistles and many have two floors or more. In addition, some exhibits are actually built twice. Once over in Europe or Asia as a test-run and then dismantled and shipped overseas to the NAIAS for final construction. Each year, the NAIAS is visited by several architectural magazines who write about the design of the exhibits as well as the building techniques used in their construction.

In addition, 1,500-plus carpenters, stagehands, electricians, Teamsters, riggers and ironworkers are employed full time for the build and dismantle of the NAIAS (working 12-14 hour days, including some double shifts).

On top of that, 1,732 people ensure the show's daily operations including; 200 janitorial workers, 500-700 catering personnel, 65 vehicle polishers, 135 car porters, 87 full-time Cobo Center staff members and 20 additional part-time Cobo Center staff members, 75 NAIAS permanent and temporary staff, and 450 auto show security personnel.

Gorgeous ball gowns, champagne and celebrities...
In 1976, the NAIAS began hosting the Charity Preview black-tie gala. That year the event raised $15,000 dollars for children’s charities. In 2008, the Charity Preview raised $6 million. Since 1989 the Charity Preview has raised more than $76 million for southeastern Michigan children's charities -- $33 million of which was raised in the last five years alone. Like many things NAIAS, Charity Preview has evolved into a star-studded affair that is the one place to see and be seen in Detroit.

Each year, the Charity Preview and the NAIAS host many local, national and worldwide celebrities. In the past R&B Singer Kelis; legendary DJ Funk Master Flex; veteran artists Hall & Oates; Celine Dion, Comedians Steve Harvey and Tommy Davidson; Kevin Bacon; Kid Rock; Jay Leno; Veronica Webb; Tony Danza; Jeff Daniels; The Apprentice star Omarosa; and TV Host Rachel Ray; have attended the black tie event.

Source: NAIAS.com

 

:: Return to Our Coverage of the 2009 NAIAS ::

 

Once again, AmericaJR.com will Broadcast LIVE from the 2009 North American International Auto Show Press Preview Days and Industry Preview Days. Read our Press Release.

We will bring you the most comprehensive coverage ever with interviews, reviews and the best pictures around. It's all from AmericaJR.com -- Detroit's #1 Website with The BEST Coverage. Period.

This page was last updated on Sat, December 6, 2008 2:41 PM

 

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