NEWS RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Panza
Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
440.746.1500
Cleveland Auto Show reports strong double digit growth for 2011
March 9, 2011 -- The Cleveland Auto Show, presented by AutoTrader.com, registered strong double digit growth in 2011, when comparing this year’s attendance with the 2010 show.
“We are very pleased that we registered box office growth of over 13 percent in 2011 over 2010,” said Louis A Vitantonio, Jr., president of the Cleveland Auto Show. “However, the true measure of the success of the Cleveland Auto Show will always be its positive impact on local auto sales and its importance to the kickoff of the spring auto selling season in Northern Ohio.”
“We are obviously very pleased with the crowds at this year’s Cleveland Auto Show,” said William Burke, of Spitzer Management, who was also chairman of the 2011 Cleveland Auto Show. “Despite some intense weather, we were still able to attract large crowds.
“Not only that, but people who attended seemed to be in a better mood. You could tell they weren’t just window shopping but actually looking at cars they were interested in owning.”
This year’s Cleveland Auto Show featured more than 1,000 production and concept vehicles from more than 40 different car manufacturers. In addition, the Show featured more interactive Ride-N-Drive events than in years past, including events from: Jeep, Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, GMC, Kia, Subaru and Toyota. The Show also saw the return of the Saab, Infiniti and Fiat brands.
During the Show, gasoline prices started to spike. The increases, however, may have actually helped increase traffic at the Show.
“This year’s Show featured more vehicles that focused on improving fuel economy or the use of electricity or alternative fuels,” said Vitantonio. “I’m sure that consumers are not only concerned about fuel economy, but there is also lot of pent-up demand in the marketplace. That caused a lot of people to come out and shop the Show.”
Local dealers already are enjoying a strong year. “If this year’s Show has its traditional positive impact on the local automotive marketplace, it should be a very strong start to the spring automotive selling season here in Northern Ohio,” added Burke.
About the Cleveland Auto Show
The Cleveland Auto Show, presented by AutoTrader.com, marks the start of the spring selling season in Northern Ohio. This year’s show runs from February 26th through March 6th, 2011. Featuring concept, pre- production and production vehicles from the world’s auto manufacturers, the show is held annually at the I-X Center with nearly 1.2 million square feet of exhibits, with free parking compliments of your new motor vehicle dealer. The Show also features an array of entertainment including sports celebrity appearances from the Browns, Cavs and OSU and NASCAR. The Cleveland Auto Show is a consumer show and a favorite family tradition since 1903. Buy tickets online at www.clevelandautoshow.com.
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