The Detroit Auto Show Is Canceled

Organizers of the Detroit Auto Show are scrambling to decide how to move forward now they don’t have access to their show venue. The show was set for two weeks in the middle of June. Over the weekend, organizers got word that the Federal Emergency Management Agency picked the TCF Center to house overflow patients from Detroit area hospitals that are becoming overwhelmed with virus patients.  The show had traditionally been held in January but was moved to the summer to be more consumer-focused. The announcement is another blow to Detroit's restaurant and hotel industries that are already reeling from the effects of the virus shutdown. The Detroit auto show draws thousands of visitors from around the globe to the downtown, infusing the regional economy with hundreds of millions of dollars. The next show will not be held until next June. The Army Corps is also looking at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center and two Wayne State University dormitories in Detroit as potential virus care centers. While the cancellation is unfortunate, an executive analyst for Autotrader, says it could conserve automakers' money which is in short supply right now. The automakers have shut down many of their manufacturing plants in North America because of the virus. They’re taking out loans, and putting projects on hold. GM even is deferring 20% of salaried workers' pay for up to six months with the intention of repaying them with interest later this year or early next.