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MEETING PLACES BRITISH COLUMBIA 2020 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER
REVVING TO 100 Celebrating the centennial of the Vancouver International Auto Show FRANK O’BRIEN
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he 2020 Vancouver International Auto Show, scheduled for March 25-29 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West, will be a very special occasion as the New Car Dealers Association of BC and its members mark the 100th anniversary of Western Canada’s best-attended trade and consumer event, which is expected to draw in excess of 115,000 visitors this year. Included in the centennial celebration will be a special procession of vehicles, representing each decade of the show’s existence, winding its way through the streets of Vancouver and ending at the Vancouver Convention Centre West to officially open the show. The auto show has invited many icons in the global automotive sector to elevate the experience. The honorary 100th auto show chairman and grand marshall of the procession will be none other than Jim Pattison, one of the most impactful contributors to Canada’s auto sector. Other highlights will include a concourse-style invitational showcase that will include more than 60 unique and exotic vehicles, some never previously displayed. A “Look to the Future” display will profile emerging and advanced auto technology options. Of course organizers are working to ensure there will be additional surprises to catch the eyes of auto lovers. Over the years the Vancouver International Auto Show has become a staple of the automobile
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industry and a signature event in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Since 1920, when it all started in the barns at the Pacific National Exhibition fairgrounds, car and truck lovers have gathered en masse to view the latest models, concept vehicles and supercars, while also travelling down memory lane to revisit vehicles of the past. An increasingly popular feature at the auto show is the expanded electric vehicle ride and drive event, presented by CleanBC – Go Electric, and a variety of alternative-powered vehicles represented on the show floor – from electric, hybrid and hydrogen-fuel cell to gas, diesel and propanepowered vehicles. The auto show remains an important part of the automobile shopping experience, according to Foresight Research. While data specific to Canadian auto shows is not available, Foresight measured 57 auto shows in 50 markets in the U.S. What it found was that nearly two out of three attendees surveyed were in the market to purchase
Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC, at the Vancouver Convention Centre West: this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Vancouver International Auto Show •
CHUNG CHOW
2019-11-13 12:37 PM