The North American International Auto Show has announced that starting in 2020; the Detroit event will be held in June.
The show released a statement early Monday morning announcing the show will start June 8, 2020, to take advantage of the warmer weather.
"Moving the show to the summer opens up new opportunities for companies as well as creating new experiences for attendees," says Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.
The Detroit Auto Dealers Association, which operates the show, says it held hundreds of meetings with automakers, suppliers, government leaders, heads of industry, and sponsors before announcing the change.
"Windsor-Essex shows better in the summer than it does in January," says Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. "I think people appreciate the water and being on the riverfront and the excitement that both communities offer in the summer season."
The mayor says hotel capacity in Windsor won't be a problem to accommodate all the visitors. He says tourists should be well looked after between Detroit and Windsor hotels.
Speculation ran high earlier this year that the January show would move to October. Reports first appeared in the Wall Street Journal, although Crain's Detroit Business Automotive News quoted an unnamed person close to the discussions.
In 2019, the public show will start Saturday, January 19, wrapping up the following Sunday, January 27.
The show attracts thousands of spectators every year and has been held on and off in January for decades to coincide with the launch of new models. This past January, it attracted 809,000 spectators.