CHICAGO — The Chicago Auto Showwhich was held from February 11 to 20 in McCormick Square in Chicago, crowned his 115th edition with a 52% increase in attendance over 2022, with 300,000 attendees flocking to the show, which spanned more than one million square feet, to experience all things automotive.
“We have returned to a two-hall show in 2023, which is a testament to the strength of the Chicago Auto Show from an exhibitor participation perspective,” Chicago Automobile Trade Association Chicago Auto Show President and CEO Jennifer Morand said. “Chicago Drives Electric’s brand new 100,000 square foot indoor test track also helped us transition back to a two-hall show. That track was three times the size of the VE indoor track in 2022.”
In total, the show featured eleven test tracks and test drives, giving attendees more opportunities than ever to test drive vehicles. Nearly 150,550 in-vehicle driving experiences took place over the ten-day show. Camp Jeep, which features an indoor track that includes a 28-foot climb and descent, celebrated its 3 millionth driver at the Chicago Auto Show, which recorded more than 600,000 of those rides.
“The positive feedback we received on social media from attendees at the 2021 summer show was more than ever,” Morand said. “We saw how much attendees enjoyed all the driving and riding opportunities, and it kept people at the show longer. So we took that feedback and brought all that excitement inside the 2023 Chicago Auto Show in the form of test tracks. The auto show is really moving, there’s so much activity going on.”
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Morand says the Chicago Auto Show has been able to use social media not only to gather feedback, but also to build loyalty. “We work closely with our exhibitors on the content we distribute on our social channels throughout the year. Their messages serve as a model for us throughout the year. Additionally, we use the 10-day Chicago Auto Show to generate story nuggets that we share with our fans for 365 days.”
Show exhibitors offered a variety of engaging activities for attendees, such as the Toyota Sports Festival, which gave people the chance to try hands-on Olympic activities. Subaru’s immersive National Parks exhibit featured hundreds of live plants, smells and sounds, and its daily dog adoption program found more than 50 forever homeless dogs. The craft beer tasting event, Friday Night Flights, attracted twice as many attendees as in 2020.
“The feedback from exhibitors has been incredible, exactly what a show organizer would like to hear. They report that expectations have been exceeded in terms of attendance, testing and tours. The sentiment is overwhelmingly positive and the show is strong post-pandemic,” Morand said.
The Chicago Auto Show is scheduled to return to McCormick Place from February 10-19, 2024, with the First Look for Charity event taking place on February 9, 2024.
Contact Jen Morand at (630) 424-6084 or jmorand@drivechicago.com