The 2020 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) has been canceled due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The show was initially set to take place in Detroit in June, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the convention centre (TCF Center) may now be repurposed into a temporary field hospital by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“Although we are disappointed, there is nothing more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of the citizens of Detroit and Michigan, and we will do what we can to support our community’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak,” said NAIAS Executive Director Rod Alberts.
He adds that more than 100 convention centres and facilities around the country are being considered as potential and temporary hospitals as COVID-19 continues to spread across the U.S. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention puts the number of cases at 122,653 as of March 29, mid-afternoon — but numbers are updated and confirmed only on weekdays.
The next NAIAS will take place in June 2021. In the meantime, show officials are discussing ideas for a fundraising activity later this year, for children’s charities that were designated as beneficiaries of the 2020 Charity Preview event.
“We know these organizations rely on the money raised at Charity Preview to fund many wonderful support services for the most vulnerable in our community,” said NAIAS Chairman Doug North. “With this in mind, we will be in touch with the charities in the near future to present some ideas.”
