The Montreal International Auto Show (SIAM) is a go, set to take place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal from Jan. 21-30, 2022.
The show is presented by Desjardins Assurances, in collaboration with the Journal de Montréal. According to a survey by SIAM, there is interest in attending a live show. The team is working on planning an event that will be accessible to all attendees who present a valid vaccination passport.
“Based on our survey results, we believe in the importance of presenting the 2022 Auto Show for car enthusiasts but not all manufacturers will be present,” said Luis Pereira, Executive Director. “We estimate that more than half of the brands will be participating. The manufacturers who withdrew their participation in all the major Canadian auto shows have justified their decision on vehicle shortages and weak sales.”
He said the team is working to present a smaller-scale edition—one that will still respect its essence, which is to present new models from participating automakers, and an Electric Zone to discover the latest technological advances and special attractions.
SIAM conducted the survey between Oct. 26-31, 2021 with participants that attended the show during the last few years, and took note of their intention to attend the 2022 event. The findings point to 32% of survey respondents that plan to attend the event, 36% that very likely will attend, and 17% that will likely attend.
Only 8% said they were very unlikely to attend, while 7% will not. The reasons for not attending the event are primarily pandemic-related (fear of crowds, the vaccine passport, wearing a mask, etc.)—this for 46%. Another 27% said they do not need to change their vehicle, 7% mentioned the price of the ticket as a reason, and 7% the parking.
For those planning to attend the show, 16% are either interested in test driving an electric vehicle, or in visiting the show to reserve a test drive at a dealership near the attendee. And 25% are seriously considering buying a fully electric vehicle as their next purchase, while 17% are eyeing a hybrid model.
Thirty-three per cent said the Montreal auto show was the ideal place to evaluate their options from the different OEMs that are present.
An update regarding the full lineup, ticket sales, media accreditation, and OEM participation will be released at the end of November.
