Four years is a long time to sit and wait.
But that’s what Vancouver-area car shoppers have had to do from the one-two punch of the pandemic, followed by a slow return to full participation in auto shows by the manufacturers.
Now, the Vancouver International Auto Show is back in business. The 2024 event is organized by the New Car Dealers Association of BC (NCDA) and runs from March 20-24 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in British Columbia.
“We are thrilled to be back,” said Blair Qualey, NCDA President and CEO. “Having a chance to get the show back after a four-year hiatus is terrific. The presale of tickets is off the charts. We are hoping the example set by Montreal and Toronto for such strong attendance will happen here.”
Todd Phillips, Editor of Canadian auto dealer, talks to Blair Qualey, NCDA, about the return of the Vancouver auto show.
In terms of how B.C. dealers feel about the return of the show, Qualey said: “For the ones whose brands are here — it’s great news. For the ones whose brands aren’t here — dealers are a little frustrated. We are hoping that after the show’s over the attendance figures will create a fear of missing out,” he said.
“It’s not as strong as we’d like, but we have 30 strong brands and a real cross-section of offerings for consumers and car lovers and enthusiasts.”
David Adams, President and CEO of the Global Automakers of Canada; Blair Qualey, President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC; Tim Reuss, President and CEO of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association; and Brian Kingston, President and CEO of the Canadian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association. All toured the Vancouver auto show.
The organizers re-branded the event, Elevate, to reflect the re-imagining of the show to create a better consumer experience for attendees. In the new logo the letters VA are offset with a different colour to tie back to the former name as the Vancouver Auto Show.
Show organizers say the show is one of western Canada’s best-attended consumer events. And this year’s event features more than 200 vehicles from 30 different manufacturers displaying their models in 220,000 plus square feet of exhibit space.
Apart from the mainstream car makers, this year’s event featured luxury supercars and exotics, classics, over-landers and everything in between, according to the event organizers.
During the media tour, writers, photographers and videographers got a chance to get a sneak preview of the show before it opened to the public, and heard from manufacturer representatives about the models they had on display at this year’s event.
At the show, the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) also announced the winners in three categories:
The BMW 5th-Generation Electric Drive System won AJAC’s Best Green Innovation award, the Volvo EX90 Safety Suite received the award for Best Safety Innovation, and the Range Rover Sport SV 6D Dynamics Suspension was voted Best Technical Innovation.
A representative from AJAC was on hand to make the announcement, and also to showcase the other AJAC Car of the Year winners announced earlier this year.
CADA President and CEO Tim Reuss, and Robert Muller, Deputy CEO of Sales, VinFast Canada. The VinFast booth was displaying a “Franchise Opportunities for Dealers” banner prominently as the company moves to a dealership model in Canada.
After the Media Day came the Vancouver International Auto Show VIP Preview Gala, which took place for the first time on the show floor of the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The Preview Gala featured awards ceremonies for the CleanBC Green Star and Salespeople of the Year Award.
The VIP Preview Industry Gala is considered BC’s largest automotive celebration, where attendees will find dealer and associate members, manufacturers, government, media, and friends of the NCDA gather together to celebrate the auto sector.
This year’s participating brands included: GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Ford, Lincoln, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, Nissan, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, VinFast, Polestar, Tesla, Rivian, Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley, Aston Martin, McLaren, Ferrari, Maserati, and more.
The auto show launches to the public today.
At a press event today, Josie Osborne, the province’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy were to make an announcement about expanding B.C.’s electric highway.