The Detroit Auto Show 2020 has been cancelled

The Chicago Auto Show, the Geneva Auto Show, and now the Detroit Auto Show, all extremely well acclaimed and much to look forward events, have all been cancelled. These events would house a large number of people, and this is something that cannot be allowed, as Covid 19 is an extremely highly communicable disease, and all it takes is one individual who has it, to spread it to those around who are attending the show.

Even the New York International Auto Show has been postponed from April to August of this year, and for the event to take place in August, we can only hope that by then we have gained some sort of control over this pandemic. Currently Covid has taken over 34,017 lives and it has also led to industries across the world to stop production, motorsports events have been postponed, sports events have been postponed, all in all, Covid 19 has stopped derailed our lives.

Motor companies would have been at loggerheads with one another by sporting their newest technologies, futuristic capabilities and dazzling designs, had the Detroit Auto Show taken place, but due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the event had to be cancelled. This event would have taken place at the TCF centre between the 9th and 20th June, however, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has decided that this venue is required by them, and that they would utilise this space as a hospital to treat the many Covid 19 patients.

The NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) will accept this cancellation with a pinch, but at the end of the day, this is the socially responsible step, which will result in the betterment and care of individuals, thus making it the right decision. As you read this, Michigan has recorded more than 5500 cases of Coronavirus with 132 deaths, which shows that the cases are increasing, and any public events of this nature need to be cancelled, to help reduce the spread. FEMA has also taken over the venue of the New York Auto Show, and will work with the National Guard to use it as hospital for Covid 19 patients.

On the other hand the financial consequences of cancelling an event like this are quite gruesome, as this event normally would attract more than 700,000 viewers, furthermore, the event itself would provide the the regional economy with an extremely large sum of capital. As the event has had to be scrapped this year, the organisers of the Detroit Auto Show have assured refunds for the people who bought tickets to attend the show. Rod Alberts, the executive director of this auto show expresses his disappointment on the event being cancelled, but he considers the health, safety and well-being of the people of Detroit and Michigan more important.

This reaction is commendable, and I believe, if we all could move past monetary gains for now, and focus on helping one another, we will beat this pandemic. Money can be made again in the future, but the lives lost now, will remain lost forever. The NAIAS has confirmed that the show will return in 2021, and we hope that not only them, but the rest of the events which have been cancelled, find a way to come back stronger and put up their shows.

Stay safe readers. Let’s take social distancing seriously. Let’s respect the efforts of everyone and do our best to control the spread!