The Montreal Worldwide Auto Present received the truncated 2023 Canadian present circuit off to a “convincing” begin, attracting a 10-day whole of 148,516 guests.
The occasion, which passed off Jan. 20, 2023 via Jan. 29, 2023, was smaller, taking over solely one of many typical three flooring of the Palais des congress, and numbers had been down from the 2020 attendance of 183,149, in line with the present’s web site. However MIAS Govt Director Luis Pereira mentioned the present achieved its objectives.
“Regardless of three snow days and fewer employees downtown, individuals got here out,” he mentioned.
“We hope the convincing variety of guests will affect the producers current to resume their participation subsequent 12 months and rally those that had been absent. From our facet, we are able to say that it’s mission achieved.”
Though some producers had been lacking, together with domestics like Ford and Stellantis, MIAS had greater than 220 autos on show, together with “the biggest variety of inexperienced and unique autos ever offered in a basic public exhibition,” Pereira mentioned.
“We had 67 EVs and an EV check drive characteristic which drew plenty of curiosity as did a show of 20 unique autos from a non-public assortment which had been price about $36 million.”
That show alone took up the area left by Ford, he mentioned.
“Individuals in Quebec are obsessed with their automobiles and passionate concerning the auto present,” he added. “They had been completely satisfied simply having the present again.”
Present spokesman Bertrand Godin mentioned the occasion gave individuals who have been ready for a automobile “the possibility to admire, really feel and contact the one they ordered for the very first time. These are households and mates who took benefit of the present to stay their ardour for automobiles collectively. That’s what automotive exhibits are all about.”
Jim Scott, Normal Motors Canada’s sponsorship and auto present supervisor, mentioned it was “incredible to see such massive and enthusiastic crowds.”
“We…are extraordinarily happy in our determination to assist this 12 months’s version. After a two-year pause it was nice to once more current our Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac lineup to the Montreal neighborhood and to assist our GM sellers in Quebec.”
Whereas some guests had been disenchanted on the absence of some producers, “we see the 2023 version’s enthusiasm in mild,” mentioned Denis Dessureault, MIAS govt vice-president. “Quebec customers are obsessed with automobiles, and we’ll proceed to work to create occasions which are definitely worth the detour. We actually felt that individuals had been completely satisfied to have the occasion again.”
Pereira mentioned one other success was the variety of downloads of a brand new cellular utility. “Greater than 13,300 individuals had been launched to Sam, the Auto Present information and the ‘glove compartment’ choice that shops related info for the consumer.
“This was a check 12 months for MIAS which desires to supply a cellular utility that’s totally different from anything supplied within the commerce present business,” mentioned Pereira. “We’re proud of the outcomes and the entire group is already filled with concepts for subsequent 12 months.”