Executives from the German automakers held an impromptu meeting to decide if they should continue to place an emphasis on the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, according to the Detroit Free Press. Just days before the NAIAS was to open to the public, BMW, Mercedes, and VW reps discussed whether they should move their U.S. focus to the Los Angeles show instead.
Any substantive reduction in presence at the NAIAS would be a huge blow to the show's organizers. The German car companies spend a great deal of cash on elaborate displays, while bringing in large numbers of executives and journalists who spend money across Detroit.
But execs want to shift from the archaic - and very expensive - Cobo to the up-to-date Staples Center in LA. BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen have a tacit agreement to work unanimously when deciding their auto show presence. For now the three companies have agreed to show a large presence in Detroit for the 2010 NAIAS.
However, with every company reexamining their marketing plans in light of the current economy, it is likely the three companies will discuss moving to Los Angeles again.
