[Germanauto]

Through the first weekend there were 185,000 people in attendance...down 30K from last year (which I believe was a near all-time high) but still a lot of people in attendance. Be mindful that this past weekend there was a snowstorm in the region making driving downtown very treacherous. Last year it was cold but sunny.

I braved the snow on opening day (this past Saturday) with very low expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. Yes it sucked not having my favorite brands there, but there was still plenty to see. It was worth the trip.

The crux of the problem lies in the internet/social media + Big 3's stronghold on the metro Detroit market + terrible January weather = the show organizers not adapting to changing times. They really needed to make this switch to June to hopefully get the Germans back in town.

Downtown Detroit has cleaned up significantly in recent years, with even some high end retailers like Lululemon and John Varvatos opening up stores and a slew of new fancy hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. It's no longer the total sh*thole it once was. The move to June in 2020 will give people the opportunity to explore all this.