Two days after saying that this year’s New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) will push through, organizers of the event are walking back on that statement, and are now saying that they are moving the auto show to August of this year. A press release from the organizers states that the event has been postponed as a preventive measure to the spread of the Coronavirus. The show will now be held from August 28 to September 6 at the same venue, with press days scheduled for August 26 and 27 prior to the event. "We are taking this extraordinary step to help protect our attendees, exhibitors and all participants from the coronavirus," said Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, the organization that owns and operates the NYIAS. "For 120 years, 'the show must go on' has been heavily embedded in our DNA, and while the decision to move the show dates didn't come easy, our top priority remains with the health and well-being of all those involved in this historic event. We have already been in communication with many of our exhibitors and partners and are confident that the new dates for the 2020 Show will make for another successful event," Schienberg added. Annually, the NYIAS brings in an average of USD 330 million (approx. PHP 16.7 billion) in revenue, attesting to its huge impact on the local and state economies, as well as the thousands of individuals, groups and businesses benefiting from the show each year in terms of salary and profit. It also has a direct impact on the hundreds of thousands of consumers who attend the 10-day event and use the Auto Show to make decisions on their next vehicle purchase. “We are pleased with this new solution and would like to thank New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for accommodating this change of date,” the press release added. Some of the biggest debuts expected to happen at this year’s event include the Ford Bronco Sport and Volkswagen ID.4, among many other entries. The show’s organizers also reported a 17 percent increase in advance ticket sales compared to last year’s. NYIAS promises to provide more updates for the postponement in the following weeks.

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