La capsula Informativa: Lights, Camera and Action at the New York International Auto Show
Next up was Hyundai, which revealed the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric and gas variants. Here again, the Korean automaker’s stand was packed with media and industry attendees.
I proceeded to Kia and got a seat to get ahead of the media and relax a bit. Kia unveiled its 2024 three-row EV9 that executives said will get 300 miles on a single charge and will serve as the brand’s flagship model when it goes on sale later this year.
From there, I was off to Nissan for a “coffee break.” Nissan did not hold a press conference. Instead, it had a coffee bar and was passing out bagels with a variety of cream cheese and other fillings – welcome and necessary fuel to get through the morning.
Finally, I got to Jeep – the second Stellantis press conference of the day – for the reveal of the updated Wrangler 4xe. At Wrangler, I once again arrived late and – because of the hundreds of media and industry attendees – could only see the video screen behind the executives and the vehicles.
The whole experience gave me hope. As a former journalist who used to live for the excitement of these shows and the access to high level executives, and now as a public relations professional who supports clients at shows like this, I yearn for the resurgence of vibrant, meaningful international auto shows.
But then, at about 1 p.m., the whole thing came to a screeching halt. The show floor started to empty, and the electric atmosphere receded to a low buzz. Just five hours after it began, the excitement, for the most part, was over.
In the pre-COVID years, back before the auto industry discovered it could efficiently reveal some vehicles virtually or could host their own private events for about the same amount of money with greater media impact, NYIAS – like its counterparts in Detroit and LA – was a full-fledged media extravaganza that began early in the morning, did not end until 5 p.m. and was accompanied by other private, off-site reveals the night before.
