Auto Show Attendees Say Show is #1 Source for Deciding Car Purchase

Third Party Survey Reveals Important Consumer Data for Auto Industry

NEW YORK, Jan. 18 -- According to findings by a third-party research group, the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) continues to be one of the most effective marketing opportunities for automakers looking to move metal. In fact, nearly three quarters of attendees polled at the 2009 NYIAS said they are somewhat to extremely serious about purchasing or leasing a vehicle in the near future and that attending the Show significantly increased their purchase consideration.

The survey results were recently released by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA), the organization that owns and operates the New York International Auto Show. Following is a summary of the findings.

  Key Findings From Survey

  --  72% of attendees are somewhat to extremely serious about
      purchasing/leasing a brand new vehicle in the near future

  --  Among attendees, auto shows rank first as the most reliable source
      when making decisions to purchase/lease a brand new vehicle.  The
      Internet is considered the next most reliable source followed by:
      Consumer Reports, visiting a dealership, auto publications,
      friend/relative, TV advertising, newspaper advertising, and
      chatroom/blogs.

  --  Visiting the NYIAS significantly increased purchase consideration. 
      34% were extremely/very serious about purchasing/leasing a brand new
      vehicle before attending the show.  This percentage increased to 47%
      after the Show, a lift of 13 percentage points.

  --  93% of all attendees visited the specific manufacturers from which
      they would seriously consider purchasing.

  --  75% of attendees reported that they are more likely to purchase/lease
      from the manufacturers they are considering as a result of visiting
      their exhibit.

  --  91% of all attendees plan to take actions as a direct result of
      attending the NYIAS.

           -- 24% plan to purchase/lease a new vehicle
           -- 57% plan to visit a dealer for a test drive
           -- 51% plan to talk about/discuss cars seen at the Show
           -- 45% plan to research vehicles online
           -- 25% plan to recommend a vehicle to friends and family

"We've always known that the New York Auto Show has been an important marketing tool for automakers and a great 'one-stop shop' for consumers to see and touch all the latest vehicles," said show director Candida Romanelli.

"This survey digs deep into the minds of our visitors to find out why they are coming, what they expected to see, and what actions they are planning to take as a result of their visit. We are extremely pleased with the results, and look forward to continuing to provide one of the best marketing opportunities available to automakers," Romanelli concluded.

NY: The Nation's #1 DMA for Cars and Light Trucks

New York is the largest-attended auto show in the country and represents the nation's largest DMA (designated market area) for most automobile brands, representing 841,035 new retail registrations in 2008.

  Below are total new retail registrations in the top 5 DMAs for 2008.*

  -- New York                   841,035
  -- Los Angeles                599,320
  -- Chicago                    321,933
  -- Detroit                    315,299
  -- Philadelphia               305,827

NYIAS represents the largest vehicle market for 22 of the 35 major automobile brands: Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Volkswagen and Volvo.

NYIAS is the 2nd largest DMA for these brands: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Jaguar, Mercury, MINI, Pontiac, Porsche, Saab, Saturn and Toyota.

The only brand that is not #1 or #2 in New York DMA is Kia. *(Source: The Polk Company)

For a complete summary of the survey, e-mail chris@autoshowny.com.

The 2009 NYIAS attendee survey was administered by a third party, Exhibit Surveys, Inc., a NJ-based company with an automotive client base. Information obtained revealed extraordinary insight into the car-buying habits of NYIAS visitors and the importance of the Show in the vehicle purchase and deliberation process. Participants had to be over 18. Only one interview was obtained per family. In addition, show visitors spending less than two hours on the exhibit floor and those employed by an automotive manufacturer were excluded.