New York Auto Show Shifts Into August 2021

After numerous postponements led up to a cancellation in 2020, the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) is coming back for 2021 — four months later than planned. On Tuesday, organizers announced that the event would be delayed until August to take advantage of planned expansions at the Javits Center providing additional room for vendors and guests.

Scheduling during the summer also gives it the best possible chance of existing for 2021. Many are worried New York City will reenact strict health protocols over the winter that could easily stretch into April, when NYIAS normally takes place. Depending upon how strict those mandates are, any sizable indoor event could be dubbed illegal by city officials.

“Looking at all the issues we’re facing, we have determined that moving the dates of the 2021 NYIAS to August is not only the responsible thing to do, but it puts us in a unique position to occupy the expanded Javits Center with an additional 100,000 square feet of new exhibit space on the main floor and much more,” Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, said in a prepared statement.

The upgrades should offer more options for organizers in case they need to implement social distancing. Of course, if that turns out to be unnecessary, it also increases the building’s maximum capacity by several thousand occupants and adds an opulent rooftop pavilion for the bigwigs and a cluster of new meeting rooms. There’s even a one-acre farm on the top floor to make the whole project seem greener than it actually is.

Speaking of which, the building will also be expanding its EV Test Track to give manufacturers additional opportunities to showcase their latest in exhaust-free driving products indoors. The area takes up 110,000 square feet by itself and yields an impressive seven turns, though we doubt anybody will be pushing the envelope in those corners since going off course likely means finding oneself inside a crowd of people.

Automotive trade shows have been shuffled (or canceled) throughout 2020 so it might not be in your best interest to assume NYIAS 2021 is a sure thing just yet. Detroit’s North American International Auto Show has gone from the dead of winter to June and has since settled on September for 2021. But it’s just one of many examples where organizers had to frantically play musical chairs to appease government officials or just chuck in the towel. As things currently stand, New York plans on moving forward at the Javits Center with a single press day on August 19th. Public days will begin immediately afterward, lasting until the 29th.

[Image: New York International Auto Show]