Nissan North America Inc. has pulled out of the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, The Chicago Tribune reported on Monday. The event (No. 1 on our Top Tradeshows & Conventions list) will take place at McCormick Place in February and typically draws a crowd of "a million car aficionados," according to the report.
Earlier this month, Nissan showcased its new products at the Los Angeles Auto Show. But company spokesman Alan Buddendeck told The Tribune that this year's "extraordinary market conditions" called for the automaker to "take a fresh look at its marketing strategy and tactics" and scale back on spending by skipping the Chicago show.
Local auto show producers are prepared to push back. "We are not done with this," said Jerry Cizek, president of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association. "Chicago is too important for Nissan North America ... not to be in the show." Cizek added that while some car manufacturers have downsized the scale of their exhibits this year, Nissan is the only company to have backed out at this point.
The Detriot Auto Show, however, will take place in January and has already seen five major automakers—including Nissan, Ferrari, and Rolls-Royce—pull out.
