Organizers of the Canadian International AutoShow have until early fall to decide whether the country’s largest consumer trade show will proceed as a live event during the pandemic or move entirely online.
“We will have an event in 2021,” said David McClean, CIAS director of marketing. “The technology exists today to build a virtual platform that allows [the public] to experience the manufacturers’ brands in a virtual environment.
"This ... could further be connected to a physical experience, either concurrently or later on.”
CIAS was developing digital options before COVID-19 and will be ready to host a virtual event on the scheduled dates of Feb. 12-21, McClean said. The development is taking place while assessing the viability of the show’s traditional format, he said.
An in-person Toronto show will hinge on the ability to balance visitor safety, government-imposed gathering limits and distancing requirements with cost reductions for automakers…