How Companies Can Turn the Detroit Auto Show into Media Opportunities That Were Nearly Unattainable in the Past

Key Takeaways:

• The Detroit Auto Show no longer revolves around nonstop automaker vehicle reveals which has created space for suppliers tech companies and mobility firms to earn meaningful media attention.
• Industry and local media still attend the show in force and are actively looking for news insights and access to executives.
• Events like the Mobility Global Forum, hospitality suites and Charity Preview offer underused platforms for companies to showcase leadership technology and forward-looking perspectives.
• Companies can succeed by applying standard media best practices including featuring senior executives and delivering clear newsworthy messages.

Reflecting on the 2026 Detroit Auto Show last month, I see a renewed opportunity for automotive suppliers, tech companies and others who may have struggled for visibility in the show’s past.  

There was a time, back when I was an auto reporter for the Detroit Free Press, when I would tell communications professionals that I really did not have any spare time to talk to their CEO, or attend a press conference, or even meet for coffee. 

Back then, news at the North American International Auto Show was dominated by automakers who would reveal upwards of 40 never before seen vehicles at press conferences over a 1–2-day period.  

Public relations professionals who represented multi-billion-dollar Tier One suppliers were often flabbergasted when I would turn down offers to interview their global CEO or tell them I would much rather do an interview in a few weeks, but not during the show because it actually was the worst week for any automotive company other than an automaker to try to announce news. 

But today? Times have changed dramatically. While Ford hosted a Bronco press event that included Jim Farley and Bill Ford and Stellantis held a media briefing with global CEO Antonio Filosa at the show, automakers are not driving the news the way they have in the past. 

Today, automakers prefer to reveal new vehicles at their own events and dominate a news cycle rather than compete for a slice of attention during a jam-packed auto show media day. Reporters who have been around the industry for years complain about this and have been posting photos in recent weeks from memorable past press conferences that are filled with nostalgia for the good old days when there were back-to-back massive reveals. 

However – and this is the key point – a large contingent of the automotive industry press along with local media continues to attend the show – and they are looking for news. The show also continues to be an annual gathering place for networking and for getting caught up with the latest industry trends. 

This year, reporters from many media outlets were out in force to attend the North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) press conference and stayed for the featured fireside chat with former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during the Mobility Global Forum – the two-day industry conference that now takes place on the Huntington Place Show floor. 

The content of the discussions during the forum was strong – it was filled with smart industry players that offered great insights into the next 12-18 months. This year, three of our clients participated in the forum either as panelists or moderators or sponsors – and our clients have also participated in the past. 

But what the forum did not provide – aside from remarks from Buttigieg and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer – was much in the way of news. What this means is there is a real opportunity for suppliers or other mobility companies to grab the spotlight either by participating in in the forum – or by holding a press conference as part of the show in some other way. 

I also believe show organizers have an opportunity to build the Mobility Global Forum into an even more significant industry event in the coming years. Here’s why: 

• The show takes place at the start of the year, when both the media and the public are hungry for news and information about what the industry should expect in the coming year. 

• Unlike in the past, when Automotive News Congress was held immediately after the show, organizers do not face any direct competition. Some may argue that CES is a competitor, but most of the Michigan companies that participate in CES do so through major press conferences, booths and displays rather than as speakers.  

Another opportunity for a number of suppliers and mobility companies are the hospitality rooms that are available during the show. These rooms can be an opportunity for suppliers to not only display technology for customers, but also to host media interested in checking out the latest innovations. 

Years ago, I occasionally visited supplier hospitality suites during the show but rarely had time to write stories based on those visits. This year, media that attended the show would have had more time for similar visits. Local TV stations would appreciate the opportunity to showcase technology and industry media has more time than in the past to meet with executives. 

But here is the catch – all of the best practices that are true for any media event still apply to the Detroit Auto Show. To successfully attract media attention and coverage you still need a high-level executive announcing news or, at a minimum, providing newsworthy thoughts and insights about industry trends and challenges. 

As one prominent automotive journalist told me a few months ago an event hosted by a Tier 1 supplier, “If a CEO of one of these major companies is speaking somewhere and saying something important, I need to make it my business to be here.”  

Another opportunity is Charity Preview – the Detroit Auto Show’s glamorous black-tie event for charity prior to the public show. This year, both media sponsors – WXYZ and WJR-AM – conducted dozens of interviews with industry leaders, politicians and community leaders. 

I stood on the sidelines as I watched WXYZ interview Ford CEO Jim Farley and Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. Over at WJR-AM’s booth, the station interviewed Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, Detroit Auto Show Executive Director Sam Klemet, and Parade Co. President & CEO Tony Michaels.  

These Charity Preview interviews are typically quick, light-hearted and are great opportunities for any major company or politician to get positive messaging – especially for the year to come – on prominent local media outlets. 

So here’s the bottom line: The Detroit Auto Show has now morphed into more of a regional auto show designed to appeal to the public. There are far fewer global vehicle reveals and global automaker CEOs – but these changes provide others with media opportunities that were nearly impossible to achieve in the past. 

Brent Snavely is Vice President of Media Relations at Franco. Connect with him on LinkedIn.