It’s the end of a massively successful Vancouver International Auto Show where a new attendance record was achieved, its strongest yet. Over the course of five days, more than 120,000 car and truck enthusiasts made the trek to Convention Centre West – five-thousand more than the 2017 event, which ran an additional day longer.
The Auto Show was a hive of activity, as people from throughout the Pacific Northwest flocked to see the newest models, concepts and to catch a glimpse of the flashy exotic cars in this year’s roster. It also featured the unveiling of several vehicles, a historical first for the Show, including the Koenisegg Agera RS and debuts of the Hyundai Kona Electric, BMW X4 and Toyota Corolla hatchback
The Vancouver International Auto Show is an event that every member of the auto industry (clarify??) looks forward to, and the public response to the industry’s flagship event has been record-breaking.
The Show itself was physically larger this year than ever before, encompassing the entire Convention Centre West on two levels.
In concert with the event, a new study prepared by MNP entitled The Economic Impact of Members of the New Car Dealers Association of BC was released, outlining just how important the auto industry is to the provincial economy. Key findings include the fact that the automotive sector is now the second largest retail category in B.C., second only to food and beverage sales (based on 2017 data).
New car dealers in the province generated over $16 Billion in retail sales in B.C. last year, an 85 per cent increase since 2010. New vehicles sold in B.C. increased from approximately 157,000 units in 2010 to 237,000 in 2017. In addition, the industry contributed $2.9 Billion of total GDP in 2017, while generating $675 million in total revenue to all three levels of government.
The study also compared the economic impact of new car dealers in BC with other key provincial industries and found that the employment generated by dealerships is equivalent to the employment associated with the construction of 10,000 to 11,000 new homes – or the employment generated equal to the filming of a full season of 30 to 35 high-end television productions.
The 2018 international Auto Show also highlighted for visitors, career opportunities in the auto sector.
Employment at new car dealerships increased 22 per cent between 2010 to 2017. Last year, new car dealerships were responsible for some 30,000 family-supporting jobs across the province.
The range of employment available in the industry is also unlimited. From careers in marketing and finance to technicians and sales, the auto industry is a great option for anyone looking for a career in a sector that is at the forefront of technology.
The Vancouver International Auto Show is the event of the year for those of us lucky enough to be closely involved in the auto industry. And while the curtain may have closed on the 2018 event, work is already underway to ensure 2019 is even bigger and better.
The 2019 Vancouver International Auto Show is slated to return to the Vancouver Convention Centre March 19-24.
Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at [email protected].
