Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Show cancelled again, will go virtual

After canceling last year’s event because of the COVID-19 shutdown, the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association had hoped to get this year’s annual auto show “back on the road again.”

But with ongoing pandemic concerns, the association has announced that it will be canceling this year’s event as well.

GLVADA said in a statement that it was informed by Lehigh University, where the auto show is held each year, that the school would not be allowing outside events to be held on campus this spring, leading them to cancel.

The show had been scheduled to take place March 12 to March 16 with a theme of “back on the road again.”

“Our dealers planned to follow all state and local guidelines, and had put in place extra measures so that they could safely present a show,” said Tom Kwiatek, executive director. “However, we understand Lehigh’s first responsibility is to its students and so we must abide by the university’s decision.”

Instead of a live event this year, GLVADA will be taking the route many organizations have over the past year and hosting a virtual event.

The virtual event will begin with a 30-minute television program created by WFMZ-TV featuring videos supplied by the manufacturers.

Those will be coupled with local dealer interviews highlighting the new 2021 vehicles and products available on dealers’ lots.

The program will air during the second week in May and will be broadcast multiple times.

The program will be followed by a web-based buyer’s guide that will be available on both the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association website: glvada.org and WFMZ-TV’s website: wfmz.com.

The buyers guide will feature shorter videos by local dealers highlighting vehicles in individual market segments.

Dealers’ websites will be linked to these segments so that customers can learn more or schedule appointments to see vehicles in person.

GLVADA said it plans to hold a live Lehigh Valley Auto Show next year, with the event scheduled to return March 16 to March 20 in 2022.