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Tag: Lehigh Valley Auto Show

Lehigh Valley Auto Show set for March

Dan Moyer, executive director of the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association, offers details on the 2023 Lehigh Valley Auto Show. –

The Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association is getting ready for the 2023 Lehigh Valley Auto Show. 

The show will be held on Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus and will run March 22 to March 26. 

This is the 24th year of the Auto Show and this year it will feature over 145,000 square feet of new cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs, trucks, and motorcycles in four venues: Stabler Athletic and Convocation Center, Rauch Fieldhouse, a Custom/Tuner Pavilion, and Goodman Hall.  

Highlights of this year’s show include a racing simulator, an appearance by Lehigh Valley Phantoms players and their mascot and a performance by O’Grady Quinlan Irish Dancers. 

The chair of this year’s auto show is Keith Muir, vice president of Star Buick GMC. 

The Lehigh Valley Auto Show is designed to allow the consumer to check out vehicles in a pressure-free environment. The product specialists at each manufacturer space are simply there to answer any questions and not sell vehicles.    

 The organization also supports local charities. In 2022 GLVADA and its dealers gave back over 1.1 million dollars to organizations in the Lehigh Valley.   

 

Lehigh Valley Auto Show is back, featuring latest industry trends

The Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association is gearing up for the next Lehigh Valley Auto Show starting March 16, the first one held since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As usual, the show will be held at Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus. It will feature 125,000 square feet of new cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs, trucks and motorcycles in three venues: Stabler Athletic and Convocation Center, Rauch Fieldhouse and Goodman Hall.  

But there will be changes for this year. 

Because of Lehigh University guidelines, masks must be worn at the event. 

Also, for the first time, the show will be a five-day event and all sales will be online only. There will be no physical tickets and no cash will be accepted.   

Show costs are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 +), $8 for children (6-14), and $30 for a family four-pack. Children five and under receive free admission. Tickets may be purchased online at glvada.org. 

Hours have been expanded and the Wednesday evening preview fundraising gala will not be held to accommodate more people safely for regular ticket sales. This year the auto show will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Sunday’s hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

Since the he show has not been held since the pandemic began, it will highlight a number of changes in the industry since then. 

The chair of this year’s auto show, Keith Muir, vice president of Star Buick GMC, said those highlights include increasing electrification as well as a continuing shift from sedans to SUVs and pickup trucks.  

He also noted that the scarcity of raw materials and inventory has resulted in long wait times for vehicles and increasing prices for both dealers and consumers.  

“At the end of 2021, a typical new vehicle cost $45,000, up about $8,000 from December 2020 according to industry data. Even the auto show itself is feeling these shortages. Our show has always had a mix of manufacturer and dealer provided displays. This year our dealers are pitching in even more and are providing inventory so that this show will be the kind of experience you are used to having.” 

Tom Kwiatek, executive director of the association, said some of the show’s highlights will include an Electrification Station to promote electric vehicles and help patrons understand charging operations and units.  

The State of Pennsylvania will exhibit its plans for charging stations on state highways. Other exhibitors include contractors and information on home charging options and pricing. A Ride and Drive Program will also be featured in the parking lot in front of Rauch Fieldhouse, featuring Audi and several other manufacturers, to give attendees an opportunity to drive electric vehicles. 

 

Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Show cancelled again, will go virtual

The 2021 Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Show at Lehigh University in Bethlehem has been canceled. It will be held virtually instead. PHOTO/FILE

 

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.

2021 Lehigh Valley Auto Show to be held in May

The 2021 Lehigh Valley Auto Show will be held in May. PHOTO/FILE

 

After nixing the 2020 Lehigh Valley Auto Show, which was set to be held at the start of the COVID-19 shutdown, the Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association is playing it safer in 2021 and moving the show to May.

The association announced the shift along with extra measures to ensure health and safety.

Originally the show was to run March 17 through the 21st. Instead it will be held May 12 through the 16th on the Goodman Campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

COVID-19 related changes include the elimination of the preview night gala. The Association said that will leave additional time slots for the public to see the show.

Tickets for the event, which will be themed “On the Road Again,” will be available for purchase online only and will be for a specific date and time to help manage crowds.

Current plans are to limit capacity to 250 people at a time, but may change based on whatever is allowed by the state at the time.

There will be temperature checks at the entrances to the event conducted by nursing students from Moravian College.

A special mask program has been created by the auto dealers, featuring manufacturer logos and dealer websites.

Masks will be mandatory, however these special masks, which will be available at no charge at Lehigh Valley new car dealerships, come with a little added incentive.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the show’s mega screens and Jumbotron will feature one of these masks on a random rotating basis. If an attendee is wearing the featured mask, that person will win a gift certificate to a local restaurant and be automatically entered into a drawing for a new car.

Tickets for Friday through Sunday are $10 per person for adults, $7 for seniors fifty-five plus and children six to fourteen years of age. Children five and under are free.

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