Some automakers in recent years have begrudged auto shows as expensive and a poor return on their investment, but an industry analyst said they are using the wrong measuring stick and predicts auto shows will become even more important in the coming years.

"Auto shows are where consumers become aware of every innovation," Chris Stommel, president of Foresight Research, said in April in an Automotive News podcast, "Daily Drive." The company is a recognized expert in auto shows analysis. He said manufacturers that base the success of their auto show participation on cost alone are missing the bigger picture.

"Eleven million people attended an auto show in the U.S. before Covid, so the consumers are still coming," Stommel said. They willingly pay for parking and overpriced concessions to experience what essentially is a long car commercial. But the takeaway, he said, is that attendees often add brands to their purchase considerations.

Some automakers have been absent from U.S. auto shows for several years. Stommel said manufacturers in recent years have placed too much emphasis on the media coverage generated by their participation in auto shows and not enough on consumers and resulting sales numbers. 

"I think auto shows are suffering from a (manufacturer) perception problem," he said. "They are expensive, and the shift to public relations brought elaborate displays that exploded budgets. Some declared auto shows obsolete, but we take a completely different view at Foresight."

Stommel said consumers attend auto shows to see what’s available and to have their questions answered. He said: "Our data shows that things like ride-and-drives are very powerful. Anything to increase consumer awareness is a good thing."