Chicago Auto Show

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The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Place convention complex. It is the largest auto show in North America (1.2 million sq. ft - 111,200 m²., with over 1,000 vehicles on display) and the third largest in the world (Frankfurt is #1 and Paris is #2, although those shows are held every other year). The Chicago Auto Show has lately seen a growing number of important introductions, and in 2007 will join the list of shows sanctioned by the OICA Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles.

The Chicago Auto Show, first produced in 1901, has been staged more times than any other auto show in North America and continues to be one of the most well attended in the world. Over one million visitors attend each year.

Due to the vast amount of space available, several auto manufacturers have implemented creative uses of their exhibit space in recent years. For example, at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show, Pontiac and Chrysler hosted free concerts at their exhibits. The BoDeans and OK Go are among those who performed at Pontiac's stage. Chrysler Group created the world's largest indoor test track and allowed attendees to test-drive their SUV's and trucks in extreme simulated conditions in 2005 and 2006. [1]