ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., March 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There was not the usual-sized crowd at Portland's International Auto Show February 6-9, but the people who did show up were the quintessential core auto show visitors…magnified.
Foresight Research, experts in auto show marketing, reported that the Portland Auto Show attendance was down by a wide margin versus 2013 due to an unprecedented ice storm that caused local officials to encourage people not to leave their homes. "Many people did brave the elements to get to the show," said Steve Bruyn, CEO of Foresight, "and those auto show visitors were the A-list combination of shoppers and influencers."
Portland's car influencers – those people who give recommendations to 6 or more people about vehicles - were three times more likely to be at the show than in the local population…a higher incidence than any auto show Foresight has ever measured. Almost three-fourths of the show visitors regularly attend the auto show which also indicates that they are real car buffs. Finally, men represented almost 75% of the visitors, and men are usually around 60% of attendees at auto shows. It's just the really hard core car buffs/influencers that made it to this show, and those do happen to be men.
Shoppers were in evidence as well. Over two thirds of people who visited the show plan to buy a car in the next 12 months or less compared with just over one quarter in the local market. 64% of show visitors said they were there for shopping, though a majority of those stated they were equally drawn to the show for fun.
"This weather can make or break any event," said Bruyn, "but despite the small draw of people, the Portland Auto Show got the right people in the door."
About Foresight Research – www.foresightresearch.com
Foresight Research specializes in syndicated and custom studies focusing on the key influencers of purchase decisions in automotive and marine industries. Since 2008, Foresight Research publishes several syndicated reports each year that provide information, strategies and best practices to help auto companies and their partners build, frame, and support marketing insights and actions.