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Why Auto Shows Still Matter with Andy Steinhauser · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  Welcome to Auto Collapse. You're listening to an exclusive series recorded live at Automobility LA 2025 in partnership with Cars Commerce.
• 0:08
  All right, we're on the ground at LA Auto Show with the man who makes it all happen, Andy Steinhauser, Director of Business Development. One of. Of. [laughs] Definitely don't, don't give it all away, my friend.
• 0:17
  So you're the only director of business development. And he's like, "Don't, no, it's not because I'm not. It's 'cause I'm not going to take that." [laughs] Yes.
• 0:22
  He's like, yeah, yeah, 'cause you, you take credit for the good stuff. That- Your throne is open- I don't-... to choke, right? Yes No, no. We're, we're, we're actually a small and mighty team.
• 0:31
  We have about a, uh, 10, 11 full-time employees, and then we obviously scale up prior to the show. But we are, uh, this is all that we do. We build this thing up, and here it is. And, you know, sometimes it even rains.
• 0:42
  [laughs] But the good news is- And that's fine. It's okay. It's fine. They, I was expecting sunshine. We got some sunshine yesterday. We, yeah, yesterday was spectacular. It was. Yeah. It was fantastic.
• 0:51
  This morning was great. It was beautiful outside. Yeah. The, the attendance was incredible. Yeah. The food, like, great job on the food trucks. Great execution. Thank you. Execution was great. That's all our president.
• 1:00
  She decided to do this a couple years ago. It's, it's very LA, right? Like, LA is food trucks, and that's kind of the culture. And you go, and you have a, you know, taco stand. Like- Yeah... it's the vibe.
• 1:11
  So instead of just kind of a stuffy, like, buffet, we just thought, you know, we have to bring it as, like, a- Perfect... real LA experience 'cause a lot of people travel in for this event.
• 1:20
  So we wanna bring the culture a little bit, too. That's why you'll see a lot of car culture at the show. So who are the people, who are the groups of people who are here today? Oh, man.
• 1:28
  So today Automobility LA is really, it's, uh, you know, kind of most known as a media day. It's truly, really an industry and media day. I fashion it, really, as a B2B networking event.
• 1:39
  You know, really this is a place for, in my eyes, the entire automotive industry to come together. You know, we have executives from across the spectrum, right? So we have, obviously, major OEMs, retail. We have fleet.
• 1:52
  You know, we have a fleet innovation showcase here inside of the show. We have the B2B, the services that, you know, provide the industry, right? Like Cox Automotive, you know.
• 2:02
  I mean, they run the da- like, the data that powers the industry, J.To. Companies like that are here. Their executives are here. And, you know, it's an opportunity and for everybody to come together for one day.
• 2:13
  We really make it more of a party vibe. I hope if you've gotten to experience it a little bit. Absolutely. Yes, indeed. You know, it's, there's lots of food and bev.
• 2:19
  There's, like, literally two happy hours happening right now. [laughs] At the same time. As we speak. All right. Let's go. While there's still thought leadership on the main stage. And here we are.
• 2:28
  You know, it's a, it's a multi-ring circus, so there's kind of multiple tracks here. There's something, hopefully, for everybody if you're in this business or related to this business.
• 2:37
  And then, obviously, the media is really, you know... It takes all of us to make this thing work.
• 2:45
  And in the end of the day, we're all in service of the same goal, and, like, we'll be transparent about it is we're here to sell cars. Yes. You know?
• 2:51
  We're here to introduce consumers to product and, you know, help them find their, their next car.
• 2:58
  We've had, uh, a couple talks with people that are really trying to challenge the, the, the thought that over the past probably 10 years, where OEMs have pulled back a little bit from- Yeah...
• 3:08
  from auto shows, and there's been some skepticism, uh, on auto shows. But we're seeing today, and I think you guys are challenging, like, this is a place where business can happen. Consumers want this.
• 3:20
  There are consumers that make decisions, make research, uh, uh, a priority here.
• 3:25
  What are some of the things that you're doing to, to ensure that the auto show is something viable that consumers, OEMs, dealers, the partners ca- need to engage in? Yeah, I mean, absolutely fair question.
• 3:36
  I love this one. I'll take it head on. You know, it's, it's so interesting, right? Like, auto shows are 100-plus-century-year-old product, right? This is the 118th year of the show. Oh, my gosh. Wow. Yeah.
• 3:47
  That's amazing. 118? Yeah, 118. Imagine if it was the first one. And we're not the oldest. New York is- [laughs] New York just did 125 last year.
• 3:54
  And, you know, we believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, and we want all auto shows to exist. That's just because western expansion hadn't happened yet. Right, exactly. [laughs] We, we weren't really there yet.
• 4:02
  But now we're the big auto market. But, you know, we, we believe that auto shows are a vital part of the business. Um, you know, I once heard the CEO of Volkswagen say, you know, "Call me, you know, crazy idea.
• 4:13
  If people are paying to see your car, you should be there." Mm. Um, and I believe that, too. I think that it's, even you think about the concept of the show, right?
• 4:22
  Where else in marketing does somebody pay a ticket for the commercials? You know? Oh. Wow. Wow. They are like- That's a good- Li- like, they're literally here. That's a really good point. Here's a ticket.
• 4:33
  But we look at it like this, right? Like, we're serving up an opportunity to consumers that is truly unique. If you think about your car buying experience, right?
• 4:41
  Like, even i- on your best of days, you know, people, I'm educated. I don't need a whole, you know, song and dance about every car because I work in this industry. But, you know, I went car shopping.
• 4:52
  I got two drives in- Yeah... you know, over, and that was it. Timed out, you know? And I had two, two vehicles, and, and I d- I wound up doing a deal 'cause I was prepared.
• 5:03
  But the average consumer has nowhere near the knowledge that I do. This is a space where you can- Or the time or the... Yeah Exactly, and you shortcut all of that with this product.
• 5:12
  And yes, whether it's a, you know, a more simplified, smaller market, you know, show, it still serves the same goal. We're fortunate that we have automakers that exist here. We have the media in this landscape.
• 5:25
  You know, we are an interesting privately owned company, so we can look at the show differently. Yeah. We're able to think about the show from an experiential standpoint and almost an entertainment proposition.
• 5:36
  Like, I don't know if you guys saw, like, we have Dave & Buster's here this year. [laughs] So cool. We have a casino sponsor. So smart, yeah. I didn't see Dave and Busters. You'll get there. Um. [laughs] Okay.
• 5:43
  [laughs] So, but we really think it's important. I really think it's a, it's a vital part of the business. And so, you know, it's going to evolve. It's going to change.
• 5:53
  We would absolutely love to have mandatory participation like it was 10 years ago, where every brand had to be here. You were not allowed to skip sh- auto shows.
• 6:02
  Yes, that has changed, but we still see, you know, incredible turnout and, you know, and showcase from all of our OEMs. And they get value out of this, you know, because where else can you come in and you...
• 6:12
  You know, I, I got my start in this, but I take this very personally, is I got my start in this business working the show floor as a product specialist. For who? Oh, wow. For Chevrolet... so cool.
• 6:23
  I got cast, you know- Yeah. Yeah... for Chevrolet. That's where products host, yeah. And, yeah, and I did, I did that for over five years, and I've done all the auto shows. I've been to all of them.
• 6:33
  So [laughs] I've worked all of them. I've met the people. The conversations that you have, I cannot tell you how many times I was in the Chevrolet booth, somebody comes in, and they're like,
• 6:43
  "I bleed blue," like, "I'll never look at this car." And you're there. And I say, "All righty." And here they are at a Chevy, yeah. [laughs] And I love that. You know, I would take that as, like, a challenge.
• 6:50
  I'd be like- [laughs]... "Well, let me show you something." You know, and I'd start, and I'd, uh... You know, those people- Yeah. A little bit here, a little bit, yeah... I'd be like, "Come," right?
• 6:56
  But then I would get the ones that were like, you know, "Oh, I only want a Mercedes," and, you know, I could, I could show them, like, a, a High Country, you know, their, you know, trim, and you kind of get them excited about the products.
• 7:08
  And, and win people over. The conquesting, and I can tell this from experience, the conquesting that happens at auto shows is unprecedented. Yeah. It does not happen- That's so interesting.
• 7:19
  You will not get somebody that's a, "I only look at imports. I don't buy American cars." Like, they have this, you know- That's a great point... wrong mindset. Right? 'Cause you- Yeah...
• 7:27
  you're talking, when you're selling a car, you're talking about getting people in the ether. Yes. Right? And there's really, when you're not in the pressure of a sales lot- Yeah... or having to make a decision- Yeah...
• 7:36
  there's no better place to get somebody in the ether- You know-... than when they're in this environment, and you can, like, smell the leather. Yeah. Maybe you came to see this one.
• 7:43
  And the cool cars combined with the luxury cars combined with the- It's all... Yeah. Yeah. You, look, you might have come to see one, and you're like, you're walking. You have to walk through the other to get there.
• 7:52
  [laughs] Yeah. And you're like, "Well, I never realized this Telluride was so luxurious." Yeah. Right. That's right. "You know, it got me thinking a little bit differently just in that moment." Yeah.
• 7:59
  All of a sudden, you're, like, a world traveler- Yeah... because you saw a Sprinter Van for the first time, right? [laughs] Yeah.
• 8:04
  [laughs] Well, now we have these, like, oh, you know, it's interesting- They're unbelievable... the thematics.
• 8:06
  We'll talk about that another time, the, of the, how overland and adventure has become, like, so huge in the business right now. Such a big deal, yeah. Do you know, have you gotten a chance to walk the show?
• 8:15
  Yeah, a little bit. There's two... Okay, this is my hot- We did one hall. We haven't done the other hall. Okay. Oh, you have- Yeah... 60% left, [laughs] so hot take. This is my hot take.
• 8:22
  I think that the business is going in, like, two direction, directions simultaneously.
• 8:26
  You have bigger, like, more powerful, you know, everything is, like, big and powerful, and SUV and truck, and, like, that is an outdoor adventure overland- Yeah, it's back. It's back... as, as far as you can take it.
• 8:38
  Yes. And then you're seeing the beginning of affordable small EV. Yeah. It's rising. Yep. You know?
• 8:47
  And there are, like, these parallel tracks, and maybe it's a bit of a commentary on the, you know, state of the macroeconomics- [laughs] All right, the-... of America... the bifurcation of the market, right?
• 8:56
  Our two economies right now, and- Yes, it is. Yeah, actually, I think it is. Wow. I- Well, getting all theoretical on us. So insightful. Look at you. Do, do you think I just live and breathe this business all day?
• 9:05
  [laughs] Wow. [laughs] Well, Andy, thank you so much for hanging out with us. This was a fun conversation. Love my hot take. [laughs] Thanks for inviting us out- It's good... to be a part of this event. It's incredible.
• 9:12
  And if people haven't seen it, haven't been a part of it, you should get to the West Coast next year. Come on. This is the place to be. You're welcome.
• 9:18
  If you are in the business, if you are a dealer, if you are, you know, working in, for some co- you have got to come to the L- to Automobility LA. We agree. This is your day. You know, and it's funny.
• 9:28
  I think there's, like, this misconception, because we t- say that this event is, like, you have to be vetted to come in. It is a B2B event. Like, we don't just, it's not open to consumers. Mm-hmm.
• 9:39
  So I think because of that, sometimes people think they're, like, not allowed to come. Like, maybe they're an analyst or something. Like, no, we want you here. Like- Yeah... we absolutely want you. You need to be here.
• 9:46
  Yes. You abs- yes. If you, like, work in the business, this is the spot for you. You need the perspective. And if you happen to be a consumer, you know, this is definitely the spot for you- Yeah...
• 9:54
  because there's so much for you to see and do and enjoy. And then, you know, basically, today is, is for the industry and the media, and then tomorrow we, you know, we turn it over. Well, I know. The real game begins.
• 10:04
  It's for the consumers. And, and obviously, a, a huge thank you to you guys for coming and bringing this, this incredible set and environment and energy that you guys have brought. Like, I love the birth of new...
• 10:15
  I mean, obviously, the MBCs and everybody's here. But we love the spotlight on the new media that's happening, and what you guys are doing in the business is super exciting.
• 10:22
  So thank you for bringing that energy here to LA. Well, thank you for doing so much. I mean, we've really enjoyed our time, and we're coming back. Well, we, uh, you've heard it here. You're stuck with us.
• 10:28
  You're stuck with us now. You heard it here. [laughs] I love it. Let's go. Thanks, Andy. Thanks, Andy. Thanks, everybody.
• 10:32
  [upbeat music] Thank you for listening to this LA Auto Show Session, brought to you by Cars Commerce.
• 10:38
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• 10:46
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