{"id":458619,"date":"2026-09-09T21:26:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T21:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/458619\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T21:26:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T21:26:15","slug":"oc-auto-show-exits-anaheim-with-new-event-venue-coming-in-spring-2027-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/458619\/","title":{"rendered":"OC Auto Show exits Anaheim with new event, venue coming in spring 2027 \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Classic<\/p>\n

Classic Corvettes on display at the 2025 OC Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Visitors<\/p>\n

Visitors to the 2025 OC Auto Show check out the latest Cadillac at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A man examines a 1964 Jeep M677 OVR recreation vehicle on display at the 2025 OC Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A solar yellow McLaren Artura Spider worth $290,000 at Lamborghini Newport Beach in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. Marketing Manager Jonathan Matos said this is one of the vehicles they are planing to bring to the OC Auto Show. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A Lamborghini Huracan worth $290,000 at Lamborghini Newport Beach in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. Marketing Manager Jonathan Matos said this Huracan, or won like it, is a vehicle they are planing to bring to the OC Auto Show. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A couple examines on of one of the OVR recreation vehicles on display at the 2025 OC Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 6<\/p>\n

Classic Corvettes on display at the 2025 OC Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

After 30 years at the Anaheim Convention Center, the Orange County Auto Show is moving its annual fall show to a different venue next spring, exiting its longtime home.<\/p>\n

The auto show\u2019s backers this week said they are negotiating with another unidentified venue to move the event and expand the \u201ccar culture\u201d experience with curators and a track to test drive everything from garden-variety gas-powered cars to hybrid- and electric-powered vehicles.<\/p>\n

The OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa One is one potential venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are in talks with them. We\u2019d be thrilled to have the event here. We\u2019re still working out details,\u201d said Terry Moore, spokeswoman at the fairgrounds.<\/p>\n

The 150-acre fairgrounds site also hosts motorcycles at its Costa Mesa Speedway,<\/a> another possible attraction for the OC Auto Show.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s Sept 25-28 auto show<\/a> was the last to be held at the convention center digs, confirmed John Sackrison, executive director of the Orange County Auto Dealers Association, which hosts the show.<\/p>\n

The event, which first launched at the convention center in 1996, went on hiatus in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. It returned to the center in September 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The new show \u2014 which is still under development \u2014 is postponed until spring 2027 with a three-day weekend running from Friday to Sunday in mind, Sackrison said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some dates, but not final ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

He declined to say where the new show is headed, but added that an announcement is planned by the end of September.<\/p>\n

Smaller show<\/p>\n

For sure, the auto show has shrunk over the years, challenged by a younger and richer demographic that prefers shopping for cars online or at boutique-style showrooms.<\/p>\n

Tesla and Irvine-based Rivian, both of which have different levers to pull for marketing, rely on showrooms in upscale settings where they can reach wealthier buyers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany types of vehicles can be bought online these days, so I think they are watching that, and trying to figure out the best path forward,\u201d said Mike Lyster, spokesman for Anaheim and its convention center. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen it go from a very traditional auto show to more of a \u2018go take test drives,\u2019 literally, within the convention. We welcome the auto show and should they want to come back, we would entertain dates and proposals from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overall, the auto show doesn\u2019t have the same draw as other events at the convention center.<\/p>\n

The city of Anaheim pulled in $198,000 in rent for the three-day show in 2025, representing less than 1% of the convention center\u2019s total facility rental revenue of roughly $20 million. Parking revenue generated by the auto show in 2025 was $276,100, about 2.7% of total parking revenues, according to figures provided by Lyster.<\/p>\n

In context with other big events \u2014 such as the Natural Products Expo West<\/a> held annually in March, the National Association of Music Merchants<\/a> held in January, the D23 event<\/a> for Disney fans held in August and this weekend\u2019s BlizzCon<\/a>, a gaming convention hosted by Blizzard Entertainment \u2014 the auto show doesn\u2019t draw as many visitors who book hotel stays in Anaheim or generate crowd sizes of 60,000 to 80,000 attendees.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe events (for all conferences) at the convention center generate about $30 million in hotel room revenue, so the biggest shows are the drivers of that,\u201d Lyster said.<\/p>\n

Sackrison said OCADA had been considering moving the auto show from the convention center venue for several years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe original plan was to host it on the same weekend as the auto show at the end of September this year. But when we were looking at the opportunities, we were like, \u2018Well, hey, wait a minute. We can make this better,\u2019 \u201d Sackrison said. \u201cIt\u2019s not very often you get to start with a blank slate, taking what you know works, then create something completely new.\u201d<\/p>\n

The auto show under development will have a \u201cnew format\u201d and include experiential interactions and \u201ca celebration of the Southern California automotive culture,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt our last auto show, we had over 20 brands where you could do a test drive. We looked at that, and said, \u2018That\u2019s fantastic.\u2019 Now when you\u2019re functioning out of a convention center, it\u2019s tough to accommodate all that. The manufacturers are looking to engage with consumers. Let\u2019s make this a richer experience. We\u2019re still in development. We\u2019ve identified a couple locations, and are finalizing dates as we speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

He explained that the move is a \u201cstrategic move\u201d and not a reactionary change.<\/p>\n

\u2018Car culture\u2019 theme<\/p>\n

Sackrison, who joined the auto dealers group in February 2002, hails from the Detroit, a region that has long been described as the car capital of the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came out here, I quickly realized this is the car culture capital of the world. This is why we are delving into having a mix of some elements of cars and coffee gatherings. Our goal is to kind of bring the best of the best of those together where you can see many different cars, high-performance, unique vehicles that you don\u2019t normally get to see. That, combined with the experience of being able to test drive all the vehicles, we think this is a winning formula.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cars and coffee events are casual, early-morning gatherings where enthusiasts meet to display their vehicles and drink coffee. These events, said Sackrison, show off cars separated by decades in age, ranging from a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, to a new Lamborghini, or a 2020 Dodge Challenger with 300 horsepower.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest cars and coffee events in Southern California is South OC Cars and Coffee<\/a>, which holds a weekly gathering at the Outlets in San Clemente where a few thousand visitors roll up with their pickups, hot rods and sports cars.<\/p>\n

David Fortin, vice president of marketing for the Los Angeles Auto Show, which plans to hold its annual auto show Nov. 20-29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, is eyeballing a date in late October or early November to attend the San Clemente gathering to pitch free tickets to his L.A. show.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a great bunch of brands this year. It\u2019s a different type of event, which has 10-20% of my audience coming from Orange County, depending on the year,\u201d Fortin said. \u201cIf I can get that up to maybe 20% or 25%, that\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sackrison said the auto show\u2019s new format next year will reflect curations on car culture firsts that originated in Southern California, like sunroofs and cars with bodywork made of structural wood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been so many things that have come out of Southern California \u2014 like high-performance muscle cars,\u201d Sackrison said. \u201cThis is why there are so many design studios in Southern California, especially because the car culture here is so pronounced.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like previous years, Sackrison said that the new auto show will continue to show off a lineup of electric, hybrid and traditional models from automakers.<\/p>\n

Off-road track<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working on an off-road track portion of the show as well,\u201d said Sackrison, who wouldn\u2019t say if the new venue is somewhere inland or a beach car show to attract coastal elites. \u201cWe haven\u2019t secured the venue yet, but it\u2019s in an outdoor location that has hosted large events recently over the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s auto show featured 28 brands, offered test drives of dozens of 2026 models, while consumers kicked the tires on the growing off-road vehicle market.<\/p>\n

The timing of last year\u2019s auto show couldn\u2019t have been better for what is considered one of the largest electric-vehicle markets in the nation, as the $7,500 tax credit to buy them expired Sept. 30, 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since landing in Orange County five years ago, Rivian has never attended the show. Neither has Tesla, though Sackrison told the Southern California News Group that the automaker is planning to display its cars at the new venue in 2027.<\/p>\n

Plans are in the works to renew ties with Rivian, Sackrison added.<\/p>\n

He did concede that these are challenging times for auto buyers.<\/p>\n

California\u2019s overall new car market fell 7.7% through the first six months of 2026<\/a>, while hybrid sales boomed to a record 22.1% market share, according to data provided by the California New Car Dealers Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Classic Corvettes on display at the 2025 OC Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":458620,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,39024,60892,387,7,3372,383,15755,611,612,136],"class_list":["post-458619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-auto-show","tag-automakers","tag-business","tag-california","tag-costa-mesa","tag-economy","tag-electric-vehicles","tag-orange-county","tag-riverside-county","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=458619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/458620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=458619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=458619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=458619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}