Chicago Show Tops Million Mark Again

15 February 1998

    CHICAGO, Feb. 15 -- Mild February weather helped contribute
to a third straight record-setting total attendance for the 90th Chicago Auto
Show. Over its nine-day run, 1,080,637 patrons found their way to the nation's
largest auto show, held in the mammoth McCormick Place South building on
Chicago's lakefront. The total bested last year's attendance by 58,656.  Also,
Sunday's 170,228 is an all-time record for a closing day for the show.
    "Chicagoans sure love their auto show," said Ray Scarpelli, chairman of
the show produced by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA). "We're
thrilled for both the manufacturers who brought these magnificent displays and
for everyone who came to see them. Nowhere in America is the love affair with
cars and trucks demonstrated better than here in Chicago."
    The McCormick Place South venue again proved to be the nation's premier
site for public shows.
    "Last year's show taught us how to give the room even better flow," said
show general manager Jerry Cizek. "We made some minor revisions in the floor
plan over the summer and they proved to be beneficial to everyone who came.
McCormick Place South is billed as the biggest room in the world and it
handled all of our show customers with incredible efficiency."
    In addition to the all-time overall attendance record set today, a record
$1.27 million was raised for 12 local charities at the show's black-tie
preview First Look for Charity on Feb. 6.
    "We couldn't be more thrilled to lend this event to these charities to
raise the dollars they always need," said Scarpelli. "For some of them, our
'First Look' event is their most important fundraiser, so it makes it extra
special for us to know we've helped."
    Additionally, the show's annual food drive collected more than five tons
of canned goods, destined to help families in need via the Greater Chicago
Food Depository.
    The CATA is the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organization with
more than 800 members. Its dealerships employ over 56,000 people in the
greater Chicago area with new vehicle gross sales in excess of $14 billion
annually. The CATA has produced the Chicago Auto Show since 1935.

SOURCE  Chicago Automobile Trade Association