• by Karl Greenberg , April 1, 2015

Yes, there are the cars, the concepts, the executives, the DJ's, the parties, the worldwide press coverage of dozens of Vegas-style car reveals, the opinions, reviews, and the table tennis of reporters and pundits talking to each other and hitting opinions around like ping-pong balls. And then there's the auto show, the one that happens starting on Thursday afternoon.  

The New York Auto Show, is -- like the L.A. and Detroit and Chicago shows -- sponsored by the local auto dealer organization, and for good reason. It's a one-stop shop for everyone regardless of what kind of car they want or dream about; it's one big multi-brand car experience that brings a nice chunk of the tri-state population to one gigantic auto showroom. And based on last year's data, it is a college educated, middle-class household taking in the sheet metal under the big roof.

Last year, the show brought in 678,000 households, or 7% of the households in the market area, with 22% coming from outside the tri-state area, according to Foresight Market Research, which the organizer -- the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association -- hired to do a comprehensive attendee study. Using exit interviews, display intercepts, and local resident interviews, Foresight got a nice snapshot of the attendee population, and it is a highly desirable one by any standard.

Sixty percent said they have a household income exceeding $100,000: 31% between $100,000 and $150,000; 15% between $150,000 to less than $200,000; and 14% $200,000 or more. The U.S. Census for the same region puts those numbers at 15%, 8% and 9%, respectively. Also, nearly three-quarters said they had a bachelor's degree or higher. Only 6% had earned only a high school degree or GED.  

They are also a relatively young population, with 73% of those polled at the exit points being under the age of 45. Thirty-one percent reported being Millennials, and 26% were between 18 and 24 years of age. And they way over-index as influencers. The study found that 26% of attendees are influencers, versus 10% of all local residents.  

Also, 60% of attendees said they plan to buy or lease a new vehicle within 12 months, and 59% said they came to the show to compare vehicles and shop before going to a dealership to close the deal. And while 58% said the come to the show every year, a quarter were first-timers. Fifty-five percent, polled while leaving, said they planned to visit a dealership subsequent to the auto show experience and 39% said they plan to talk about new cars with friends and relatives. 

Automakers go to great lengths to make their displays on brand incredibly engaging with eye candy, virtual driving games, interactive displays, video, engine cutaways, technology exhibits, and merchandise. But Foresight's study found that what visitors want is pretty basic: 74% said access to a vehicle, including sitting inside, which is key -- as is having a full selection to choose from and, of course, having the vehicle they're interested in seeing. Exit polls found that 32% of visitors added brands to their consideration list and 10% subtracted brands.       

Ethnically, the visitor population was evenly split between Caucasian and African-American, at about 39% and 35%, respectively. Only 11% of visitors identified as Hispanic and 10% as Asian Pacific. The study said 60% of visitors were male.