By Jennifer Morand, President, CATA Dear CATA Members, I’m happy to share that final attendance for this year’s Chicago Auto Show reached 211,850. Even more encouraging, 44% of attendees are in the market to purchase a new vehicle within the next 12 months, and half of those plan to buy within just six months. We also saw a record level of in-vehicle engagement, with more than 102,000 ride-alongs and test drives. Overall, it was a strong and successful event. Our new enthusiast-focused attraction, Chi-Town Alley, was especially well-received and proved to be a major draw. We also saw great energy around the return of the Family Zone and the Overlanding area, both of which maintained steady crowds and high engagement throughout the show. It’s exciting to see how much these feature areas resonated with attendees. Our cornerstone charity gala, First Look for Charity, raised more than $2 million for 18 outstanding local organizations, an incredible reflection of our dealers’ ongoing commitment to the community. More than 6,000 guests attended the black-tie event, getting an exclusive first look at the 118th edition of the Chicago Auto Show. Thanks to all of our members who attended or donated in support. As we turn the calendar to spring and summer ahead, we’re pleased to announce the date and location of the CATA’s Annual Meeting and Golf Outing: Tuesday, July 21, at Cog Hill Golf Course & Country Club in Lemont. Note, there will be a new format this year with a noon shotgun start and a dinner and program to follow. During this event, we will also introduce a few new board members. We hope you will join us to learn the latest CATA updates and enjoy a day of fun, golf and networking! Also coming this spring, we will continue advocating on behalf of new-car dealers and working with our state association to strengthen franchise agreement language, with a particular focus on preventing legacy manufacturers from selling directly to consumers in Illinois. Looking even further ahead, we are excited to announce the return of our fall test drive event, which will now include all powertrains. As the industry shifts gears, we are adapting and promoting all powertrains for consumers to experience and test drive. The event will be held Oct. 1-4, 2026, once again at the ComEd building adjacent to the CATA’s headquarters in Oakbrook Terrace. The CATA staff and Board of Directors are looking forward to a busy and successful season ahead, and hope to see many of our members at our Annual Meeting and Golf Outing in July! Sincerely, Jennifer Morand President, Chicago Automobile Trade Association General Manager, Chicago Auto Show Letter From the President A Strong Show and a Busy Season Ahead CATA UP TO SPEED 5
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