CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Cleveland Auto Show and other events announced they will be returning to the I-X Center in 2022.
The news came after Industrial Realty Group said it would be reopening the facility.
The Cleveland Auto Show is scheduled for Feb. 25 to March 6. The previously-scheduled show at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland will no longer take place.
“While we were looking forward to reimagining the Show in a downtown setting, it made sense to get back to ‘normal’ at the I-X Center,” says Joey Huang, chairman of the Cleveland Auto Show and owner of the Great Lakes Auto Network.
In addition to the new vehicles, the Show’s popular Ride N’ Drives, Millionaire’s Row, and the Classic Car Show will return.
The Ohio RV Supershow is working on a date to return to the I-X Center in the fall of 2022.
“This is a great day for the future of the Great Lakes RV Association and the continued success of the Ohio RV Supershow, the largest indoor RV Show in the country,” said Amy Girton, executive director.
The Great Big Home and Garden Show, which was going to relocate to the Huntington Convention Center, will return to the I-X Center Feb. 11 to Feb. 20.
“From the first conversation, Huntington Convention Center management has been incredibly supportive,” said Tom Baugh, CEO of Marketplace Events. “But the stakeholders have been honest with each other that – all things being equal – the I-X Center is the preferred location for major public shows and the downtown Convention Center is the preferred location for trade shows. Our return to the I-X Center reflects that reality.”
The Today’s Bride Magazine show will be back in January 2022. It canceled the January 2021 show because of COVID-19, then held a two-day expo in April at the Huntington Convention Center.
“In addition to the I-X Center returning, so too are wedding celebrations in 2022,” said Jim Frericks, co-owner of Today’s Bride. “An estimated $50.4 million dollars was lost in the northeast Ohio region during the dismal 2020 wedding season due to postponements and cancellations. Celebrations are expected to rebound to heights unseen in decades — and that’s great news for the entire bridal industry!”
The 65th annual Progressive Cleveland Boat Show and Fishing Expo will also return in January 2022.
“The boat show was the first public show held in the I-X when it opened in 1986,” says Michelle Burke, president of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, “and we’re excited to bring the show back after a year’s absence.”
The last boat show in the I-X Center was in January 2020, a little over a month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down.
Burke said the 2020 boat show was a reimagined event with dozens of new features and hands-on experiences. That show had a 12-year high attendance.
One of the biggest additions to the last show was the Fishing Expo, which treated anglers to the largest collection of fishing gear exhibits and live on-stage presentations in northern Ohio.
They’re planning to bring more seminars and attractions for 2022.
The three-day Cleveland Christmas Connection will also be back. Further details will be released at a later time.