Honda says it isn't pulling out of more auto shows

On Monday, we reported that Honda Europe had decided to cancel its participation in this fall's Frankfurt Motor Show. In that report, we speculated that it wouldn't be a surprise to see Honda follow Nissan's path of only participating in one major auto show per continent. It turns out that at this scenario is unlikely to happen. According to spokesman Chuck Schifsky, Honda has six major operating regions around the world, each one operating largely autonomously. There are certain standards that all regions follow, such as manufacturing quality requirements. But when it comes to marketing and promotions, Honda of America makes its own decisions independently from Honda of Europe and other regions.

Honda of Europe's pullout from Frankfurt was a local decision made for financial reasons, and while the American branch is also facing cost pressures and looking to save money, Schifsky says the automaker still sees value in auto shows. With that in mind, Honda is experimenting with new approaches: Earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show, there was no press conference for the Insight, it just appeared on the show floor. At other shows, the company will be trying other tactics to get its message out. For the time being though, Honda and Acura fans will still be able to see new machines both at the big shows, as well as at other regional shows like Cleveland, Miami and even Chicago.