Vegas's Gain is Scottsdale's loss: Multi-million Dollar Car Show to Move

Craig Jackson, owner of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, says that he has had his last fight with the city of Scottsdale. Jackson said that he plans to launch a new and bigger auction in Las Vegas and scale back his annual Scottsdale event. Jackson and Scottsdale have been arguing for years over terms of a deal that would keep the auction at its present location, Westworld, in Scottsdale for up to 20 years. The city estimates that visitors to the auction drop nearly $94 million into the local economy which doesn't include the $111 million spent at the 2007 auction. One car, a 1966 Shelby Cobra, sold for $5.5 million.

Currently, the event takes place in several large tents and Jackson wants a permanent structure. Jackson also wanted guaranteed parking for the attendees. The city was prepared to move forward on a permanent structure but halted plans. Jackson offered to build the structure himself but the city would only lease him the land for twenty years. Jackson told the Arizona Republic, "It doesn't make any sense for me to build an auction house on leased land."

Las Vegas Events, an arm of the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority, has been talking to Jackson about having an auction in Las Vegas. Pat Christenson, President of the promotions group believes that the car auction brings in the type of customers that Las Vegas likes, individuals with lots of money that like to spend.

Jackson told the Arizona Republic, "I'm ready to take my event to the next level. I've waited for Scottsdale to make a move and they only seem to want to put a Band-Aid on WestWorld. Vegas in a couple of years could outgrow Palm Beach and eventually even Scottsdale," he said. "It's a match made in heaven."

Jackson's next auto auction will be in Scottsdale, January 12th through 20th, 2008. The earliest show in Las Vegas would be fall of 2008.

John Laub is the president of the CEO-CFO Group

1. "Scottsdale-weary Barrett-Jackson to focus on Vegas."
Lesley Wright. The Arizona Republic. May. 11, 2007.

2. "For Vegas, Barrett-Jackson is 'ideal customer.'"
Peter Corbett. The Arizona Republic. May. 14, 2007.