On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, the Vancouver International Auto Show (VIAS) opened at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. More than 30 world-class auto brands were exhibiting, with one exception. Tesla, the electric car company led by CEO Elon Musk, was noticeably absent. Less than 24 hours before show opening, the VIAS team decided not to allow them to exhibit, marking the first decision of that kind in the show's 101-year history.

In the months before the event, Tesla had been at the center of an escalating social and political firestorm. Musk's public statements and perceived political leanings — particularly his role in the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — drew criticism from various groups. As political tensions rose, Tesla increasingly became symbolic of broader ideological and political divides.

VIAS has long billed itself as an inclusive customer event featuring a broad spectrum of automakers. The show draws hundreds of thousands of attendees, including families with children. The 5-day convention showcases legacy manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Toyota, and Lexus, as well as electric pioneers like Tesla. This diversity has positioned the show as a key player in the evolving automotive landscape.




However, as tensions surrounding Tesla began to grow in early 2025, VIAS organizers started to receive feedback questioning the automaker's presence. “We are a major event, a consumer event, and not in politics,” explained VIAS executive director Eric Nicholl. “As we got through February, we found ourselves defending having Tesla in the show.” Behind the scenes, show organizers began having candid conversations with Tesla, including offering them the opportunity to withdraw from the show voluntarily. Tesla declined.

By March, concerns had escalated along with the protests and vandalism across North America. What started on the U.S. East Coast moved steadily westward, eventually reaching Seattle, crossing the border into Canada with instances in Ontario, Calgary, and Nanaimo. Reports included not only peaceful demonstrations but also incidents of violent property damage. Dealerships and charging stations were firebombed with Molotov cocktails and sprayed with gunfire. “It was almost daily,” Nicholl said.


Nicholl and his team were starting to face growing unrest that had the potential to spill into Vancouver and onto their show floor. That undercurrent reached a fever pitch with a steady stream of emails and phone calls from the public expressing an intent to disrupt or vandalize Tesla at the event. “I had never seen that happen in my more than 25 years of running live events. I have never seen that much hate be directed at the production team of a major consumer event,” he said. “So, now we had the potential for harm, harassment, and an unsafe environment.”

As the days throttled toward the show opening, the tone of public discourse continued to accelerate. Additional protests emerged, including the Tesla Takedown, a collective protest scheduled for late March, targeting over 500 locations worldwide.

Conversations with Tesla continued throughout the lead-up to show day, with deeper dives regarding upping the ante on the full police force already planned for the show. According to Nicholl, those discussions were insufficient to instill a level of confidence in safety in the face of the growing concern. Tesla was asked again if it would reconsider its choice to exhibit. Again, Tesla declined.

“Even with everything we were doing, we still couldn't eliminate the safety issue,” Nicholl said. “No matter what level of security presence I added per day, it was unattainable. We couldn't turn a family-friendly event into a police state. It wasn't going to work.”

As the VIAS opening day crested on the calendar, show organizers had to quantify risk-vs-reward. On the day before the show opened, Nicholl contacted the Tesla team to advise that his team had made the executive choice to pull them from the exhibit. “It was the toughest decision I've had to make in my career,” he said. As difficult as it was, Nicholl stood by the choice. “We made the right decision. It had nothing to do with politics. At the end of the day, I had over 130,000 people to take care of.”

The public reaction to the decision to uninvite Tesla from exhibiting was strongly supportive, but not without shrapnel. “The majority of feedback was overwhelmingly positive,” Nicholl stated. “The negative feedback included everything from threats of violence against me and my family, and death threats against me, our President, sponsors...” He paused, “It was a lot. It was wild. It just validated that we made the right call.”





Show organizers typically include clauses in their contracts that allow them to make these types of executive decisions, especially when they impact the safety of attendees and fellow exhibitors. For exhibitors, it comes down to understanding their rights and responsibilities according to the contract. Jessica Sibila, executive director of The Exhibitor Advocate, has worked with hundreds of exhibitors throughout her career and has seen plenty of protective clauses. “I would recommend that the exhibitor looks at their contract in detail,” she advises. “At the end of the day, it's the show organizer's show. It's their responsibility. So, they're going to put into the contract clauses that protect them. When the exhibitor signs that contract, if they have concerns or don't agree with those clauses, they have every right to work with their legal counsel to modify that contract and provide their edits back to the show organizer.” She is thoughtful when asked to weigh in on this situation. “What I think is important for exhibitors to understand is that they have a responsibility to contribute to the show positively, just like the show organizer has the responsibility to keep the event safe and productive.” Continuing, she points to the collaboration at the heart of partnerships, “It's a conversation between both parties. At the end of the day, it comes down to safety. We have to create safe events. And I don't think anybody — the exhibitor or the show organizer — wants to do anything that's going to put that in jeopardy. It really is about working together to make sure that they have the safest, best possible scenario for both parties.”

When asked if Tesla would be welcome at future events, Nicholl stated, “We want all the manufacturers present and exhibiting. Tesla is included in that. They are a pioneer. I'm hoping that our prior relationship is stronger than a moment in time.” He adds, “With that caveat being said, if the tensions are hot and there are still credible threats of harm or harassment, it would come down to safety. That goes for any manufacturer.” E