Be Open and Flexible

Sam Klemet, ’07, took a bold leap into a new career. Now, he’s leading the evolution of the Detroit Auto Show.

December 12, 2024

“It was a no-brainer,” says Sam Klemet of his decision to attend MSU. The Michigan native always wanted to be a journalist and a broadcaster, and the reputation of MSU’s communication programs attracted him to East Lansing.

“The skills you learn in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at MSU are transferable to any career,” he says.

After graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism, Klemet's passion took him down a career path that led him to become president and CEO of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) in 2021.

While Klemet was focused on cultivating the next generation of broadcast professionals, Detroit Automobile Dealers Association (DADA) Executive Director Rod Alberts reached out to gauge Klemet’s interest in succeeding him as executive director of DADA. Representing nearly 300 domestic and import new car and truck dealerships in Southeast Michigan, DADA oversees the Detroit Auto Show.

“I had no intention of leaving the broadcasting industry that I love,” says Klemet. “My first reaction was, ‘No, I’m flattered, but I don’t see the fit. I understand the importance of the auto industry and the Auto Show to Michigan, but I don’t know anything about it.’”

Alberts, however, didn’t let up. He knew it was time for the show to take on a new direction.

“I was looking for a guy like me but who had a vision for the future for what we could do for the show, Detroit, the whole region,” says Alberts, co-executive director of the DADA through the 2025 show. “I looked at several people, but Sam was the guy. I could sense his passion for the show and the city.”

 

“The turning point for me is that I’m from Metro Detroit and I see the resurgence in the city. It’s exciting,” adds Klemet. “If we can blend Rod’s experience with my naivety, enthusiasm and vision, it can be the perfect storm.”

Klemet’s immediate focus is to evolve the iconic Detroit Auto Show, which returns to its traditional January schedule in 2025 for the first time in five years.

“We want to bring back the show that has meant so much to the world,” Klemet says. “People’s time is valuable. So, to see dozens of brands under one roof and do some comparison shopping and feel out what works best for you is great.” But Klemet knows it’s about more than nuts and bolts: “At the same time, let’s provide entertainment and fun along with the information.”

While he’s reimagining an important piece of the automotive industry’s past, Klemet is also plugged into what’s next.

“EVs are coming,” says Klemet. “That’s the future, there’s no doubt about it. The question is: what’s the pace? There have to be incremental steps on the way to full electrification. But we’re working with our dealers to make sure people understand that there are options out there, like hybrids and internal combustion vehicles, too."

Klemet encourages today’s students to be “open and flexible and be willing to adjust on a dime,” as he did in moving from the MAB to the DADA. “Listen, too, and don’t think you have all the answers.”

“The Auto Show is important for seeing and selling cars, but it really is a celebration of who we are as a city and a community,” he says. “That’s the piece I’m most excited about.”

 

Author: Russ White, '82, '01