The 48th Annual Northwood International Auto Show kicked off at the school earlier Friday.

Auto experts say there's a certain equality when it comes to automotive companies.

They say most produce high-quality products with various features.

They say the secret, is selling value.

Automotive professors at Northwood say a survey of around 1,000 people from last year's show indicates presentation of the product significantly affects people's buying decisions.

"What we found out was it was our students' ability to give features, benefits, which the consumer felt they were not getting at the dealership," says Joe Lescota, automotive marketing chair at Northwood University.

The entire show is organized by northwood students, around 600 of them, more than half the campus is assigned duties and execute the plan.

Public Relations Chair Joseph Boyce says,

"It's a great opportunity for students to have that real-world experience to take what they learn in a classroom and apply it to the real world. They get organizational skills. They manage team members. They decorate attractive displays to effectively market a product to a consumer."

It's also a chance for dealers to learn. Experts say many auto sales professionals operate backwards, often highlighting promotional materials like incentives, rebates, and monthly payments.

Experts say dealers should show consumers why a vehicle is worth the price. "If you don't sell value, all you have gotten left to sell is price, and you're always going to lose on price values because someone is going to undercut your price," says Lescota.

The show features more than 55 brands, 500 vehicles, and drew a record 59,000 people last year.

The NUIAS continues Saturday from 9am to 6pm, then Sunday 10am to 5pm.