NAIAS Charity Night Preview/Client Dinner

Several years ago, a number of AutoCom clients expressed interest in obtaining tickets, transportation and restaurant reservations for the annual Charity Night Preview at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

The agency responded by developing an "all-inclusive" business-social solution. AutoCom clients, their spouses and customers attend a special program that consists of paid-valet parking at an exclusive restaurant for a cocktail reception; tickets and transportation to and from Cobo Center for the Charity Night Preview; followed by a client dinner with live entertainment. The event provides AutoCom clients with unique opportunities for business networking.

AutoCom "Tech Crawl"

AutoCom Associates hosted its first annual "Tech Crawl" in July 2004. The award-winning program brings together AutoCom clients and Detroit-area automotive journalists, for a limousine tour of client facilities in the Detroit Area.

Journalists are chauffeured throughout the day by limousines that make scheduled stops at client facilities where executives present new technology and products. After morning presentations, reporters are provided with lunch, followed by afternoon facility tours. The program concludes with a cocktail reception.

Because automotive manufacturers are turning to suppliers for help with technology development, the media has become more interested supplier-driven technology development. Tech Crawl offers our clients an efficient, cost-effective way to interact with journalists.

In 20096, more than 30 reporters from the area's top trade, daily and Internet press publications took part in the program, which focused on green technology. AutoCom and its clients have received a number of awards for the program including platinum award in the international MarCom Creative Awards and the Automotive Public Relations Council (APRC) Gold Award of Excellence.

Automotive Management Briefing Seminars

AutoCom represents a number of automotive and high-tech clients who attend the annual Automotive Management Briefing Seminars, which is sponsored by the Center for Automotive Research and held in August in Traverse City, Mich.

To help generate media exposure and leverage client participation at the conference, AutoCom created a special program that includes a client hospitality suite, media roundtable breakfasts, nightly VIP dinners for selected media, radio interviews for select clients on national networks and major stations, and news release packages to place stories in key publications during and after the conference. An added feature, "Cooking with Jean-Pierre," is an entertaining event that mostly brings together spouses, clients guests and media with Jean-Pierre Vasaune, director of business development for North America for the Office for Foreign Investors of Belgium's Wallonia region.

Clients participating in this popular, cost-sharing program have included: Behr America, Coherix, dSPACE, Focus: HOPE, Gibbs Technologies, GKN Driveline, Hella KGaA, MANN+HUMMEL, Novelis, Stuttgart (Germany) Region Economic Development Corporation, Trubiquity, Wallonia (Belgium) Office for Foreign Investors and others.