Press has it's Perks

Having the honor of attending the 2011 NAIAS on media days was quite the tease compared to attending with the public. Being there amongst the press, media, celebrities, and dignitaries was a great experience to see new concepts and appreciate the time, effort, and hard work put into creating these vehicles and technologies, along with the show as a production as a whole.

The public aren't so obliged. Which is why, I have determined, that they lock and barricade most of the merchandise. It is a much different atmosphere on public attendance days when the vast majority in attendance have little or know knowledge on what they are in the presence of. This is why it is up to those of us in Marketing and PR to do our best to get the word out for the general audience to comprehend. The NAIAS is such a unique event in our profession to showcase our talents.

However, I had ample opportunity to drool over every vehicle at the show the first two days, so attending on public days is more of a venture into observation of general attendees. In doing so, I have come to the conclusion that some general changes may be beneficial, though I am unaware of how financially plausible they are, which may alter the image of the Auto Show as a whole.

It has come to my attention that some more educated and interested attendees, we'll call them "enthusiasts," are distraught over the lack of respect and misguided intentions of other less enthusiastic masses at the show, which we'll call "pretenters."

These enthusiasts have a genuine interest in the production, technology, and value of the vehicles being presented. They want to learn more about them, compare them, discuss their performance and aesthetics in a constructive manner. Pretenders have something else in mind.

Pretenders are intent on rudely swooping in while you are trying to take a picture with you film camera and sliding their grimy hands down the windows to open the petite door handles of a $70,000 piece of fine art to then yank on every knob and pulley till they venture to their next assault.

So why not have a tier system to organize who can attend the show, and on what days. Have the enthusiasts take some sort of car IQ test and charge them extra to get in on the first few days after the media, before allowing the pretenders, and 9 month olds who are just learning to walk, to traipse the floors with their wide eyes and sticky fingers.