I’m going to be in Detroit briefly from January 8th till 12th. I’ll be visiting the North American International Auto Show ( NAIAS), on invitation from Ford. The company is inviting 100 bloggers and digital media professionals from around the world to come to their 2 day NAIAS digital media event focusing on Ford’s commitment to a full range of green vehicle solutions and technological innovations.
This will be my first really major international auto show I’m attending. The closest I’ve come to attending an auto show was the one in Chennai. But seriously, that’s like a boy peeing next to the Niagara. Won’t count.
The NAIAS is one of the biggest auto shows in World and last year attracted over 1000 companies and 715,000 people in attendance. That’s quite a crowd but thankfully, I’ll be visiting the show during the ‘Industry Preview’ window, a few days before the gates open for general public.
The part that I’m most excited about is the visit to Ford’s World Headquarters in Dearbon, Michigan. Ford officials are arranging for a special “back stage pass” day at the HQ and given Ford’s history, I’m really excited. There’s also a visit to the test track (where I hope to get a chance to burn rubber), the Rouge production facility (and its Living Roof) and tour Ford Green and Tech Labs.
Ever since my trip got confirmed, I’ve been reading up on Ford’s history. Even picked up a biography of Henry Ford. I specially liked the really detailed Wikipedia page on him.
If you live nearby Detroit, go give me a shout. It would be good to meet up. I’ll be available at kiruba @ kiruba.com. Will soon publish my US number as soon as I get it. If you know of interesting places that I should visit while at Detroit, please let me know.
My immediate plan is to hunt for a place in Chennai to buy winter clothes. And oh, I really hope it snows while I’m there.
