by Richard Bartholomew –
The Future of Media Day or just a handy application to find emails and links fast on a computer, phone or pad?
A one day event was held online on Thursday March 11, 2021 by the Motor Press Guild for automobile industry media members that was supposed to fill in for the oft canceled media days at the Los Angeles auto show, AutoMobility LA. Take heart the actual media days are scheduled again live for November 17 and 18, 2021 and I am willing to assuming the 19th, a Friday, will begin a week or so for the public showing of all the new cars.
Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak
This article will describe the experience and include a running list of pros and cons of the ‘virtual media day’ compared to the real thing of which I have attended a few of the last few years in LA and really enjoy.
Point one goes to virtual because I didn’t have to drive downtown and pay the ever rising parking fee next to the convention center. And I didn’t have to walk a half mile to the ticket booth get credentials and then walk to the gate, metal detector, then walk, then walk, then walk again, then escalate up to the press room get more credentials, aha, press room land of appreciation for the oft disparaged media profession, maybe the automobile press is not so disparaged as some other press and the press room at the convention center is a very nice set up and they deserve any and all the accolades. Fresh coffee and snacks, power bars and fresh fruit, Wi-Fi, chargers lots of chairs and tables all before they serve us breakfast. Points to live press days.
The screen shot for the virtual show is close but they didn’t have any photographers. The real show is full of people shooting video and still shots. I myself will shoot well over 500 photos at any car show press day or not.
The Virtual Lobby
There were thirteen companies taking part in the virtual event which is less than half I believe would show up for the normal live event but it is a start. Every bit of information presented by these companies was offered with very high production values. Concise written material was an easy find and read on my big screen computer monitor or phone, no fooling with pdf downloads. But then again point goes to the live events with flyers, pamphlets, books and even zip drives given to the press that have lots more pictures and info.
The event unfolded just like a normal press day with scheduled releases by the presenter company. Points to the live event. The screens at the live auto show presentations are tens of meters high and hundreds wide. Phones and computers and pads are no match. And press days have become culinary events as well as just car info events, more points to the live show.
Lots of information was given but the presenters for the most part offered only one or two new products to highlight so the event isn’t just a link to the regular website where the public can go. Like the live even the people at these companies who’s job it is it interact with the press are list emails and often phone numbers.
This reporter emailed and got a very fast response from a large company to set up a factory tour and if it pans out you will read a report with pictures here of a very big electric car company. Keeping score? This is probably a tie because at the real event you can also get numbers and talk to thousands of people in the industry and in person, that is if you walk walk walk all day.
Highlights from each presenter:
Acura: pushing their new SUV, wow, ten speed automatic that puts itself in park if you stop, undo your belt and open your door. Looks like they figured out how to make sure the driver doesn’t ever have a roll away.
Canoo: cool electric truck made in Torrance California.
Chevy: 2022 Bolt prominently presented and aimed at everyone else, can Chevy do what it does best and make large numbers of a good product for a good price into the future?
Fisker: Henrik Fisker getting very close to bring us the Ocean. Who doesn’t love the Ocean?
Honda: pushing the new Ridgeline here. There must be a large profit margin in trucks or something.
Infiniti: Electric SUVs in the future including a large sleek QX60 Monograph (plays music singles?) prototype.
Karma: making and selling and reaching 330 mile range with 21 inch wheels and four wheel drive.
Magna: an interesting Swiss army knife of car products that you didn’t know you needed till they invented it and now coming out with an electric truck.
Recaro: Enjoy the ride of the new ‘Podium’ the first production seat AGR certified for public roads and FIA homologation for r-a-c i-n-g.
Turo: car sharing franchise with a snappy drag the map and click on the car format. The red Porsche looks like a fun ride and a bargain @ $151 per day and 1050 free miles to start.
Toyota: Pushing the new Mirai fuel cell car with free fuel for six years or $15,000 whichever comes first.
VW: Pushing the new ID.4 with a lightweight motor and gearbox and innovations that will save the owner $3,500 over 5 years compared to a gas vehicle. Does that include real driving or just on the testing rig I wonder? Sorry, couldn’t resist, they kind of deserve that dig.
Wagoneer: The Jeep Wagoner and Grand Wagoneer, new, big and coming in 12 designations, 7 for the Wagoneer and 5 for the Grand version. The top is the Grand Wagoneer 4×4 series III that comes at a cost around 104 grand not including destination charges but it has power side steps and a lot more.
I didn’t keep track point for the live vs. virtual but I am sure the live event wins. The information at the site is made available to the media for a full week after the first day and I will say that going online is a great thing for Auto Mobility LA.
Events like this will get bigger, better and more popular. I just hope they don’t ever cancel the real thing.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Richard Bartholomew is an artist and photographer based in Southern California. Visit his YouTube channel here. He is open to interesting consignments and can be reached at zeroagenow@aol.com
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