Chicago 2013: A Preview
There is truth in the song "Sweet Home Chicago."
The truth of it is there is meaning to the song within the context of this work. Though I call the Twin Cities my home and Los Angeles my hometown, Chicago is my automotive home. It is where most of V&R's activity originates from – from vehicles to evaluate to the home office of the media association I belong to. If there is one place I travel to on automotive business – most likely, it is Chicago.
Now, I am getting ready to cover another Chicago Auto Show. It would be my sixth one to cover – my fourth during media days. With every one, a breakthrough happens. Two years ago, it was the connection with the industry – thanks to the power of social media. Last year, it was the first live awarding of the Vehicle of the Year award and making new connections with both the industry and the media corps.
This year will be more "business as usual." The Vehicle of the Year award will be presented to Chrysler Group LLC and the Dodge brand on Thursday. There are plans to attend several pressers, while examining key vehicles I did not have time to explore in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show. It will also be time to connect again with my fellow colleagues and contacts on the floor at McCormick Place for both Thursday and Friday’s Social Media Preview.
From what has been gathered, there will be all-new products to be revealed in Chicago. Starting with the new 2014 Toyota Tundra full-sized pickup, pressers are also scheduled for Kia, Ford, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Nissan, Ram and Chrysler. I have my suspicions as to what will debut in Chicago, but I would rather have you surprised when they are announced.
I will admit that this year's Chicago Auto Show will be quite busy with giving away awards and climbing into vehicles once seen at a glance. The coverage will indeed reflect this. Expect plenty of photos from my Flickr page and a write-up or two from McCormick Place. Perhaps there might be a Tweet or several thrown in the mix.
Doors will open to the public on Saturday – a first for the Chicago Auto Show. I would recommend getting tickets in advance and plan on using the Chicago Transit Authority and Metra to get to McCormick Place. Combined with what we saw in Detroit – this year's Chicago Auto Show will be off the scale!
It will be great to be back "home." See you at the show!