The Los Angeles Auto Show saw big changes this year: ANSA Productions, which owns and operates the show, combined press and trade days with the four-year-old Connected Car Expo to form a pre-show event this year known as AutoMobility L.A. The new event bowed November 14 through 17, and consumer days ran from November 18 through 27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
With considerable buzz around the show’s reinvigorated format, automakers hosted parties and events aimed at capturing amped-up press and influencer attention. Event formats included everything from a decidedly low-tech drive-in movie setup for Volkswagen, to first-of-their kind virtual-reality and Snapchat reveals for Jaguar and Ford, respectively. Here are some of the highlights from carmakers’ auto show events.
On November 15, Jaguar hosted a private event that offered a first look at the new I-Pace Concept Car at Milk Studios. More than 300 attendees took part in what was billed as a first-of-its-kind, live cross-continent virtual-reality reveal.
Ford revealed its new crossover SUV, the EcoSport, in what the automaker billed as the first product reveal on Snapchat. The November 14 event, hosted by Ryan Seacrest and produced internally, brought DJ Khaled to pull the wraps off the vehicles on stage in front of fans, while he snapped the entire thing for his followers.
Ford's space at Hollywood & Highland, open from November 14 through 16, featured a tiny version of L.A. meant to embody the “go small, live big” attitude embraced by millennial consumers. The location included tiny homes designed by local artists, tiny bites from food market Smorgasburg, a tiny version of Venice Beach in partnership with Surfiest Fitness, and more.
Using HTC Vive Business Edition headsets, powered by Dell Precision workstations, guests got a chance to feel as if they were actually sitting on the the concept’s seats, and experience a 360-degree view of Venice Beach as the car raced toward them across a virtual desert.
On November 11, Land Rover held a private preview event for its Discovery Venice consumer pop-up, hosted by husband-wife lifestyle and fitness pros Gabby Reece and Laird Hamilton. During the event, the volleyball player and the big-wave surfer unveiled the pop-up, an interactive exhibition featuring gear, training experiences, and fitness technologies. The pair also debuted Land Rover's new Discovery SUV.
Surfboard artist Drew Brophy created artworks live on the spot. Kro Events produced the event.
Volkswagen hosted a drive-in movie-style event at the Ace Museum, where organizers transformed the rooftop to resemble a classic drive-in movie theater. In keeping with the #ThrowbackThursday theme, the outdoor event screened Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Some guests watched from the lawn, complete with picnic tables and blankets, while others watched from Volkswagen vehicles.
As guests arrived at the Ace Museum, they were greeted by a vintage Beetle and were then shuttled up to the rooftop via a Volkswagen e-Golf, the brand’s first all-electric model sold in the U.S. Guests also checked out the new Volkswagen Atlas on display. Domain PR worked with TIL Lifestyle Marketing & Events to produce the event.
