Jan 19 2016

2016 #FORDNAIAS Exclusive Media Trip – Day 3 (Itinerary) – MoVernie

For the second consecutive year, I was invited by Ford Canada to attend the 2016 Ford North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Digital Summit. It’s an Exclusive VIP Event organized by Ford Motors, flying in the selected Digital Influencers from around the world to meet together and cover one of the largest North American Auto Shows in the world that is happening from January 11-24, 2016. I was one of the lucky exclusive Canadian Digital Influencers representing Canada.

It’s a 3-day Media Trip Event. First of all, let me start off with a summary of my Ford NAIAS Day-1 Itinerary so that you have a bigger picture of how my media event went.

Day 3 – Ford NAIAS Media Trip

1) Woke up early at around 7:00 am to walk into the atrium to grab breakfast and meet with other Influencers.

2) There was a breakfast buffet stations with goodies such as scrambled eggs, bacon, fruits, yogurt, etc. There was also a omelette station where a chef can cook it on the spot. I luv my eggs dearly so I ordered two sunny-side up eggs.

3) Went back to my hotel room, changed my clothes and grabbed my equipment and hopped onto the coach bus. We were heading back to the Cobo Center for the 2nd consecutive day to cover the North American International Auto Show. Also, Lincoln was having its presentation in the morning, unveiling its latest product.

4) Lincoln announced that the flagship name plate “Continental” that played an important role back in the days is BACK! The luxurious and gorgeous 2017 Lincoln Continental was unveiled at NAIAS.

5) Walked around the auto show further to capture more video footage and photos to share to my followers.

6) Went to Ford Blue Oval HQ to grab lunch and beverages.

7) Also went and grab coffee and snacks from other car brands throughout the auto show. At this event, I learned one thing. We will never encounter any shortage of food or beverages, coz almost every car brands have its own coffee and food stations. They surely treat the media very nicely.

8) Went back to the Ford Blue Oval HQ to check out the Ford products.

9) Mark Fields, the CEO of Ford greeted the Digital Influencers, thanked everyone for coming to Detroit and attended the auto show. He also answered many of our questions during the chat. What I like about the chat was that it was very informal and casual. Everyone gathered around in circles and asked Mark questions. It was very calm, relax and enjoyable.

10) Took a photo with Mark Fields, Toronto represents!

(Photo: Davindra Ramnarine)

11) Hopped on the coach bus and returned back to the Westin Hotel.

12) Went to my room to pack up my belongings.

13) Went downstairs to the restaurant to grab dinner before I headed back to Toronto a few hours later.

14) It was so convenient walking from the Westin Hotel to the airport. Went to Duty Free to grab something and also bought some Power Ball Tickets.

15) Landed back to Toronto Pearson Airport. Home Sweet Home!

16) Took the UP Express Train from Terminal 1 Pearson Airport and went to Union Station.

I would like to use this opportunity to thank you Ford Motors and Ford Canada for inviting me the second consecutive time to attend this wonderful FordNAIAS Media Trip. Every time, the itinerary is different and I enjoyed every part of the experience!

In particular, I would like to thank Craig Silva and Anson Dixon, the Ford Canada Social Media Team for the wonderful hospitality and assistance during this Ford NAIAS Media Trip.

As always, I am very grateful and thankful of every opportunity that comes to me.

End of Day 3 of my MoVernie Ford NAIAS Media Trip.

Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) as I will be posting awesome photos and videos at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

And MoVernie is outta here!

Follow @FordCanada and @Ford on Twitter!

Also Follow #FordNAIAS for updates!

For NAIAS business hours or admission prices, click the site here.

Jan 18 2016

2016 #FORDNAIAS Exclusive Media Trip – Day 2 (Itinerary) – MoVernie

It’s a 3-day Media Trip Event. First of all, let me start off with a summary of my Ford NAIAS Day-1 Itinerary so that you have a bigger picture of how my media event went.

Day 2 – Ford NAIAS Media Trip

1) Woke up early at around 7:00 am to walk into the atrium to grab breakfast and meet with other Influencers.

3) Went back to my hotel room, changed my clothes and grabbed my equipment and hopped onto the coach bus. We were heading to the Cobo Center, where the North American International Auto Show took place.

4) Grabbed our NAIAS wrist band and walked into the auto show. First stop we made was to check out the Ford Blue Oval Headquarter. Man! This place is gigantic, it had 2 floors. FYI – Ford had the biggest floor space at the NAIAS. In the middle of the Ford Blue Oval HQ, there was a big central screens, it displayed the tweets posted by Influencers who used the hashtag #FordNAIAS. That’s just show you how forward thinking and how much Ford believes in Social Media and being thoughtful to know how to communicate with the new generations.

5) At the Ford Blue Oval HQ, there were tons of interactive display and activities for the media and public to do. On both ends of the floor space, you could see a beautiful white Ford Explorer being lifted up high in the air after it picked up some show-goers to let them check out the innovation and technologies Ford had developed over the years.

6) On the other end of the floor space, the award-winning 2015 North American International Truck of the Year, F-150 Truck was lifted up as well with passengers, showcasing the attendees its state-of-the-art automatic system that would help ease you to backup your trailer or unload your boat when you are backing up. In the past, it’s a pain to backing up your truck when you have limited visibility in backing up your truck with tons of equipment behind you. Ford Motors listened to what its customers needs and its engineers developed a system that will make its customers’ lives better and easier.

7) On the second floor, there sits the gorgeous show-stopper 2016 Ford GT Super Car. Last year, this vehicle shocked the automotive world with its debut in the signature blue colour. This year, it’s shown with the white body paint. Trust me, every angle, every colour, this ride looks great!

8) After chilling for a bit at the Ford Blue Oval HQ, we were headed to the Joe Louis Arena to check out the Ford Presentation.

9) Joe Louis Arena is home to the NHL Detroit Red Wings, its an iconic building full of history. All of the brands at the auto show, Ford is the ONLY brand that conducted its presentation at the Joe Louis Arena. Meanwhile, other brands conducted its presentation at their respective show space. Ford really is a BIG player at the Detroit Auto Show & it really takes its product presentation seriously.

10) CEO Mark Fields and Executive Chairman Bill Ford took the stage, they thanked and greeted the media for attending the Ford presentations.

11) The best part of the Ford presentation? Famous Host of the American Idol, Ryan Seacrest was the host for this Ford presentation. Totally didn’t know he would be here, especially he was at the Golden Globes the night before. It’s so cool to see him at the auto show. Apparently, Ryan is a big supporter of Ford products for many many years and Ford has been a proud sponsor of the American Idol show for a long time, so it was a great connection there.

12) Ford showcased its 2017 Ford Raptor.

13) Ford also showcased its 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

14) Ford also showcased its development on its “Autonomous” self-driving vehicles. They are the first car company to conduct testing of its autonomous vehicles under snow and ice conditions.

15) To make its consumer’s lives better by understanding what its customers needs. Ford introduced a concept called “Ford Pass”. What is “FordPass”? FordPass is part of Ford Smart Mobility – which is a strategy that combines connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience, data and analytics to better serve its customers.

16) After the Ford Presentation, we walked by to the Ford Blue Oval HQ, Ryan Seacrest was busy doing a Q&A session with university students about life and career choices.

17) Grabbed some lunch and beverages at the Ford Blue Oval HQ.

18) Decided to walk around the rest of the auto show to see what other car brands have to offer and also attended some of their presentations, unveiling some of its products to the world for the first time.

19) Mark Fields, CEO of Ford held a session with the students, answering their questions. Mark also shared his insights, his own experiences and his own career paths and shared with the students. The session was inspiring and really provided some motivational messages to encourage the students to find their own paths and goals and continue to work hard to fulfill their respective dreams.

20) Returned back to the Ford Blue Oval HQ. Davindra Ramnarine (@1goatroti), another FordNAIAS Digital Influencer and I interviewed President and CEO of Ford Canada, Dianne Craig at the Executive Ford Lounge.

(Photo: Craig Silva)

20) After the interview, Ford unveiled its first Ford Fusion Nascar.

21) We attended the Ford NAIAS Party in the evening, located right at the Ford Blue Oval HQ. Drinks and food were served. Live music pumping!

21) At the Ford NAIAS Party, Ford & Lego announced their partnerships in producing two lego play sets. One featuring the iconic Ford Mustang. The other play set consists of the historic Ford Model T and the 2017 Ford Raptor.

20) Hopped back on the coach bus and headed back to the Westin Hotel.

21) Mingled with other Ford NAIAS Influencers at the lounge area.

22) Went back to my hotel room and did some social media work.

23) Went for a nice sleep, all tugged in the comfy bed sheets and bed.

End of Day 2 of my MoVernie Ford NAIAS Media Trip.

Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) as I will be posting awesome photos and videos at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

And MoVernie is outta here!

Follow @FordCanada and @Ford on Twitter!

Also Follow #FordNAIAS for updates!

For NAIAS business hours or admission prices, click the site here.

Jan 18 2016

2016 #FORDNAIAS Exclusive Media Trip – Day 1 (Itinerary) – MoVernie

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For the second consecutive year, I was invited by Ford Canada to attend the 2016 Ford North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Digital Summit. It’s an Exclusive VIP Event organized by Ford Motors, flying in the selected Digital Influencers from around the world to meet together and cover one of the largest auto shows in the world that is happening from January 11-24, 2016. I was one of the lucky exclusive Canadian Digital Influencers representing Canada.

It’s a 3-day Media Trip Event. First of all, let me start off with a summary of my Ford NAIAS Day-1 Itinerary so that you have a bigger picture of how my media event went.

Day 1 – Ford NAIAS Media Trip

1) Woke up early at 3:30 am to get to the Toronto Pearson Airport.

2) Landed at the Detroit Airport (DTW) at around Sunday 8:00 am.

3) Once landed, out of the gate, walked within the airport, saw the Westin Hotel entrance. Didn’t even have to walk outside and I had already arrived at the hotel!

4) Westin Hotel was where all the Ford NAIAS Digital Influencers were staying throughout the rest of this media trip. Super convenient, just a short walk within the airport.

5) Check in at the front desk.

6) Entered to my beautiful hotel crib. Big windows overlooking at the airport. A view of the airplanes right in front of me. How often you got a view like this? Meanwhile, I heard no noise as the hotel was built with strong audio proof materials.

7) Since I arrived early in the morning, the Ford NAIAS Hospitality Lounge hasn’t opened yet. The restaurant hasn’t opened yet either. So, I ordered room service for my power breakfast as I was super hungry. I had not eaten anything since I woke up at 3:30 am to get to the airport.

8) Unpack my luggage.

9) Took a nice hot shower.

10) Power breakfast arrived at my hotel crib.

11) Did some social media work in my hotel room.

12) Took a long nap. By the way, the mattress, pillows at the Westin Hotel were super comfy and cozy. I had an amazing sleep.

13) Woke up around 4:00 pm, walked downstairs to the Ford Hospitality Lounge to greet the friendly Ford Staff. Said hi to many familiar faces. Picked up my official Ford NAIAS 3-day itinerary schedule book as well as the 2016 NAIAS Auto Show Credential.

14) Greeted my other fellow Ford NAIAS Digital Influencers. Some familar faces and also new faces. Set around and grabbed some snacks and beverages.

15) Got back to my hotel room and got dressed as we were heading to the Ford NAIAS Party being held at the Ford Field, home of the NFL Detroit Lions.

16) Hop on the bus to Ford Field.

17) Lots of hors d’oeuvres & cocktails and drinks inside the main entrance of Ford Field.

18) Meet & greet other Digital Influencers from around the world. In particular, before I attended this Ford NAIAS Media Trip, I knew someone named “Vernon Chan” was on this trip as well. What are the chances to have someone who shares the same unique name as me and with a last name only differ by one less letter “g”? So, we met. Meet Vernon Chang and Vernon Chang. LOL

19) Ford Executives went on the stage and introduced themselves to the crowd. They thanked everyone for coming to this Ford NAIAS Digital Influencers Media Trip.

20) The Ford Executives also gave the attendees a glance on what we were expected to see at this year’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and during this Ford NAIAS Media Trip. They also touched on some of the future automotive trends, technologies and innovations that we would expect to see in the near future on vehicles that impact our daily lives.

21) A group of us wandered around the football stadium, taking photos from the stands of the beautiful Ford Field.

22) We all moved up to the 2nd level of Ford Field to enjoyed the official buffet dinner hosted by Ford Motors.

23) Lots of delicious food from salmon, roasted beef, huge meat balls, pasta and all other delicious food. Also, I got to try various local beer from the Motor City.

24) We got to take an elevator to head to the actual football field. But before we do that, we got to check out the Visitors Locker Room.

25) Then, we checked out the Detroit Lions Locker Room. (I still can’t believe we were given access to see what the locker room looks like, as I don’t get to see it on TV, this is Super Exclusive VIP).

26) Finally, the moment we been all waiting for, the opportunity to jog out from the big tunnel (the tunnel you often seen the entire football team jog out to the field).

27) We all got to walk and run and jog on the field.

28) I got to kick the official football, a chance to experience what it was like to kick a field goal in front of the large crowd. Better yet, I got to feel the turf and seeing myself on the jumbotron.

29) Hopped on the coach bus and headed back to the Westin Hotel.

30) Got back to my hotel crib and changed into comfy clothes.

31) Walked down to the bar area to mingle with the other Ford NAIAS Digital Influencers, but more importantly, to meet and greet some of the Influencers who had arrived later in the evening. Wanted to introduce myself and get to know them before the next morning.

(Photo: Shannon Mischuk)

End of Day 1 of my MoVernie Ford NAIAS Media Trip.

Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) as I will be posting awesome photos and videos at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

And MoVernie is outta here!

Follow @FordCanada and @Ford on Twitter!

Also Follow #FordNAIAS for updates!

For NAIAS business hours or admission prices, click the site here.

Jan 16 2016

NAIAS 2016 – What to Expect at the Subaru Showroom

One of the biggest auto shows in the world is the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which is located in Detroit, Michigan. It’s happening right now as we speak and will be opened to the public until Sunday, January 24. This auto show allows car enthusiasts or car shoppers a chance to check out the various products that are available in the market. Furthermore, it’s also an opportunity for car brands to showcase their future concept cars as well as future auto trends and its latest technologies.

During this media trip, I was also able to check out vehicles from different manufacturers showcasing at the NAIAS. NAIAS plays a huge role in setting the tone in the auto industry, being one of the first shows in the new calendar year. Detroit is being labelled “Motor City” for a reason and manufacturers often unveil its latest products for the very first time at this event to the world.

Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) as I will be posting awesome photos and videos at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

And MoVernie is outta here!

Follow @Subaru_Canada and @Subaru_USA and on Twitter!

Also Follow #MoVernieNAIAS & #NAIAS for updates!

For NAIAS business hours or admission prices, click the site here.

Jan 16 2016

NAIAS 2016 – What to Expect at the Volvo Showroom

Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) as I will be posting awesome photos and videos at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

And MoVernie is outta here!

Follow @VolvoCanada and @VolvoCarUSA and on Twitter!

Also Follow #MoVernieNAIAS & #NAIAS for updates!

For NAIAS business hours or admission prices, click the site here.

Jan 16 2016

NAIAS 2016 – What to Expect at the Audi Showroom

Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) as I will be posting awesome photos and videos at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

And MoVernie is outta here!

Follow @AudiCanada and @Audi and on Twitter!

Also Follow #MoVernieNAIAS & #NAIAS for updates!

For NAIAS business hours or admission prices, click the site here.

Jan 16 2016

NAIAS 2016 – What to Expect at the Alfa Romeo Showroom

Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) as I will be posting awesome photos and videos at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

And MoVernie is outta here!

Follow @AlfaRomeoCA and @AlfaRomeoUSA and on Twitter!

Also Follow #MoVernieNAIAS & #NAIAS for updates!

For NAIAS business hours or admission prices, click the site here.

Jan 13 2016

NAIAS 2016 – What to Expect at the Ford Showroom

One of the biggest auto shows in the world is the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which is located in Detroit, Michigan. It’s happening from January 11 to January 24, allowing car enthusiasts or car shoppers a chance to check out the various products that are available in the market. Furthermore, it’s also an opportunity for car brands to showcase their future concept cars as well as future auto trends and its latest technologies.

This year, it is a great honour that I was invited by Ford Canada to fly down from Toronto to Detroit, among a group of other Social Media Influencers to check out what Ford and Lincoln has to offer this year in 2016 as well as future outlook of the direction Ford and Lincoln are heading for.

During this media trip, I was also able to check out vehicles from other manufacturers showcasing at the NAIAS. NAIAS plays a huge role in setting the tone in the auto industry, being one of the first show in the new calendar year. Detroit is being labelled “Motor City” for a reason and manufacturers often unveil its latest products for the very first time at this event to the world.

At a later MoVernie BLOG, I will share more information to you on what to expect at this auto show. Moreover, I will discuss in more details the direction that Ford and Lincoln is taking in building products that consumers want as well as making their lives better by creating technologies and services that will bring more convenience and elevate the lifestyle experiences for many.

But first, let’s start off showing you all the awesome photos that I took at the Ford Showroom. As we all know, picture is worth more than a thousand words. Let the pictures speak for itself with the Ford products behind the Blue Oval Headquarter at the NAIAS 2016!

Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) as I will be posting awesome photos and videos at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

And MoVernie is outta here!

Follow @FordCanada and @Ford on Twitter!

Also Follow #FordNAIAS for updates!