DC officials join WANADA in promoting Washington at Paris Motor Show

DC officials join WANADA in promoting Washington at Paris Motor Show

Against Europes gloomy economic backdrop, officials from WANADA and the DC City Council went to the Paris Motor Show week before last to dock with global automakers, other industry notables and international officials on the pivotal importance of Washington as a key new vehicle market and platform for the Public Policy Show on the international auto show circuit.

Going to Paris and to other tier one shows is in keeping with the global stature of The Washington Auto Show (WAS) and its mission as the Public Policy Show, says Washington Auto Show chairman Robert Fogarty. Visiting premier auto shows offers an opportunity to continue the ongoing dialogue with OEM exhibitors that is required of us in promoting the Washington show.

In addition to Fogarty, other WAS representatives included WANADA chairman Chip Lindsay; assistant WAS chairman Kevin Reilly; and former WAS chairmen George Doetsch and Daniel Jobe, both of whom remain actively involved in the show and serve on WANADAs Auto Show Committee. DC City Councilmen David Catania and Jack Evans represented the city, which for a number of years has actively promoted Washington and its auto show with elected officials attending the motor shows in Paris and Frankfurt.

The Washington delegation met with Thierry Hesse, executive manager of the Paris show, and with Jeri Guthrie-Corn, chargĀ© daffaires and acting ambassador for the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Other meetings took place with high level OEM executives, including Daimler AG Chairman Dieter Zetsche; Mazda North America president Jim OSullivan; and Audi of America COO Mark Del Rosso.

Its part of our strategy to stay in front of the automakers and let them know were the Public Policy Show, says assistant WAS Chairman Kevin Reilly. Simply put, no other show has Congress down the street. WANADA also meets with OEMs at the auto shows in Geneva, Frankfurt, New York and Los Angeles, and at automakers headquarters in Southern California, Detroit, New Jersey, and, most recently, in Atlanta at Porsches headquarters

While in Paris, Washington officials also met with executives at the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, known by the French acronym OICA. OICA certifies tier one auto shows in countries around the world, and WANADA officials anticipate that Washington will be joining this elite circle of industry expositions shortly.

Leaders of the Autolib program, an electric car sharing program in Paris, met with WANADA representatives during the show which was done in conjunction with a meeting officials from the city of Paris convened with the DC councilmen. WANADA officials also spent time with NADA executives, including chairman Bill Underriner.

The French may have been happy for the distraction of a technology-laden auto show, as auto sales there have dropped 23 percent this year. European Union sales overall have not fared as badly, with sales down just 7 percent.

Download Bulletin PDF