Industry veteran chairing Washington Auto Show
Geoff Pohanka steps in as WAS chairman for 2016
As producer of the Washington Auto Show, WANADA is especially pleased to announce that long time dealer association leader, Geoff Pohanka, Pohanka Automotive, is chairing the 2016 event as well as WANADAês Auto Show Committee. As chairman of WANADA in 1998, Pohanka put Washington on course to becoming a world premier auto show when he, along with former WAS chair, Daniel Jobe, got WANADA leaders systematically interacting with OEM exhibitors at their headquarter locations and at the tier one industry auto shows in the U.S. and Europe. Once Washington was able to present itself as a premier industry auto show, which occurred after the opening of the world class Walter E. Washington Convention Center in 2004, Washington was able to develop into the Public Policy Auto Show on the industry circuit that it is today.
Washington is the only auto show venue in the world with the U.S. Congress down the street, which for better or worse, is the de facto partner of the OEMs in automotive design, Pohanka said. Leveraging its self into the Public Policy Auto Show was as logical as it was natural for Washington, and that affords a thoroughly unique annual opportunity for OEM exhibitors everywhere, he said.
Pohanka has returned to WANADAês Board of Directors as WAS chairman. He also returned to NADAês Board representing Metropolitan Washington dealers, which happened earlier this year. Pohanka previously served on the NADA Board for two terms from 2002-2008. Joining him on the 2016 Auto Show Committee are two former WANADA and WAS chairmen: George Doetsch, Apple Ford/Lincoln, and John Ourisman, Ourisman Companies. Daniel Jobe, Capitol Cadillac, who previously chaired the Auto Show, has returned to WANADAês Board, and just recently, became the state of Maryland representative on the NADA Board. Former Auto Show chairman and current officer of WANADA, Kevin Reilly, Alexandria Hyundai, is also on the Committee as is a former Auto Show chairman, Charlie Stringfellow. The seventh member of the Committee is Mark Zetlin, Mercedes Benz of Arlington.
The dates for the 2016 WAS are January 22-31, with Industry/Media Days–a.k.a. Public Policy Days–set for January 20-21. Chairman Pohanka and the Auto Show Committee will preside over the annual WAS Space Draw, where OEM exhibitors will determine their positioning in the 2016 Washington Auto Show.
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