Day 1 at NAIAS: Behind the Blue Oval with Ford, Learning Through Innovation and Seeing Amazing Cars! #FordNAIAS

Behind the Blue Oval with Ford.

On the first day for the media preview and after the unveiling of Ford’s NEW reveals at the Ford press conference, we headed Behind the Blue Oval at Ford’s display at the North American International Auto Show. As I have mentioned before, Ford always has the largest and most interactive displays at NAIAS. In fact, I can say that Ford grew with technology over the years and has always had an interactive experience for car show goers.

Making Connections.

And staying connected. 

There is no shortage of learning at the Ford display nor is there a shortage of charging stations. Ford helps you stay connected so that you don’t miss a beat. You know that you have to share those Ford selfies, right? Above you’ll see a sneak peek at the blogger area and see that huge screen? It keeps you in the know and I do recognize a tweet up there from yours truly. 

We attended a few talks and meet and greets and more. Sharad from Freshly Educated Men and Natalie from Peg City Lovely were my partners in crime and I met a whole slew of amazing writers, US and fellow Canucks. Some as far as Mexico and beyond.

Innovation Workshops.

Behind the Blue Oval was buzzing, you’ll be able to find the All-New F-150 with Beacon Technology, the Ford Explorer, Ford Edge, Ford Fusion and Ford Focus just to name a few. Each Kiosk has information about the design of each car.

You’ll see interactive games and activities scattered throughout the display. They are a lot of fun and very informative. Above you can see a handful of stations and Channel 7’s Action News, Vic Faust, enjoying a game where you’d use your body weight and equilibrium to move the characters on the screen.

The center of the Ford display is a circular, you’ll find a Conservation Carnival with live plants and sanctuaries within the display. There are running shallow pools where you can see the cute little Ford rubber duckies. In the water, there is trivia and facts about Ford and sustainability. 

All About the Cars.

 Of course, one of the best parts of being Behind the Blue Oval is the opportunity to see all of the cars. Above you can see the Ford Focus, Ford GT40, Ford Explorer and the Ford Edge. All of which are eye candy! It was nice learning about each one and to see the small changes and improvements in all of them. Of course, the Ford GT40 was a nice blast from the past and the inspiration for the 2016 Ford GT.

The Ford Focus and Fiesta have EcoBoost engines, Ford strives to provide good fuel economy, technology, safety and outstanding performance. My sister drives a Ford Focus and it has features to the nine, from heated leather seats, rear-camera and SYNC.

The Ford Mustang.

Now, as you can see, I am a bit partial to the Mustang. I have always wanted one and this one in Competition Orange is gorgeous. Once the girls are older, I promised Hubby that we will get one for us to enjoy. Who knows, maybe we will even get a convertible and go all out. 

With 310 HP, I will have a little adventure in my life! It was awesome getting inside and behind the wheel of this baby, let me tell you!

We learned that young people are buying Fords since they are reliable and affordable. Especially the Ford Focus and Fiesta, they are buying ST models at a rate that’s double than that of the rest of the Ford lineup. 

Winding Down.

One of the best things about the Ford display was the many ways you could keep charged. Ford has portable chargers that you can rent out and put into your purse or bag and enjoy the show without worrying that your device would run out of juice. 

The last session of the day was about Connectivity with Parrish Hanna and then it was time for the evening reception. It was a nice evening with great conversation, yummy apps and a sneak peek at the XBox’s New Game, Forza 6. You will recognize some Ford cars in the game, like the Ford GT!

The takeaway of the day for me was reminiscent to what Raj Nair says, ““Ford still races for the same reasons Henry Ford did in 1901 – to prove out our products and technologies against the very best in the world. The Ford Performance team will continue to pursue performance innovation, ensuring we can deliver even more coveted performance.”

I learned that Ford cares about their consumers and strive to provide quality and performance. Well, after an incredibly informative and fun day, we headed back to the Westin and had some night caps and snacks. It was great to be around like-minded people and really digest what we had learned and experienced on our first day of the NAIAS. 

What features do you look for in a car? 

Let me know, til then–cheers m’deres!

 
 
 
 

Note: Ford Motor Company paid for my travel and accommodations at the three-day NAIAS Digital Summit. It was not compensated in any other manner for my time. My opinions posted here are my own and have not been influenced in any way.