I will be honest with you; I have never been very interested in cars. Of course I drive them, but that is about as far as my fascination goes. That is until I attended the Chicago Auto Show 2014! Who knew a laid back girl with pretty simple taste could be so blown away by a bunch of cars?! There may have been frigid temperatures while I was in Chicago, but it was the friendly reception from Nissan USA and the Chicago Auto Show 2014 which warmed this girl’s heart! After sitting in an airport in Knoxville for almost 2 hours due to weather delays, I was not off to a good start for my first auto show!
By the time we landed in Chicago, it was snowing like crazy, the temperature was 7 degrees and there was so much ice, we waited almost another hour before we could deplane. When I found the team from the Chicago Auto Show 2014 who were coordinating our transportation, I was greeted by a bunch of smiles, friendly greetings and concern for my warmth! I could not have been made to feel more welcome than had my own family been there to take care of me!
Once we arrived at the hotel, we were directed to the team from Nissan USA. This incredibly welcoming group of ladies were so helpful in getting us settled in at the hotel, answering questions and pointing out some much needed food in the hospitality suite! How fun to walk in to see a huge spread of food, including real Chicago style pizza, which I have never had! It was delicious! Nissan USA provided transportation to the Chicago Auto Show Welcome Reception and my hat goes off to the driving team. The weather was less than desirable to drive in and they were just fantastic. They made me feel completely safe and totally at ease while in their capable hands.
Our welcome reception was held at Venue One, which was a cool industrial style space on West Randolph. Let me tell you, the folks at Nissan really know how to throw a happening shindig! They had a fantastic DJ who kept spinning tunes throughout the evening. He had us bobbing our heads and tapping our feet all night long! Innovation That Excites? Um..yes!
There was a variety of food available either from the extremely friendly serving staff or at the self serve area. We were never without food because when an item got low, it was replaced almost immediately with more of the same piping hot and delicious food. My favorite were the Angus beef sliders as well as the beef served in a tiny cone with a spicy sauce.
When it came to wetting your whistle, we were invited to partake at the bar as well as a very unique beer “truck”. One of the Nissan vehicles was customized to house several beer taps and dispense beer at the event. The Goose Island Beer Co., who are local to Chicago, had a very experienced and knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions and make recommendation. I chose the 312 Urban Pale Ale and it was absolutely one of the best ales I have had. I will admit one of the reasons I chose the 312 is because the tap for the beer is fashioned as a retro telephone handset!
While at the reception, I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Dan Passe from the Franklin, TN office of Nissan North America. Dan and his colleagues are just a few hours from my Knoxville, TN home. I must gush a bit here because Dan was one of the most personable and down to earth guys I have ever met. After speaking with Dan for just a few minutes, you feel like you have been friends with him for years!
The following day I met Jeannie Whited, a colleague of Dan’s from the Franklin location of Nissan North America. Again, I was made to feel so welcome and comfortable when talking with Jeannie. I absolutely cannot say enough kind words about the people with Nissan North America. They made me feel very much at ease, are extremely knowledgeable and are super fun to hang out with! Thank you Nissan North America for making this small town girl fully understand Nissan North America more than a car company!