Neven Freyberg, the Georgian College Auto Show’s student Director of Marketing and Media Relations interviewed by Canadian auto dealer editor Todd Phillips.
The sun was shining, the cars were polished up, and the auto industry dignitaries were on hand for the official opening of the 37th edition of the Georgian College Auto Show in Barrie last week.
Students from the Automotive Business School of Canada learn how to stage a major automotive event as part of their school program, and get a chance to show what they can do working closely with OEM, dealer and supplier partners.
This year was the 40th anniversary of the automotive business program at Georgian College. Students marked the occasion with an Auto Show After Dark VIP event on Thursday night before the show opened. In 1985, Georgian College launched the first auto business program as the Canadian Automotive Institute (CAI) and the program was re-branded in 2012 as the Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC).
The emcee for the VIP event was Anabelle Baxter, the student Director of Sponsorship and Performance. Baxter introduced various speakers, recognized her fellow directors and auto show volunteer students and talked about how much students learn by staging the event.
Jason Dale
ABSC’s Executive Director Jason Dale welcomed dignitaries and attendees. “On behalf of the Automotive Business School of Canada, our Board of Directors, faculty and team, I would like to thank the WEINS Auto Group and CADA for sponsoring our first ever Auto Show After Dark,” said Dale.
Dr. Yael Katz, Vice-President of Academic at Georgian College, provided brief remarks recognizing the 40th anniversary. “Tonight we gather to celebrate a remarkable milestone, 40 years of the Automotive Business School of Canada,” said Katz. “ABSC was built by the automotive industry for the automotive industry, creating a unique and powerful partnership that continues to drive our success today.”
At the show’s official opening ceremony, Neven Freyberg, the auto show’s student Director of Marketing and Media Relations, emceed the proceedings and introduced various speakers. “Thank you for trusting our students to represent your brands. You’ve handed them the keys to your vehicles, and your reputations,” said Freyberg. “They are all in good hands.”
In an interview with Canadian auto dealer, Freyberg said he enjoyed the challenge of learning about how to market such a large consumer show, and tried out some new approaches.
“It’s so rewarding to be part of this, and it was definitely a huge buildup. It takes so long to promote a show like this, but ultimately at the end of the day, we’re hoping to have a really great turnout this weekend,” he said.
“I’ve done quite a few different things this year. One of the first things I did was I improved our billboards around the Simcoe County area,” he said, adding that the expanded billboard presence was up 70 per cent over the previous year. “We’ve optimized our social media, and have made changes to our social media ads.”
Neyberg said last year’s attendance was 13,500 and he was hoping to hit 17,500 for this year’s show.
What were some of his main takeaways from the experience?
“I’ve seen a really new side of the industry. I never really realized how big automotive marketing could be. I never really realized how much support the industry has for the marketing world, and it’s just been a really cool eye opening experience to work with all these people who are so knowledgeable.”
During his remarks at the opening ceremonies, Kevin Weaver, President of Georgian College, offered his thoughts on how special the ABSC program is and how important the show is for the student’s learning.
“The Georgian College Auto Show represents truly the best of what the Automotive Business School of Canada has to offer. It’s about exceptional hands-on and immersive learning experiences. It’s about strong and unwavering connections with our partners and a passion to drive the industry forward through innovation and an unparalleled commitment to excellence,” said Weaver.
Weaver said he gets to meet the student directors for the show as they progress along the journey and notes how they have to learn to manage the stress and pressure that comes with staging the event. “To me, that’s learning, that’s growth, and that’s what we’re doing here. We’re helping students put skills and experiences to the test,” said Weaver.
