Public Policy Day

Tuesday, February 3, 2009
8:00am – 5:00pm

Description

Washington, D.C.’s largest public show has become an event not to miss for both mass audiences and key policy makers and industry leaders. This Feb. 4 to Feb. 8, hundreds of thousands of visitors, including many environmental and automotive visionaries, will explore the more than 700 new makes and models from 42 manufacturers at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. “Holding our show two weeks after the Presidential inauguration will make for a historic event this year,” says Tamara C. Darvish, Chairman of the Washington Area New Auto Dealers Association (WANADA), which produces the show. “This is the auto industry’s first opportunity to present their technological advancements to the new Administration and other policymakers. The new designs and innovations on display, in turn, will create a more exciting show for auto enthusiasts.” Amid the backdrop of a new Administration and a country seeking progress, The Washington Auto Show, the automotive industry’s policy show, has solutions on display. When it comes to safety, smart technology and the greening of the automotive industry, The Washington Auto Show will draw together the innovators and products that will inspire consumers.

SAE International formerly known as Society of Automotive Engineers and the Washington Auto Show (WAS) will co-locate the 2009 SAE Government/Industry Meeting with the Washington Auto Show. SAE’s plenary session, "Roadmap for the 44th President and 111th Congress,” will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Public Policy Day, February 2 and 3, an event unique to the WAS because of the show’s location at the seat of power. Public Policy Day – Open to Credentialed Media, February 3, opens with the Mazda-hosted breakfast and includes a full-day of manufacturer introductions and policy announcements. Additionally, The Green Car Journal will present the Green Car Vision Award.

These two world-class events clearly complement each other and naturally belong together," Dr. David L. Schutt, PhD, SAE International's executive vice president and chief operating officer, said. "The topics of safety, energy and environment discussed at SAE’s Government/Industry Meeting will be amplified and the impact of these scientific discussions will be broadened not only for mobility professionals, but also for the general public wrestling with increased fuel prices and heightened concern for the natural world we live in." Produced by the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA), the Washington Auto Show has long been concerned with the intersection of technology and public policy, and co-locating SAE's Government/Industry meeting at the show brings these issues front and center. "We are delighted to share the Washington stage with SAE and its state-of-the-art technology forum," said WAS Producer Gerard Murphy. "It's not enough for a world-class auto show here to only showcase the latest and greatest vehicle innovations," he said, "because the extensive array of advanced technology must be presented in the context of the public policy process, so this industry can take advantage of our Washington venue."

While today’s America embraces the automobile like no other country or culture, it wasn’t always so. In 1921, a group of 20 Washington-area car dealers and distributors planned the first show to sell the public on the virtue of the horseless carriage. From that humble beginning, The Washington Auto Show has been on the fast track in terms of growth and popularity. Housed in variety of area venues, the show was staged for 18 years in the National Guard D.C. Armory. The show has gone on hiatus twice in over six decades – once for war and once due to poor economic conditions. The Washington Auto Show even captured presidential attention in the 1930’s and was used by President Roosevelt to overcome seasonal buying peaks disrupting the economy.

After a break in the 70’s, the Washington Convention Center and The Washington Auto Show opened together in early 1983. By this date, the auto show had grown to require every available foot of display space, covering nearly eight acres – almost four times the physical size of the Armory shows with three times as many models.

Given its staging in the heart of Washington political season, the show has increasingly garnered national and international spotlight and drawn on the capital’s high-profile visitors. In turn, manufacturers have responded with larger, more interactive exhibits, now possible in the expanded convention center. That’s all good news for the true VIPs of the show – consumers. More new models, more concepts and prototypes, more high-tech breakthroughs and more entertainment, celebrity guests and contests await this year’s visitors.

Indeed, Washington, D.C.’s largest public show has become an event not to miss for both mass audiences and key policy makers and industry leaders. This Feb. 4 to Feb. 8, hundreds of thousands of visitors, including many environmental and automotive visionaries, will explore the more than 700 new makes and models from 42 manufacturers at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Now in its 91st year of existence, WANADA represents dealerships throughout the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area. The show’s early planners who sought every imaginative twist to draw attention to that new-fangled mode of transportation would be amazed to learn that today’s auto show features a full-slate of entertainment, contests, interactive displays and family activities that can actually offer visitors a break from all those cars!

For a full schedule of entertainment and special events, operating hours, ticket information and “e-tickets,” visit The Washington Auto Show online at www.washingtonautoshow.com or contact WANADA at 1-866-WASH-AUTO or 202.237.7200.

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