This post is in partnership with Girls Guide to Cars, all opinions are my own.
Why are people surprised when women express a passion for cars? Who deemed them gender specific? Women in Automotive do exist.
As a child, I remember being criticized for playing with matchbox cars. I was so proud because my dad bought them and a favorite stuffed toy that I had been eyeing. The comments quickly put a damper on the fun, but luckily my parents encouraged me to follow my own path and that is why I have an affinity to cars. Fast cars, big cars, colorful cars, I like them all!
In February, I head to the Chicago Auto Show as one of their top “100 A-list media and top-tier influencers” for a deep dive into the industry’s latest concept vehicles, safety technology & telematics before the show officially opens on February 8th.
The “What Drives Her” luncheon will focus on how women are shifting the public conversation, how they are building careers in automotive and how they are impacting sales and economic trends. According to A Girls Guide to Cars, “Women are the most influential auto buyers; they buy or influence the purchase of 85% of all cars. Yet they only hold 27% of jobs and can be elusive for marketers to reach.”
In partnership with Women in Automotive and A Girls Guide to Cars, the fourth annual What Drives Her Luncheon will uncover and illuminate how women are changing the automotive business from the inside.
Women and men who work in the automotive business are invited to join us for a day of robust conversations and panel discussions about the impact that women have in the automotive industry.
What Drives Her Luncheon
Date: Friday February 7, 2020
Time: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Where: Chicago Auto Show, McCormick Place, 2301 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60616
Attendance is free but registration is required. Details can be found here or you can learn more from the Facebook Event Page.
This year’s speakers include:
- Amy Marentic, Director of Product Line Management, Ford Icons
- Angela Zepeda, Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai
- Keitha Blackburn, Manager, Experiential Marketing, Porsche
- Kelly Webb Roberts of Webb Auto Group
- Roz Varon, Traffic and Transportation anchor, ABC 7 Chicago
- Jessica Egerton, Director of Brand at Cooper Tire
- Michelle Collins, Director of Marketing and Communications, Borg Warner
- Jennifer Newman, Editor in Chief of Cars.com
- Scotty Reiss, Founder of A Girls Guide to Cars
- Tanya Gazdik, Senior Reporter, Automotive, MediaPost
No worries if you can't be there in person. Follow along and join the conversation using #WDHCAS2020 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
