Forward with Ford: 3 Days in Detroit

by Lori Cunningham

Last week I was invited by Ford Motor Corp.*to attend a 2 1/2 day Forward with Ford symposium with roughly 350 other bloggers, editors, book writers, and more.

I was very intrigued by the agenda.  Eleven speakers from outside of Ford from various professions from a trauma surgeon, to a futurist, to a renown green expert were scheduled to speak.  The aim of the symposium was to identify some of the key trends facing our future  and  educate  attendees on how Ford has worked to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.

The tracks explored were:

1. Aging Population– the worldwide population of people over 50 is becoming greater as this age takes over a greater percentage of the total population.  Life expectancies are expected to reach a historic high.
2. Youth Influence & Global Convergence of Design–  Ford believes there is a global collaboration among the millennial.   generation.  Millennials are more global in their tastes and friendships than any generation preceding it.
3. Safety for all Ages –  Concerns about safety and security is paramount among our concerns.  Explores how passengers at any age need to be protected.
4. Living Green – concerns over the environment, sustainability, climate, human rights – that were on the fringe of societal concern are now a high priority with corporate groups and government working on these issues.  Consumers are taking a stand.
5. Emerging Technologies – our society has information addiction  — consumers want info at their fingertips.  Consumers want to respond to opportunities and better control their environment.
6. From the Ford Labs – A behind the scenes tour of Ford’s research of the five senses of the consumer.   The Ford labs have never been opened up to the public or media before, this is a first.

Ford asked each of us what are top favorite tracks were ahead of time and when we arrived we received our top pics.  It was hard to choose as there were so many good topics.  I selected  emerging technologies (surprised?), safety, and the Ford Labs.

The first night we attended a reception at Ford.  Gourmet appetizers and an open bar awaited us.  Dinner was great, as was the company.  It was great fun to meet the other guests, including bloggers from many disciplines –those covering cars, fashion, technology, social media, family life…even pets!

Malcolm Gladwell, renowned thought leader, started of the symposium by sharing his insights on how we are in the most radical cultural revolution since the sixties.

We all stayed at the historic Marriott Dearborn Inn, close to the Ford campus.  The next day, Wednesday, was our full day of tracks.  I had a blast.

After a full day of exploration and speakers, we headed back to the hotel for 2 hours of rest before loading the busses again.  Next we headed to Detroit’s landmark, The Fillmore, an exquisite beautifully renovated old-time theatre.  Now used for concerts, the theatre featured large crystal chandeliers, gold painted accents, velvet curtains, and a huge bar!  I’ve seen a number of beautiful renovated theatres like this, but none with a super-sized bar!  The downstairs consisted of temporary bar seats and tables while the loge featured permanent seats.  Apparently the theatre is now used for concerts.

Dinner consisted of fun food stations consisting of Greek, American, Italian, and Mexican foods.  Promptly following dinner we watched an executive panel discussion about music and its importance in society.  Fifty percent of music is listened to in the car.  Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora, Ty Roberts, cofounder and senior vice president and chief technology officer for Gracenote, and Bob Struble, iBiquity president and CEO comprised the panel along with two members from the up-and-coming band, Head to the Heart.

Following the panel, Head to the Hear played a fantastic concert for us.  Their vibe was very cool and sound fantastic.  They have a sort of blue grassy overtones with great instrumental outbursts.

The last day at Ford was spent at the Ford testing grounds.  We had the opportunity to drive Ford cars over steep dirt hills, test our driving accuracy around and between cones, challenge each other with who can drive a hybrid the most efficiently, and how driving fast with no control in a 480 degree turn differs from technology that helps avoid this potential disaster in the rain…amongst other tests.

Forward with Ford was one of the biggest events Ford has ever put on with the media.  Many Ford employees were on hand during the event to meet us and answer any questions.  The event exceeded many of our expectations and can be counted a success.

The key is, will Ford continue to build upon these relationships with these 350+ information sharers or was this just another one time event and Ford moves onto their next initiative, as so many companies often do.  Only time will tell how they will handle this great wave of enthusiasm they initiated with this conference.  As a Ford Edge owner myself, I’m pulling for them.

More Ford articles forth coming.

*Ford paid my expenses for the flights and lodging.  All opinions are my own.