My passport, that I just renewed this year, has its first stamp. It is from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Customs and Immigration. That means I finally used my high school French in Paris. The Parisians laughed when I spoke, but I’m sure it was with me. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. As an American, I helped them recall words in English. They helped me recall words in French.
No worries. I found places to practice.
As someone who writes auto reviews from time to time, I was happy to attend the Paris Motor Show at Porte de Versailles. During the event, that ran October 4-14, 2018, I saw first-hand some of the innovative ways the industry introduces design and technology advancements to a global audience.
Recently, there has been much talk about how the auto show circuit is going through changes, namely with manufacturers being more selective on where in the world they choose to have an auto show presence. In short, every manufacturer will not be at every auto show.
According to their press office, “By associating, within the Porte de Versailles, the Paris Motor Show, the Mondial de la Moto, the Mondial de la Mobilité, Mondial.Tech, Mondial Limited, the historic exhibition “Routes Mythiques” (Legendary Roads), by creating new event formats such as the conference Tomorrow in Motion” the model for the Mondial Paris Motor Show has presented a dynamic event with programming to meet the desires of almost any automobile or motorcycle enthusiast.
Ultimately, they introduced a new format in the world of automobile shows.
The 120th anniversary show launched Mondial Women to promote the role women play in the sectors of automobiles, motorcycles and mobility. The Mondial Tech Startups Awards competition recognized WeProov as the top startup among candidates from 53 countries in the world for its work in security, automatization and cybersecurity. To mark the launch of Mondial.Tech, the event welcomed the most important technological show in the world, the CES-Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show. Many would argue the line between technology and the auto industry has become almost nonexistent.
Add to that Google and Facebook events, and the Mondial Paris Motor Show reigns unique. There was a lot to see and learn.
At the conclusion of the auto show, more than 1 million people reportedly attended the event over an 11-day period, setting it as the most visited auto show in the world, again, ahead of the 2018 Geneva Show (660,000+) and the IAA in Frankfurt, Germany (810,000+). The biennial Paris Motor Show alternates years with Frankfurt.
As a first-time visitor to Paris, I explored the city on a nighttime cruise on the Seine river, eventually walking to the Eiffel Tower for a true light show. While participating in a group literary walking tour hosted by DiscoverParis, I learned how black writers and musicians from around the world spent time at coffee shops and jazz clubs surrounding Luxembourg Gardens. Images of Richard Wright, James Baldwin and James Reese Europe came to life in my mind while listening to the tour guide talk about history as we passed Luxembourg Palace, also recognized as the home of the French Senate. During the tour, we also learned about Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty. That is just to start.
Multiple languages from around the world floated in the air around me at the auto show and in the city. In the big picture, my language faux pas were small. But, if I must exercise correction and practice more, I must return to Paris.
