I was invited to attend the 2014 Ford Trends Conference in Dearborn, Michigan as a part of the Ford Millennials. The Ford Millennials in an initiative by Ford en Español to give Millennials like myself to create dialogue online on issues we are interested in, offer us opportunities  and create events so we can network and grow in our professional fields after we finish college. I was immersed with journalists, automotive writers, social media influencers and bloggers from all around the world.  Little did I know that it was more than a conference, it was an adventure and all around exciting time!
On the first night of my trip, we were taken to the Ford Performing Arts Center for an opening dinner to listen to Mark Fields who is the newly inducted CEO of Ford, Clay Christensen (Harvard Business Professor), and Kenneth Cole. They spoke about different topics, but the main focus was on innovation and how Ford has positioned themselves to be more than just a car company.
It was interesting for me to hear Kenneth Cole speak about how different the consumer is to a brand now. He said “As a designer, I hope people will allow me to be a part of their brand and self identity and not to presume that they should define themselves by mine.” It is exciting to see in today’s world that brands are more focused on the consumer and we now have a bigger input than ever before.
Day two started early and I was excited because we were headed to Ford World Headquarters! We were welcomed and briefed by Ford’s Global Consumer Trends and Futuring executive Sheryl Connelly. We were then broken up to attend the different sessions Ford had planned. The sessions I attended were titled “What’s the Big Deal with Big Data,” “Sustainability Blues,” and the Trend Session on designing experiences.
All of these sessions were incredibly thought provoking and added to my shifting perspective on technology, design, our earth, and where the future is going. Some key takeaways for me throughout the different sessions were:
- 800 million people in the world do not have access to clean water and how people are getting involved to help.
- Design is more than visual and it creates an emotional connection by building a great user experience.
- Companies are using their consumers data to anticipate and improve issues that may arise.
After the sessions, I was flowing with so many thoughts and it created a  great surge of energy in me. My mini adventure of the Ford Headquarters was just starting as I was headed to “Inside the Oval.” It was behind the scenes at Ford’s Product Development and Research Facilities to see the latest innovation in design and technology. I was able to see and try out how Ford is implementing the Oculus in the Virtual Reality Lab. At “Design Studio 2000x,” I was able to see Ford’s design team and the level they work on which completely blew me away. It was my personal favorite moment of the whole day to see this digital design and media studio which is not shared with the public.
The final day of my Ford Trends adventure had me behind the wheel at Ford’s test track. Mini test track courses were set up and I was able to get a feel for the Fiesta, Focus, and Fusion. It was interesting to see  all the detail Ford puts into their cars, like the “nudge” feature which automatically nudges your car to stay in its lane if you veer over into the next lane. Other features I was able to see first hand were the perpendicular and parallel park assist. Being an avid car lover, I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and getting to  see what happens on a daily basis at Ford’s Test Track.
The next stop was The Dearborn Truck Plant for a tour. Once we got there, we were given an exclusive presentation on the all new F150 Ford Truck coming out and an in depth explanation of all of the new features that will be added to the truck. The most impressive part was shortly after the presentation they had set up stations with the new features at each station. For example, my favorite feature was these new LED lights that they have installed into the side mirrors that not only look eye popping, but also serves to illuminate a larger area most trucks do not.
That concluded my 2014 Ford Trends Conference and it was more than I could have ever hoped for. I entered having a pretense that Ford was just a normal car company and I can confidently say I was proven wrong. Everything I was able to view behind the scenes first hand not only showed me how advanced they are, but put things into a perspective for me as well. I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a part of Ford Millennials and I am excited to do great things in the future with Ford.
Keep an eye out on our #FordMillennial hashtag for other events I will be participating in thanks to Ford en Español. You can follow them on Twitter @fordespanol or their hashtag #fordespanol
Awesome