Greetings from Beijing, home of Auto China 2008, and in a few months, the Olympic Games.  I've spent the last two days in Beijing taking in this massive auto exhibition during press days.  Understanding the importance of the China market to the global auto industry, I was anxious to see the progress being made in the development of live communications here.  And boy, did it deliver. 

 

I saw design and technology that is beginning to rival major auto shows in Frankfurt and Detroit. Press events featuring top stories and top brass.  Significant investments made at every level of the industry, including luxury brands fighting for their share of China's young money. 

 

Overall, the quality of the communications is beginning to catch up with the sheer scale of it, and that's an exciting prospect for marketers looking to Chinese partners for support penetrating this market.  Clearly, there is still significant progress that has to be made before marketers can expect a consistently good product from a wide variety of live agencies in China.  But Auto China 08 represents a significant step forward in the development of quality live communications.  I can't wait to see what the Olympics and 2010 Expo will do to advance this cause!