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Amex Platinum Private Event 2017 Detroit Auto Show Luxury Cars

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We take you on a tour of the Amex Platinum Private Event 2017 Detroit Auto Show. It was full of luxury cars, enjoy!

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For a few years now I have seen an email come my way from American Express showing a Private Event for Platinum cardholders during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Price tag is very expensive so I always hesitated. Last year I finally called but was told it was sold out and that these go fast!

So, this year I saw it again. Price tag: $350 per person! I asked my friend Dave to check out what is included and whether it is a good deal and he said “Yes, go for it!”. As I always like to get a good deal and value experiences a heck of a lot more than material things…I was in for two. Full Disclosure: I am deducting the cost in my blogging business. Why? Because you.are.reading.this.now 🙂

Some info about this Amex event, this was my first one! About 100 tickets to Platinum and Centurion cardholders. They go FAST as they don’t last more than a day, wow! You do NOT have to pay with the Platinum (or Centurion, anyone?) card, you just have to have one to qualify.

So the event is over three days at the Detroit MGM Casino and of course at Cobo Hall where the Auto Show exhibits are held. First was a private reception at the Ignite Club for us and famous Chef Wolfgang Puck was there. The food was amazing, the drinks flowed non stop and the dessert setup was so decadent I immediately gave up on my New Year Resolution lol.

Then we moved to the Grand Ballroom for a private showing of the Luxury Car Salon which was then opened up to media and other VIPs.  I pretended I was interested in a Ferrari and had the sales manager talk to me lol. It was cool for a day to pretend we belong here. I wonder how many of these people are in debt up to their eyeballs while we have none #winning

We loved this first day and met some interesting people. And of course checked out all the cars I only dream of and will only buy when I win the lottery. I am not going to mention how that is impossible as I don’t play the lottery woohoo! Watching so many people blowing their money away in the casino is always a distressing sight for me, so so sad, wtf are they thinking!

The second day was a bit underwhelming. We slept in, a private brunch at MGM again which was not a big deal, then a presentation by Caddilac, then on a bus to Cobo Hall where it was move in day and we got to see the huge exhibit displays being constructed and the final touches being applied. We had a tour of the floor and a presentation with some Alfa Romeo folks (nice cars!) and then came back to MGM.

The third day we have Press credentials and we will spend it on the floor, it is Press Day! I always wanted to attend this, seeing it all before it opens to huge crowds. We hope to get lots of swag! That will be another post eventually for you!

So here are some pics. To the guy who has been after me for years to get my wife to pose with credit cards, the answer is again…NO! Give it up dude, thanks.

chef wolfgang puck
Us with Chef Wolfgang Puck. Nice guy actually, very down to earth.

At the private reception so you can get an idea. The food was Amazing!!!20170107_174738 20170107_175110 20170107_175121fb_img_1483934112498img_64831 img_64851 img_64871 img_64881 img_64891 img_64911

And then we discovered the dessert section which was to the left as we entered…We ran into it looking for the bathroom 🙂

img_65171Look at this decadence! Oh dear Lord forgive my sins committed here lol.20170107_181121

20170107_181240 20170107_181325 20170107_182405

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For the record, I had none,  I am allergic to shrimp #nojoke20170107_183834On the way to the Grand Ballroom…20170107_185912At the entrance, in front of a Falcon car. My pants look so horrible, hey JosABank suits, buy one get seven freeeeee!20170107_190155My dream car, Ford GT!20170107_190350 20170107_190716 20170107_190846I am NOT a car guy! I had never heard of this brand but I am sure it belongs here 🙂

20170107_191003fb_img_1483934045437I had a funny conversation with the Ferrari guy pretending I can afford this lol!20170107_191047Pretending I just got an offer to sell my blog to The Points Guy Inc woohoo!20170107_191058I’ll take the model in the black…every single time!20170107_191208By the time we moved to this section I am starting to feel like The Points Guy lol!20170107_191749I see models everywhere!20170107_191821I am a lucky guy I know. Hi Ingy!20170107_191848This guy had a really hard time to get out of the car! Not that impressed with BMWs.20170107_192102 20170107_192220The cars on display were worth $10 million USD. This one alone was worth $2 million. Not allowed to touch it #sosad20170107_192238Actually, Acura had one of the nicest looking cars, I did not expect them to be here!20170107_192254BMW had three cars displayed, this was the best one.20170107_192426Screw Aston Martin, this brand always felt like it should come with a butler. 20170107_193135Looking a little entitled?

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Probably second best dream car for me, should I start playing the lotto? Naaaah!20170107_194325She liked the Porsche cars a lot. Disclosure: My wife works at Ford. Don’t tell anyone!20170107_194441I had to think about this a little more….Still, the model in the black for me please!20170107_194718That guy stayed at the back looking at the trunk for EVER, WTF dude, get a life!20170107_195335My wife says thanks to all readers who support my site. Without it, she would not have a great time. Let me thank you too, the tax deduction sure helps a lot to stomach this. I hope you enjoy this post! I like to post unique stuff, let everyone else repeat themselves to death!20170107_195357I should look up where this brand came from or learn how to pronounce it at least.20170107_195729It was opened up to media later on and I think I heard a bunch of Amex Black cardholders came in. We continued to pretend we belong lol.20170107_211522In the second day, we had a nice brunch at the Amber Room at the MGM and then we had a Cadillac exec give us a short presentation about what they are doing. It was actually very educational and had some pretty sharp questions by the audience who were obviously real car guys. Snagged some awesome Cadillac coffee mugs. Oh, at registration we also had a gift bag including a huge book about classic cars among other little things.

As we entered, we saw this baby got moved down the hall the Grand Ballroom…wow!

20170108_115930Then we were taken to Cobo Hall with a bus and we had a tour during Move-In Day. No photos were allowed but you know, stuff happens. Here are a few pics with Alfa Romeo cars during a presentation by them, very sharp guys. If those assholes at BMW stopped testing the microphones it would have been much better!

20170108_13490820170108_134932A lot was going on around us. so many people with badges, security. Can you imagine what it takes to put on such an event, wow! There was a presentation by Pixar or something.20170108_141629 20170108_142117

I should have one more post during the 3rd day of this great event. Press Day. Can’t wait!

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TBB
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Comments

  2. GringoLoco says

    Food porn.

    Car porn.

    Only thing missing is plane porn.

    Nice trip report even tho it’s in your backyard and there’s no bathroom selfies in LH pajamas and glasses of Krug (or Dom [or both]).

    Particularly appreciate your “pimping” me yesterday on Twitter. Still waiting for the girls to be in touch. Methinks a long wait?

    #TBBon

    Oh yeah: 2d.

    • TBBTheDude says

      I have a classic shot of me and four models, I am keeping to my self for now 🙂
      Will post it in the blog post when I get around to it from Auto Show Press Day.

  4. STROKIN FOR MILES says

    I would of had my wife stuff her pocketbook full with Macaroons and Shrimp!

    Wish I was there.

    Both of you were looking sharp.

  5. Sam says

    Buzz-

    I’m not sure you saw the new angle Award Wallet has started, that of paying people AAdvantage miles for selected comments made to the AW website:

    https://awardwallet.com/blog/earn-bonus-aadvantage-miles-for-comments/

    This is really Tom Sawyer stuff-pay me to do my job-and it will really bring out the mile whores.

    Seems to me TBB will have to plan carefully when implementing a ‘pay for posts’ program. I think you should pass out points on a curve, based on the post’s difficulty, creativity and, let’s not forget, value to TBB. For example, Scott should get a decent allotment for being first, but second is far harder since one never knows if Scott showed up that day or not.

    But the real big pile of points should go to the last post of the day. There’s folks over on Reddit who will stay up all night putting up comment after comment trying to be last. Alexa ratings up the wazoo-hell, it won’t be long before TPG is taking out ads on TBB hoping to get in on the action.

    Great report on the car show special. I went to the regular Denver show last year and was underwhelmed. Maybe that had the good stuff at a separate event.

    • TravelBloggerBuzz says

      Sorry for just posting this late, it was caught up in the spam blocker!

      And thanks for bringing that to my attention! I was in the elevator with the AW founder at the Fincon conference, we had met at the Chicago seminar #1 I think but had forgotten about it. That site is focusing on monetizing and pumping so much more ever since FTG Howie was hired and I think they may not be focusing as much as they should on preventing hacking/security. One Russian hack and it’s all over for that venture!

      This will never happen here….I can dream about it though, especially the ads TPG will be taking.

      Speaking of ads, Emily MMS comes up to me in my Yahoo mail…but not long enough for me to snap a pic! I am trying to capture it to show a pure case of WTFness 🙂

    • TravelBloggerBuzz says

      Thank YOU! If you had not told me to go for it, I would have gone on my stingy mode once again.
      Please thank Ingy for me too, tell him not to come back the rest of the month to see an update on hitting the quota #donealready!
      I need to find time to do the next one from Cobo Hall, loved the models….all of them!

  9. Better By Design says

    Ha! This was awesome! Great to see you enjoying a fun event… even more fun to imagine how TPG Inc. would have covered the same!

    • TravelBloggerBuzz says

      I think there would be a LOT more Amex signs visible in the report and the word “sponsored by” very well hidden where nobody will see it? 🙂

      Yes we enjoyed it a lot, it was a splurge for sure and a fun experience. Likely not doing it again at this event but will keep eyes open for other events elsewhere we could combine with a trip by…burning some miles at last!

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