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.
At the private reception so you can get an idea. The food was Amazing!!!
And then we discovered the dessert section which was to the left as we entered…We ran into it looking for the bathroom 🙂
Look at this decadence! Oh dear Lord forgive my sins committed here lol.
For the record, I had none, I am allergic to shrimp #nojoke
On the way to the Grand Ballroom…
At the entrance, in front of a Falcon car. My pants look so horrible, hey JosABank suits, buy one get seven freeeeee!
My dream car, Ford GT!
I am NOT a car guy! I had never heard of this brand but I am sure it belongs here 🙂
I had a funny conversation with the Ferrari guy pretending I can afford this lol!
Pretending I just got an offer to sell my blog to The Points Guy Inc woohoo!
I’ll take the model in the black…every single time!
By the time we moved to this section I am starting to feel like The Points Guy lol!
I see models everywhere!
I am a lucky guy I know. Hi Ingy!
This guy had a really hard time to get out of the car! Not that impressed with BMWs.
The cars on display were worth $10 million USD. This one alone was worth $2 million. Not allowed to touch it #sosad
Actually, Acura had one of the nicest looking cars, I did not expect them to be here!
BMW had three cars displayed, this was the best one.
Screw Aston Martin, this brand always felt like it should come with a butler. 
Looking a little entitled?
Probably second best dream car for me, should I start playing the lotto? Naaaah!
She liked the Porsche cars a lot. Disclosure: My wife works at Ford. Don’t tell anyone!
I had to think about this a little more….Still, the model in the black for me please!
That guy stayed at the back looking at the trunk for EVER, WTF dude, get a life!
My 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!
I should look up where this brand came from or learn how to pronounce it at least.
It 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.
In 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!
Then 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!
A 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.
I should have one more post during the 3rd day of this great event. Press Day. Can’t wait!
Thank you again for your support.
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First.
I hope ScottCastle is okay!
The man, the myth, the legend…
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.
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.
Third! Cool pics, bro. Do they only send those Amex Platinum invites to people in Michigan?
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There is hardly ever any events in Michigan! Most are in NYC and LA by the way. I think it is weekly email.
Always wanted to do this, so glad we finally did. We pretended we belonged and it was worth it for a weekend! Probably not going to do it again, organizer said that the format does not change every year, they just get different sponsors to present to us.
I would of had my wife stuff her pocketbook full with Macaroons and Shrimp!
Wish I was there.
Both of you were looking sharp.
Both of you were looking sharp…………………..Wolfgang and your wife
TBB:Breaking cameras since…birth! 🙂
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.
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 🙂
Looking good! Great report!
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!
You are not the first blogger to cover By Invitation Only with Amex.
http://thepointsguy.com/2015/04/getting-vip-fashion-week-access-with-amex-platinum/
Had to do it!
I would love to see George cover fashion week. Who’s with me?
I have thought about doing a parody post about one of TPG’s “reviews”.
I am not saying where my wife bought that dress….need to preserve our reputation lol #youllneverguess!
Very nice cars!!! Could not find the Yugo classic car … lol …
A couple of years ago I saw a Yugo on the road here…I was shocked!
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!
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!
You are the best!
I am all for continuous improvement 🙂
Thanks.
Interesting report, great pictures.
Just found two of your comments in the spam folder and I approved them, they now show, sorry!
Also one by Ryan too!
Hate when my spam blocker does that to regulars!!!