Chicago Auto Show Partners with Technori Pitch Event for 2013 Show

November 28, 2012

The Chicago Auto Show features big names such as General Motors, Toyota and Ford, but in 2013, they’ll also be featuring some of Chicago’s technology startups like SpotHero, the creators of an app that helps people find parking in Chicago.

As the largest auto show on the continent, spanning more than 1 million square feet of production, concept and exotic vehicle exhibit space, the Chicago Auto Show hosts multiple world and North American vehicle debuts.

For the first time, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), producer of the Chicago Auto Show, announced plans to bring Technori Pitch to the 2013 Chicago Auto Show Social Media Preview Feb. 8 at McCormick Place.

Technori Pitch is a monthly event at which Chicago's most innovative companies have the chance to pitch their latest technologies before an audience of entrepreneurs, executives, and enthusiasts.

This year, Chicago entrepreneurs will take the stage at the Social Media Preview to present their automotive-related innovations to manufacturers and media alike.

"Technology is continuously evolving and sparking change within the automotive industry," said Michael Ettleson, Chicago Auto Show chairman.

He added, "By bringing the Technori Pitch event to the Social Media Preview, we're able to provide Chicago entrepreneurs with a powerful platform to reach key influencers, as well as fuel conversation around new technologies that may be industry game-changers."

The Technori Pitch event will open with a keynote from Howard Tullman, founder of Tribeca Flashpoint Academy, a premier digital arts college and venture with Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Enterprises.

Then, four hopeful businesses will have five minutes each to pitch their innovation to the audience. Directly following each pitch will be a three-minute Q&A session during which the audience submits questions directly from their mobile devices.

Those four lucky startups scheduled to present include parking convenience pioneers, SpotHero and FasPark; auto repair estimate app Body Shop Bids; and budgeting tool Motozuma.com.

"Startup companies have become a global phenomenon, each with the opportunity to become much greater than the sum of its parts," said Seth Kravitz, CEO and co-founder of Technori.

He added, "The Chicago Auto Show is a perfect partner to help us achieve our goal of positioning Technori Pitch participants in front of an influential crowd, and we applaud show organizers' efforts in supporting local Chicago startups."

The Social Media Preview will be open to Chicago Auto Show credentialed media and the general public and will have a strong focus on technology and social media.

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