Welcome to the future. This is the slogan Audi used to present the new A8, the Bavarian premium brand’s most sophisticated vehicle. We had a look behind the scenes, whicle Audi held its A8 Central Launch Training in the city of Salzburg. Have a look what they did.
From October 12th, 2017 to February 4th, 2018, Audi held its A8 Central Launch Training in Salzburg. “The goal was to train approximately 10,000 salespeople from our global distribution regions in all aspects regarding our new Audi A8 – technology, design, infotainment, and more,” Goce Petrusevski from the Audi Training Center Munich describes the training’s focus.
Goce Petrusevski was responsible for designing, planning, and implementing the training – which consisted of much more than just a test drive.
Numbers, data, facts – and of course some Mozart!
"Every day from Monday to Friday, we arrived with 150 participants. The 150 participants were divided into six groups. All in all, we spent 64 days with 6 different groups per day, meaning a total of nearly 10,000 people! We used about 60 vehicles to transport all the participants,” says Petrusevski.
In addition to driving training and test drives, the program included infotainment events revolving around the Audi A8. But the training also made sure to incorporate the cultural sites available in Salzburg – with a spectacular Mozart dinner concert at the St. Peter Stiftskulinarium and a performance of the specially composed Symphony of Excellence.
Salzburg is second to none for genuine hospitality, historical sights and a modern athmosphere at the same time. And the city delivers many sustainable and environmentally friendly projects and products, too.
Why Salzburg?
Goce Petrusevski summarizes the advantages he felt Salzburg offered as a location: “To begin with, accessibility was an important organizational point, and the drive from Munich only takes 2.5 hours. But in my opinion, Salzburg is second to none as a city that stands for genuine hospitality, historical and cultural sites, as well as an attractive, modern city with many sustainable and environmentally friendly projects and products. An ideal location to present our new flagship vehicle, the Audi A8.”
How do you measure the success of an event like this?
10,000 sales managers in nearly 5 months – Audi Central Launch Training required plenty of time and work. When it comes to the brand’s most important vehicle, the success of this event as well as the sales team’s motivation and enthusiasm play a crucial role.
“Our participants assess the event’s content, organization, as well as the location using a grading system. All of these received very positive evaluations,” Goce Petrusevski describes Audi’s approach to evaluating the return on investment and sustainability of the event series.
Support from the Salzburg Convention Bureau
AUDI worked closely with the Salzburg Convention Bureau to plan and implement the Launch Training. “From the start, the cooperation proved to be fruitful and positive. They immediately addressed our wishes and ideas and were able to advise us accordingly. The Convention Bureau’s network of local providers opened many doors for us!” Goce Petrusevski says of his collaborative experience.
“I have nothing but praise for Gernot Max and his team and look forward to launching further joint projects in the future,” he says – we are happy to return the compliment and also look forward to future collaborations!
Do you want to find out more about the logistical effort behind the Audi A8 Central Launch Training and how the Salzburg Convention Bureau can provide support for events like these? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, we look forward to hearing from you!