Chrysler LLC Selects Gail & Rice for Auto Show Staffing, Events

Premier event firm to provide Product Specialists, Narrators during auto show season

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 27, 2008 - Gail & Rice, a leading brand communications and experiential marketing agency, announced today that it has been selected by Chrysler LLC (Chrysler) to provide auto show staffing and other event services for the Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge brands. The announcement was made by Gail & Rice owners Tim Rice and Jeff Bouchard.

"We are very excited to have Gail and Rice as our auto show staffing agency. They have been and will continue to be a key element on our auto show team," says Bo Puffer Chrysler's Global Events Manager.

Gail & Rice provided staffing for the Dodge brand in the past, and armed with that experience, secured the remaining business for the upcoming auto show season.

"Having provided these services to Chrysler in the past, we have a good familiarity with Chrysler's expectations at auto shows," said Rice. "This understanding coupled with our years of experience in auto show marketing and product branding will enable us to develop a highly educated staff of product specialists able to consistently deliver Chrysler's exciting message to its audience."

Gail & Rice will conduct an intense training program for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge product specialists, beginning with a customized on-line training program. Product specialists, representatives who typically are available on the show floor, review automotive-related Web sites to develop their knowledge of Chrysler products and competitors, read reviews and research automotive technology and technologies specific to the products they will be representing.

At the end of the training, the product specialists are walking, talking encyclopedias capable of handling questions from even the toughest vehicle enthusiasts. Fortunately, their contact is usually with consumers evaluating a vehicle they are considering for purchase.

The on-line training is followed by classroom training on products, features and benefits, and is interspersed with opportunities to experience the vehicles first-hand during ride-and-drive trainings. These events put specialists through an intense regimen of maneuvers designed to test the limits of the vehicle's capabilities, providing real-world experience that can then be related to auto show attendees.

Narrators, who are positioned on turntables, go through a similar, though slightly less intense training.

Training even continues during the shows themselves, with product specialists and narrators using off-stage time to walk the show floor and review competitive products to be able to better answer questions about the Chrysler LLC brands versus others.

Training commences within the next few weeks, according to Rice. The Auto Show season starts to heat up with the Texas State Fair in September and runs through the New York show in April.