Last
month I was invited by Ford Español to attend the 2014 Go Further with Ford Trend Conference
in Dearborn, Michigan. I was able to document my experience as one of a few
#FordMillennials chosen from all around the country!
After
accepting the offer to attend, I started thinking about what the conference might
entail. Obviously, Ford is an automotive company so I surely thought that I would be learning
everything and anything about cars but to my surprise, Ford dedicated much of its
time to discuss global issues which included Sustainability, Females and
careers (Female Frontier), Big data, and Design Innovation.
Through
a series of sessions with great presenters, attendees were engaged in learning
about relevant topics. As a Millennial, I was very intrigued by the platform in
which these issues were addressed.
Some
key highlights from the sessions I attended were:
FEMALE
FRONTIER:
·
More than half of Millennials would work for less money if their
company’s values match theirs.
·
67% of Americans are okay with women out earning their husbands
·
Female Millennials are buying cars and roughly 75% feel
misunderstood by automotive companies
SUSTAINABILITY
·
The average American uses 400 liters of water daily
·
1 in 9 people do not have access to clean water
·
Los Angeles relies on the Colorado River for water and shares its
water source with 7 other states.
DESIGNING
INNOVATION
·
81% of global workers are not engaged in the workplace;
Gaming=virtual engagement.
·
Women generally play collaborative games rather than competitive.
·
There are over 1.5 million apps. Most of which have replaced
something in physical form.
This
three day conference also included an exclusive tour of the Ford Truck Plant and
Behind the Wheel test drives of their newest models. It’s
great to see a global company supporting the conversation of important issues as
well as making positive eco-friendly changes.
Being at the conference, I was surrounded by journalists,
bloggers and professionals from all over the world which allowed me to hear diverse opinions on global issues.
*Disclaimer: Travel and lodging was provided by Ford Español.
