Whether it’s trying to coordinate an automobile executive’s entrance on stage driving a car or recreating a vehicle crashing through a video wall from a previous marketing campaign, Independence Township resident Arsey Miller has seen all the international car show world has to offer.
Miller is senior vice president in Client Services for The George P. Johnson Company whose world headquarters are in Auburn Hills.
‘George P. Johnson is an integrated event marketing company. Part of that is shows and events. With my particular area that I’m involved in is the international motor shows,? said Miller, noting the company also deals with IT companies.
‘The bulk of what we do is to develop what’s actually going to happen at the show. Obviously, the value of the show is to present the client’s products in the highest possible light given what their marketing and brand goals are,? he added.
Miller deals primarily with client DaimlerChrysler International and works with their public relations department to develop the creative aspects of their integrated marketing program at international auto shows.
‘I’m the primary link between the client and everything else that’s happening with the support of the show. So I have a lot of interaction with the marketing people on site as well as the executives. If something has to be done or created and there’s some kind of challenge, I or one of my staff are the first ones that they come to,? explained Miller.
Planning an international car show generally starts 6 to 9 months ahead of time. Miller often faces issues of design, concept, new product positioning and challenges of new markets and their cultural requirements.
‘In certain markets there are colors that are reserved for certain things like weddings or funerals, so you have to be conscious of the cultural priorities that you’re dealing with,? said Miller, explaining shows can differ drastically depending on their location.
For Miller, one of the most important parts of the car show is press day where the automotive world gets a glimpse of a company’s latest promotions and vehicles.
‘The press day and the first couple of days of the show are the big days because that’s when, as in Detroit, all the new products are revealed. That’s when the top executives of all the companies are there as well. In the case of the international show, there are in some areas 300-500 journalists all seeking information on some level,? said Miller.
Working with the shows leaves Miller traveling overseas about 6 to 8 times per year to cities such as Paris and Frankfurt. During busy years, he may travel between 12 and 18 times if needed.
Miller recalled the days of traveling prior to the euro where the borders were less permeable.
‘I remember carrying a special wallet that had like six currencies? Just to have walk around money for a day you’d have like four or five hundred dollars in loose change. There’d be days where you’d start in one country and might end up going to two or three countries? particularly on days were you did a site survey or something like that,? said Miller.
Working as The George P. Johnson Company’s first expatriate, Miller and his family lived overseas in Belgium and Germany from 1996-2002.
While in Belgium, the Millers lived in Waterloo, the site of the June 18, 1815 Allied defeat of Napoleon.
‘It was pretty cool living in Waterloo. It was the battlefield. We essentially lived in the shadows of where Napoleon was defeated and there was a lot history there and that kind of stuff.?
Taking advantage of living overseas, Miller traveled on both business and recreation nearly filling his passport completely, leaving the packed booklet nearly half an inch thick.
Also while living outside the country, Miller continued his lifelong passion for working with vehicles restoring English motorcycles, one of which he still owns.
Miller’s passion for cars started during his younger days when his father, Wendell, spent days working in the garage.
‘My father was always a tinkerer and always had something in the garage. You always knew where to find him,? said Miller.
Carrying on his father’s legacy includes maintaining the 1931 Model A pickup truck his father originally restored in 1972.
‘It’s my task to keep it road-worthy which is sometimes challenging with a 75-year-old vehicle,? laughed Miller.
The Miller family ? including mother/wife Delia, Andrew 14, and Paige, 12 ? originally moved to Clarkston in 1992 after Miller joined The George P. Johnson Company after working nearly 20 years for Saab.
While the family enjoyed the opportunity to live overseas and experience the diversity of international schools, Miller said the family knew right where they were moving when they returned.
Among their enjoyment of friends, good schools and a small-town atmosphere, Miller sited his affiliation with the Clarkston United Methodist Church as important to bringing them back to Clarkston.
‘We kind of went to Europe with an open contract and weren’t sure when we were coming back. When it was time to come back, there was no doubt where we were going,? said Miller.
Joining forces with the church’s men’s group, Miller is using his expertise help the congregation and community interact in new ways.
Last year, the United Methodist Men’s group held their first congregational car show in their parking lot at 6600 Waldon Road. The show attracted 30 cars, which came as no surprise to Miller.
‘If you live in Michigan, there are so many cars. On a summer day if you drive around neighborhoods and see garage doors open, there are so many classic cars sitting in garages. The Woodward cruise is the proof in the pudding,? said Miller.
This year’s show is scheduled for August 13 starting at 10:30 a.m.