Volvo Goes "Live" At Detroit Auto Show

GOTHENBURG, Sweden – January 2, 2009: Concerned over the possible decrease in attendance by automotive and business media at major auto shows around the world, Volvo Car Corporation has developed an innovative media service. Its inaugural use will be at the North American International Auto Show, January 11 in Detroit. "Media attendance at the major auto shows is critically important to Volvo for the launch of new vehicles and the sharing of corporate news. It was vital to consider new ways of reaching our core media base and to help journalists do their job regardless of their ability to travel or attend auto show media previews," said Peter Ganjbar, Manager Broadcast Media Relations at Volvo Cars.

Volvo Cars will debut the new crossover XC60 in Detroit along with an innovative S60 concept model, and will announce the company's latest safety engineering application.

"Volvo must continue its outreach to the world's media and allow journalists access to product information and corporate perspectives regardless of economic conditions. It is our obligation to help the press do its job," he continued.

The solution in this case will be a televised High Definition (HD) broadcast and simultaneous interactive global webcast, produced live from the Volvo display in Detroit. The one-hour program will air throughout the United States via the DIRECTV satellite system, now rated the nation's #1 satellite broadcast provider and linked to over 41 million households in the United States. The HD TV broadcast will include live coverage of the Volvo press conference supplemented by specific executive interviews and product explanations.

"But, the real news is our interactive ability to accept text media questions and to respond to these in real-time both on-air and via the web. This unique concept was first developed by havoctv for music and sports programming and will be adapted for this purpose," Ganjbar continued.

HOW IT WILL WORK:

The Volvo/havoctv interactive webcast will enable viewing media - around the world - to watch the Volvo press conference and other program elements online and to text their question from a computer or appropriate mobile device during the one-hour program to an on-site host in Detroit.

The host will then ask Volvo program guests some of the submitted questions. Their responses will be seen and heard live on both the DIRECTV television broadcast throughout the United States and via the global webcast.

Participating media will be asked to register in advance to receive an online media password. Media Password registration will open January 5, 2009 and will continue through January 10, 2009. The registration site is: (TBD). HOW TO VIEW AND PARTICIPATE:

The program's goal is to provide media who may be unable to attend Volvo's Detroit press conference with exactly the same information their colleagues will see and hear at the event.

The Volvo press conference will air:

January 11 at 5:30 - 6:30 PM ET / DIRECTV Channel 101.

Standard Time Zone Adjustments Will Apply

For online viewing and submitting questions in real-time, Web access will be required.

Program content will stream at: http://havoc.tv/volvos60concept and also available at http://www.volvocars.com/ via a program link.

"The times call for vehicles that serve the needs of a global consumer concerned about sustainability, safety and economy. These Volvo core values must be communicated, regardless of the global economic slowdown and its residual affect on media covering our industry," Ganjbar concluded.

HAVOCTV: havoctv is now the leading US digital network for indie music and action sports. It is the number one sports VOD channel and the number two music channel in North America. Beyond VOD, havoctv hosts four hours of live interactive programming each night on Channel 101 - DIRECTV's satellite network. Havoctv reaches millions of viewers and delivers over 40 million video views each month. (www.havoctv.com).