BROOKLYN – Michigan International Speedway once again brings the Guest Guide to life during a series of live Web chats, starting July 15.
MIS Live!, a weekly teleconference on Ustream.tv will run every Wednesday through Aug. 5, the week prior to the NASCAR events at Michigan International Speedway.
Each hour-long session in the real-time Web chats will focus on topics geared toward helping MIS customers make the most of their race weekends at the speedway.
Track President Roger Curtis sees the Web chats as an opportunity to talk to fans in advance of their visits to MIS, strengthening the speedway’s commitment to openness and availability to its guests.
“Not only are these chats a great way to communicate and connect with our guests, but they are an excellent way for them to communicate with each other,” Curtis said. “Part of our brand is MIS reaching out to customers to help drive our business, but also creating a community for peers to share information, as with our Fan Advisory Board and Fan Advisory Network.
“We send out Guest Guides to all of our fans, but these chats offer us an opportunity to bring the Guest Guide to life, to answer questions that the guide may not and to do so in a way that creates a fun and meaningful interaction with our guests. It’s like the Guest Guide in 3-D!”
Research of the speedway’s ticketholders for 2009 has shown that about 20 percent of track ticket accounts are new and have never been to Michigan International Speedway. And as anyone knows, a trip to a NASCAR race at MIS – one of the largest sporting events in Michigan – can be intimidating for a first-timer. These chats will not only help take potential surprises out of coming to MIS for the first time, but Curtis hopes it will get race fans excited about NASCAR.
“We host very large events at a huge facility. Helping fans, both veterans and first-time guests, become more knowledgeable and helping understand their expectations in advance of the race weekends will help everyone tremendously.
“Some of our fans on Facebook and Twitter, as well as through e-mails I receive at askthepresident@MISpeedway.com, are telling us how excited they are to come to MIS,” he said. “And that gets us excited as we prepare to host our final NASCAR weekend of 2009.”
All chat sessions will begin at 7 p.m. and last about an hour. Guests can click http://www.ustream.tv/channel/MIS-Live for the MIS Live! channel link on Ustream. Ustream is a free service. Anyone can log on and watch the teleconference, however, you need a free Ustream account and password to participate.
The streaming audio and chat sessions will also be fed through MIS’ Web site, http://www.mispeedway.com/Connect-with-MIS/Chat.aspx. Chat streams will be posted on the speedway’s Twitter and Facebook pages, as well.
The series of sessions will allow for fans to log on and connect with Curtis on a variety of topics, including:
July 15 – “Session 1: Welcome to MIS” will cover everything from buying tickets to traveling to MIS to parking, enjoying the race and what fans can bring into the grandstands.
July 22 – “Session 2: Camping and Tailgating” features two of our favorite activities at MIS – camping and tailgating. Anticipate a few special guests who will give fans great tips for making your weekend enjoyable.
July 29 – “Session 3: Food, Fun, and Flyovers” will delve into the fun, interactive things fans can do at MIS – enjoying the New Holland Fan Plaza, all the cool entertainment lineups, and others that MIS will have on tap throughout the weekend.
August 5 – “Session 4: Race Weekend Preparation” is a free-for-all Q&A with Roger Curtis. Fans will be able to get all their questions answered before their visit to Michigan International Speedway on August 14, 15, and 16.
In addition to the teleconferences, MIS will send out a series of RACE Ready e-mails to customers leading up to the events to help prepare fans for the race weekends.
These e-mails will include information such as traffic maps, parking lot details, gate policies, weekend schedules and a host of other details that will help race fans prepare for their trips to MIS this summer.
Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.
For tickets, camping and pit passes for all MIS events, call the speedway toll free at 800-354-1010 or log onto the new MISpeed-way.com.