The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-16

One of Motordom'S Biggest
Gatherings of Year Is
Under Way Here.
BANQUET AT CLAYPooL
High Officials of Company
Present to Map Out
Sales Campaign.

One Of the most important au-
tomobile gatherings Of the year for
Indianapolis was under way, here
today, when ranking Chevrolet Of
ficials met at the Murat temple to
discuss 1929 sales plans with 500
dealers from every part Of the state.
This afternoons meeting is to be
followed by an elaborate banquet to-
night at the Claypool hotel, where
M. D. Douglas, assistant general
sales manager of the company, is
scheduled to make the 1929 Chew
rolet keynote address. Included on
the evenings program is a high
grade theatrical program.
Assisting Douglas at the after
noon and evening events will be a
crew of six leading officials of the
company; C. F.. Fisken, zone sales
manager: j. P. Little, manager of
the parts and service department;
Sidney Corbatt. manager of the
fleet truck dir ision: w. G. Lewellen,
sales promotion manager; L. L.
Lindenhan, assistant manager of
dealer finance and accounting, and
j. D. Devine of the Detroit zone
sales organization.
Make Lavish Preparations
Thousands of dollars worth of
stage properties were put in place
yesterday to aid the effectiveness of
the meeting. Several playlets, each
in charge of an executive, were de-
signed to get across the company'S
message to the dealers of Indiana.
Douglas is to introduce the
speakers and to deliver the keynote
address. He is expected to reiterate
the prediction that Chevrolet has
for its 1929 production quota the
manufacture of 1,25O,000 passenger
car and truck units.
He will comment on the feat Of
Chevrolet in switching over last
fall from a manufacturer Of tours
to a producer of skies.
Plans for Servicing the new six
cylinder automobile are to be dis
cussed by Little. who is to outline
the company's program for expand
ing it's facilities throughout the
coming year. r.s
Outlines Sales Plans
Corbett in discussion of his spe-
cialty, the truck division, will out
line his departments plans for the
present year. Lewellen, an inSpira-
tional speaker on sales topics, will
describe the new six-cylinder auto
mobile and offer suggestions to deal
ers. Devine will sell from the stage
to a "hard-boiled" prospect one of
the new six-cylinder cars. Linehan
will discuss the features of the per
cent purchase certificate plan, and
inform dealers how they can profit
by utilization of this exclusive Chew
rolet system.
The afternoon meeting is to last
four and half hours. Outstanding
in the use of equipment will be the
introduction for the first time in au-
tomobile sales gatherings of the
sound and talking motion picture.
w. S. KnudSon. president of the
the company, will be shown in a
conversation with R. H. Grant, vice.
president in charge of sales.
Picture of the new six at the Gen.
eraI Motors proving grounds achiev-
ing a speed of seventy-f1ve miles an
hour also will be shown.
For entertainment at tonight'S
banquet, it is said that several of the
New York acts will be here.
Make Coast Coast Tour
This spring thirty-five Chevrolet
dealer meetings will be staged in a
like number of cities from coast to
coast. The task of conducting the
meetings this year has thrown the
responsibility on three crews of fac
tory officials from Detroit.
Grant is in charge of one of the
crews, and his itinerary will take
him into the far west.
H. J. Khnglerm, general sales
manager, will have charge of q
crew -at concludes its trip in the
ScIt5 st.
Douglas is to alternate with D. E.
Ralston. assistant general sales
manager, in charge of the crew that
will cover the Atlantic seaboard and
the southeast.