LDV V80 Launch

On Wednesday the 13th of January, 2016 we celebrated LDV UK & Ireland Launch of the all-new V-80. The event was hosted by one of Ireland’s oldest automotive distributors The Harris Group. The Harris group are bringing LDV back and marked its return with this daylong event. The V80 is available in four different models including a chassis cab. The event was to mark the Phase One Launch of LDV’s return to the UK & Irish market.

The Launch began with a light lunch and mixer amongst the guests which included the Chairman of SAIC, Mr.Lan Qingsong, the Deputy General Mr. Xu Qiuhua and their senior colleagues from China have flown in to join us for launch. This was a testament to the company’s commitment to rebuilding the LDV brand.

The guests were then welcomed into the ballroom of the Citywest Hotel for the main event. The event space incorporated a conference setup and a secret area behind a kabuki with where all the new vehicles were on display. The speakers of the hour long conference included, the Vice General Manager of SAIC motors Mr. Xu Qiuhua and The LDV Ireland General Manager Mark Barrett. The reveal of the new vehicles went down brilliantly with a kabuki drop and display of fireworks as the V80 was revealed. The guests were then invited to check out the display vehicles followed by test drive opportunities.

The evening events kicked off at 6.30pm where we added in some Chinese cultural elements to the pre-drinks with a Dragon dance being performed for our international guests. In Chinese culture Dragons are linked to good luck, long life and wisdom. The guests were then guided in the ballroom which had been turned around into a formal dining area for 250 guests. The guests were entertained by a variety of acts while they enjoyed their sumptuous meal. The entertainment laid on kicked off with ‘The Singing Waiters’. The Singing Waiters are an exciting show that involved three opera singers dressed as the venue’s waiters. To blend in with the other waiting staff they will mingle with the guests for the crowd to get to know them and even help in the service. After a scene involving a tray of cutlery and a mobile phone the manager and waiter have an argument in front of the guests. To the delight and surprise of guests the waiters broke out in a spectacular and energetic performance of opera classics. The show went down brilliantly among the guests brilliantly and there was a fantastic atmosphere in the venue. We were then entertained by the amazing Irish Choral ensemble – Anúna, Followed by the O’Shea Irish dancing team who performed some high energy traditional Irish dances including the famous Riverdance piece. Once dinner was finished the guests were invited back out the bar area where they enjoyed a trad band and drinks for the remainder of the evening.

A most enjoyable day was had by all involved!