By Katie Carson
 Just as last year, this year’s PRO group will tour Mcity—the world’s first full-scale simulated urban environment designed for testing autonomous and driverless vehicles in real-world situations. |
The Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) will host a general membership meeting, Thursday, June 15, at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott in Detroit. The meeting is an opportunity for council members to address restyling industry challenges and trends and weigh in on the needs of its member companies. PRO-member company employees are encouraged to attend to gain insight into council initiatives, and network with industry friends, select-committee members and SEMA staff.
As an added bonus, attendees will tour the American Center for Mobility. Located on 530-plus acres at the famous Willow Run site, the Center is a designed for testing, education and product development to enable safe validation and self-certification of CAV technology and to accelerate the development of voluntary standards. The U.S. Department of Transportation has designated the American Center for Mobility at Willow Run one of the first national proving grounds in the country.
The day kicks off with breakfast at 8:00 a.m., Thursday, at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott, with the shuttle taking off for the innovative Mobility Transformation Facility, more commonly known as “Mcity,” at the University of Michigan. The 32-acre facility is located on campus and is the first of its kind in testing new automated vehicle technologies and their capabilities to safely maneuver actual roadways. Public access to Mcity is limited, but PRO meeting attendees will enjoy a guided private tour.
After the tour, the group will reconvene at the hotel for the meeting. In the evening, meeting attendees will relax at Comerica Park for a Detroit Tigers baseball game.
For more information, contact Senior Manager of Councils Allan Keefe at 909-978-6696 or allank@sema.org.