PressMediaLAB at the Turin Auto Show 2026: Inside the Communication of a Major Automotive Event

Three brands, a single event, and media relations activities built to transform presence at the Show into concrete opportunities for visibility and networking.

From September 11 to 13, Turin once again became the meeting point for the automotive world with the Turin Auto Show 2026, an event that brought cars, brands, and professionals to the heart of the city, spanning Piazza Castello, Piazzetta Reale, the Royal Museums Gardens, and Corso San Maurizio.

For PressMediaLAB, the Auto Show represented a particularly significant event from a professional perspective as well: three of the brands the agency collaborates with BYD, ARES, and ASI were present at the event. They had three distinct setups, yet were united by the need to build a narrative around the event capable of reaching the press and the public.

The agency’s work spanned the entire event, from managing media relations to supporting press and social media activities.

Three Brands, three stories to tell

BYD’s presence at the Turin Auto Show unfolded through exhibitions and experiential activities. The brand featured a stand in Piazzetta Reale, where the public could view the DOLPHIN G DM-i, DOLPHIN SURF, and SEALION 7, while test drives for four models departed from the Royal Gardens: the DOLPHIN G DM-i, DOLPHIN SURF, SEALION 7, and ATTO 2 DM-i. The participation was also part of a broader milestone for the Group: on September 16, the new DENZA showroom, the brand’s first point of sale in the North-West, was inaugurated in Venaria Reale. Rounding out the narrative was the “Decreto BYD” campaign, dedicated to the DM-i Super Hybrid range and active throughout September.

For ARES, the Auto Show coincided with a particularly important moment in the brand’s history. Their presence in Piazzetta Reale put the S1, Panther, and Wami models in the spotlight, with special attention on the S1, which was presented in a new livery. But the cars were only part of the story. For ARES, the Show was chosen as the moment to announce three major developments marking a new chapter for the brand: obtaining Manufacturer certification, the S1’s new livery, and the launch of their new website. On September 11, a press meeting dedicated to the company’s updates was held, and this is where media relations played a central role: pairing the brand’s physical presence with concrete opportunities for journalists and editorial teams to meet and dive deeper into the news.

Alongside contemporary automotive brands, the Show also provided an opportunity to share the history of Italian car design through ASI – Automotoclub Storico Italiano. The ASI Bertone Collection returned to Turin, its city of origin, with a selection of cars and concepts dedicated to the “Free Style Design” theme: from the futuristic 1960s Runabout to the Fiat 850 Spider, the Fiat 128 Shopping to the Chrysler Shake and Suzuki Go, all the way to more recent projects like the Bertone Slim and Opel Filo. A narrative that blended design, innovation, and local heritage, bringing an important part of Turin’s automotive history back to the center of the Show. The events organized at the ASI stand also included a conference dedicated to the collection and car design, as well as the presentation of a special postmark celebrating ASI’s 60th anniversary.

Three very different stories with one element in common: they needed to be told the right way.

The Work of PressMediaLAB

Managing an event like the Turin Auto Show means being present long before and well beyond the moment of publication. During the event days, PressMediaLAB handled media relations and press activities for all three brands, supporting interviews with local and national television and media, press meetings, press release distribution, and, for ARES, event-related social media communication.

The work required following three different narratives simultaneously: BYD’s innovation and electrified mobility, ARES’s evolution in the bespoke segment, and the historical and cultural automotive heritage shared by ASI. The result was a strong press turnout and numerous opportunities for networking, interviews, and in-depth coverage during the event.

When an event becomes a communication platform

The value of a major event lies not only in the number of attendees or the visibility guaranteed by physical presence. For a brand, an event like the Turin Auto Show can become a true communication platform: a place to present products, announce news, meet journalists, create content, and build new networking opportunities. But for this to happen, the presence must be backed by a strategy.

In the case of BYD, ARES, and ASI, the work began with three very different stories: on one hand, a range of new models, test drives, and a commercial campaign; on the other, a fundamental step in a brand’s evolution, a new car, and a new digital space; and finally, the return to Turin of a collection that traces the history and evolution of Italian car design.

Three clients, three positionings, three narratives, and a single event capable of transforming into multiple communication opportunities. Ultimately, this is the core function of media relations during a major event: not merely being there, but creating the conditions for that presence to become a piece of news, a meeting, an interview, a story.