Tradeshow · SPARQ · 2025
The Reverse Roundtable
Thirty minutes with Emelia Hartford, Xzibit, Kurt Busch and friends — the panel on the Reverse stage.
- The brief
- The panel segment of the Reverse evening. I wrote the prep doc itself — the desired audience takeaways, the feel of the room, and six questions built to pull the panel's own stories out rather than seed talking points — then handed Emelia Hartford the wheel.
- My role
- Roundtable script, host questions, panel prep
01 · The treatment
The panel segment of the Reverse evening — thirty minutes on stage after the films and the keynote. The prep doc does the quiet work: name the takeaways, name the feel, then write six questions that hand the wheel to the panel. The brand only enters at the live demo, and it enters as a question.
02 · Copy direction
- Takeaways first: a new golden age is within reach; ownership can feel good again; car culture belongs back in the foreground; AI does not mean self-driving.
- Feel: personal, authentic, community-focused, loose, fun, mildly introspective.
- Every question is a story prompt, not a talking point — the panel defines the terms, the brand never does.
- Close on the device by asking what they wish their favorite cars could have said.
03 · The rewrites
The openerCut
What exactly is car culture to you? What did it mean for you growing up, maybe, versus now?
Wide open on purpose — the panel, not the brand, sets the definitions.
The escalationCut
If cars were built to be a symbol of freedom and individuality, then what happened?
Turns nostalgia into a problem worth arguing about.
The ownership spikeCut
How the hell can we make the cars we own feel more like we own them?
The one 'how the hell' in the deck. Keep it — it sets the loose tone.
The demo handoffFinal pick
For a group of gearheads, what are the things you wish you could have talked about or heard from your favorite cars?
Lands on the device without ever pitching it.
04 · The final product
How do we reverse it?
05 · The metric
Unprecedented alignment with cultural influencers you can’t put a price tag on. That made the difference for me.
06 · The script — sample
THE SEGMENT
8:45–9:15 p.m. on the Reverse stage, Feb. 21. Five seats: Emelia Hartford in the lead, with Xzibit, Kurt Busch, Sung Kang and Cliff Avril. Thirty minutes, six questions, and a live demo of SPARQ Diagnostics to close.
THE TAKEAWAYS
A new golden age of driving is possible and within reach, with the help of technology. Car ownership may have its challenges, but it can feel good again. Car culture is special, and we can bring it back to the forefront. Automotive AI does not mean self-driving cars.
THE FEEL
Personal. Authentic. Community-focused. Loose. Fun. Mildly introspective.
Q1 · CAR CULTURE
"So here we are, with SPARQ, surrounded by some of the most beautiful cars on the planet. We've all talked about this being a celebration of car culture, but what exactly is car culture to you? What did it mean for you growing up, maybe, versus now?" — Lean into the subcultures in the seats: racing, street racing, customs.
Q2 · THE OPEN ROAD
"Here in Southern California, we're a society on four wheels. The most iconic road in America ends here. We have maybe the most beautiful drive in the country with the PCH. If cars were built to be a symbol of freedom and individuality, then what happened? How did we go from the freedom of the open road to the most stringently linear form of 'from point A to point B'?"
Q3 · THE LOVE OF THE DRIVE
"You just walked through the Eras, showcasing not only cars through time but the awesome tech inside that made the ride safer and more fun. But when you bring up car tech today — AI and cars — the conversation inevitably turns to autonomous driving. Self-driving cars, while clearly an advancement, are not for everyone — and by definition, they take the driving out of the experience. What tech do those of us who love to drive really want in our vehicles? How do we reclaim the love of the drive?"
Q4 · OWNERSHIP
"So you guys all own cars. I build and own my cars. Ownership is a special thing because it's your car, to make your own and drive your own way. There are a lot of restrictions on ownership, though: financing, mandated service, customization laws. This is the second-biggest purchase most people make in their lifetime. How the hell can we make the cars we own feel more like we own them?"
Q5 · THE NEXT GENERATION
"Like everything, the cost of driving has gone up. For teenagers today, buying a car — once a rite of passage — may not seem realistic. Most Gen Z don't even get their driver's licenses before 18, and only one in 25 licensed drivers in the U.S. today is 19 or younger. Cars have always been a staple in movies and music, but what impact does this trend have on the future of cars in pop culture — and how do we get it on the right track? How do we reverse it?"
Q6 · THE DEMO
"We're about to see a live demo of SPARQ Diagnostics on this stage — a device that allows drivers to talk with and build long-term relationships with their cars. For a group of gearheads: what are the things you wish you could have talked about or heard from your favorite cars?"
Prepared for Emelia Hartford and the panel — Xzibit, Kurt Busch, Sung Kang and Cliff Avril — for the Feb. 21 show.
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