Summary
Rev Your Engines at ACE 2025: Take a Proton for a Spin and Win an X50, S70, Saga, or an iPhone 17 is a major automotive promotional campaign tied to the ACE Automotive Conference & Expo (ACE 2025), held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on October 16–17, 2025. The event is one of Canada’s largest automotive industry gatherings, bringing together over 70 suppliers, industry leaders, and automotive enthusiasts for a multifaceted program of expert sessions, networking, live demonstrations, and family-friendly entertainment. Central to the 2025 edition was Proton’s dynamic presence, which combined vehicle showcases, interactive experiences, and a high-stakes lucky draw offering attendees the chance to win Proton models such as the X50, S70, and Saga, or the latest iPhone 17.
ACE 2025 emphasized innovation and industry trends, featuring keynotes on artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and emerging automotive technologies, thus positioning itself as a critical platform for dialogue on the sector’s future. Proton’s marketing efforts stood out with a creative slogan campaign, a 5D Instagrammable experience for vehicle customization, and livestreams aimed at engaging a broad audience, highlighting the brand’s commitment to reliability, innovation, and national pride. The event also incentivized consumer participation through test-drive promotions and prize draws, including an all-expenses-paid holiday, generating significant consumer interest and bolstering Proton’s market visibility in Canada.
The campaign and event garnered positive reception from both industry insiders and the general public. Proton’s showcased models, particularly the newly launched S70 and facelifted X70, received praise for advanced features and value, contributing to increased sales momentum early in 2025. The promotional activities at ACE 2025 underscored Proton’s strategic push to strengthen its brand presence internationally while fostering community engagement through innovative marketing and customer experiences.
While largely celebrated for its comprehensive approach and successful engagement, the event also faced the usual challenges of balancing promotional excitement with delivering substantive industry content, reflecting ongoing debates in automotive marketing between entertainment-driven campaigns and educational value. Nonetheless, ACE 2025 solidified its reputation as a premier automotive conference and trade show in Canada, effectively blending business development with consumer interaction in the evolving automotive landscape.
Event Overview
ACE 2025, officially known as the ACE Automotive Conference & Expo, is a premier Canadian event celebrating the best of the nation’s automotive industry. Scheduled to take place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, from October 16 to 17, 2025, the event brings together industry leaders, innovators, and over 70 suppliers for a dynamic program featuring expert sessions, networking opportunities, and live demonstrations. Designed to offer high-quality, unbiased content, ACE 2025 covers the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities within the automotive sector. The conference agenda includes keynote presentations on critical topics such as artificial intelligence, the global electric vehicle market, economic outlooks, and emerging technologies shaping the industry’s future. Attendees can also participate in exclusive social events, including the ACE Cocktail Reception and the ACE Kick Off Party, both included with registration to enhance professional engagement and networking. In addition to the conference activities, ACE 2025 features entertainment suitable for the whole family, including live performances, cash prizes, and raffle drawings, making it a comprehensive automotive celebration. The event also hosts special campaigns such as a creative slogan competition tied to Proton’s presence at the show, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to innovation, reliability, and national pride while offering interactive activities and livestream content to engage visitors of all ages.
Activities and Attractions
The paultan.org Auto Car Expo (ACE) 2025 offers a variety of engaging activities and attractions designed to captivate automotive enthusiasts and families alike. Attendees can look forward to live performances, cash prizes, and raffle drawings, ensuring hours of entertainment suitable for all ages. The event features a comprehensive lineup of special guests and speakers who will share insights into the future of automotive technology and design, providing valuable knowledge for both industry professionals and car lovers. A major highlight at ACE 2025 is the opportunity to test drive any Proton model, including the popular X50, S70, and Saga. Visitors who participate in a test drive will automatically be entered into a grand lucky draw with prizes totaling over RM600,000, which includes the chance to win one of three cars—Proton X50, S70, or Saga—or a brand new iPhone 17. Additionally, every confirmed booking during the event grants entry into a lucky draw for an all-expenses-paid holiday for two worth RM10,000, along with various prizes sponsored by brands such as Kärcher. Proton’s presence at the expo is designed to be especially interactive and innovative. One standout attraction is the first-of-its-kind 5D Instagrammable Experience featuring the Proton S70, where visitors can design custom vehicle wraps on an interactive screen that are then projected onto a physical car in real time. This immersive activation encourages guests to take personalized photos and share them on social media for special gifts. Moreover, the event offers a creative slogan campaign to help shape public perception of Proton’s new models, coupled with livestreams and KOL content to engage attendees of all ages.
Participants
Participants of ACE 2025 encompass a diverse group of automotive industry professionals, including industry leaders, dealers, suppliers, and innovators, all coming together to engage in education, networking, and business development opportunities over the two-day event. Attendees can also take advantage of exclusive social events such as the ACE Cocktail Reception and ACE Kick Off Party, where over 70 Canadian vendors are present to support business growth and facilitate meaningful connections within the community. In addition to industry professionals, the event draws automotive enthusiasts and families, offering entertainment such as live performances, cash prizes, and raffle drawings, making it a comprehensive experience for all attendees. Participants interested in women’s leadership in higher education can also attend related conferences and dinners focused on empowerment and inspiration of women leaders. Entry to certain promotional activities, such as the sweepstakes to win prizes like vehicles and electronics, is open to participants who submit their entries online during the specified period from October 1 to November 16, 2025, and meet verification requirements set by the event sponsor. This wide range of participant engagement reflects the event’s commitment to fostering connections and opportunities across various facets of the automotive and related communities.
Marketing and Promotion
PROTON’s presence at ACE 2025 is marked by a dynamic marketing and promotional campaign aimed at engaging a wide range of visitors and enhancing brand visibility. Central to the campaign is a creative slogan initiative that invites attendees to participate actively in defining how the new Proton models resonate with the public. This interactive approach is complemented by livestreams, key opinion leader (KOL) content, and various on-site activities designed to captivate Malaysians of all ages, emphasizing PROTON’s commitment to innovation, reliability, and national pride. To incentivize participation, confirmed test drive bookings at the event enter attendees into a lucky draw with a grand prize of an all-expenses-paid holiday for two worth RM10,000. Additional prizes, including offerings from Kärcher, are also set to be announced, adding further appeal to potential customers. This strategy leverages personalized incentives and social proof, recognizing that special offers and live updates can significantly increase test drive bookings and engagement. The marketing efforts at ACE 2025 are part of a broader plan to create an immersive and interactive experience that not only promotes Proton’s latest models but also fosters community involvement and excitement around the brand. Through these combined initiatives, PROTON aims to strengthen its market position while delivering memorable experiences to attendees.
Reception and Impact
The ACE 2025 event was met with enthusiastic participation from both industry professionals and the general public, highlighting its significance as a premier automotive and business gathering. The ACE Cocktail Reception, a key networking opportunity, brought together over 70 Canadian vendors, providing attendees with a vibrant environment to connect with industry leaders and explore new business prospects. This event was praised for its dynamic atmosphere, fostering innovation and collaboration among participants. From a consumer perspective, Proton’s presence at ACE 2025 garnered considerable attention. The national automaker attracted visitors with attractive deals on their vehicle lineup, including cash rebates of up to RM7,000 on the new 2025 Proton X70 facelift. Additionally, test-driving and booking a Proton vehicle offered attendees chances to enter monthly lucky draws, with grand prizes such as a brand-new Proton S70. These promotions helped boost Proton’s visibility and appeal during the event. The reception of Proton’s models, particularly the S70 and X70, has been notably positive. The S70, launched in November 2023, has been praised for its advanced features and value proposition, contributing to a 13.2% increase in Proton’s group sales in early 2025 as consumer demand rebounded. Meanwhile, the PROTON X70 continues to be a dominant player in the Malaysian premium SUV segment, having sold over 100,000 units and earning multiple awards over five years. Its global counterpart, the Geely Boyue, also reflects strong international success, with sales exceeding 1.8 million units across 49 countries. The 2025 Proton X70 model showcased at ACE is poised to extend this legacy by combining innovative technology with high performance.
ACE 2025 Context
ACE 2025 stands as Canada’s largest automotive conference and trade show, uniting industry leaders, dealers, suppliers, and innovators over two days of education, networking, and business development. The event is distinctly Canadian, featuring speakers, sessions, entertainment, and content that highlight the best of the nation’s automotive industry. It is dedicated to delivering unbiased, high-quality content with actionable insights and practical takeaways, addressing the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities within the automotive sector. Previous editions have included keynote presentations on topics such as artificial intelligence, the global electric vehicle market, economic outlooks, and emerging technologies shaping the industry’s future. The 2025 program continues this tradition by focusing on critical industry topics and innovations. The ACE trade show hosts over 70 Canadian automotive industry suppliers, providing dealers a convenient, centralized venue to meet and evaluate potential partners. Participation in the trade show is exclusive to active members of MVRO or Consolidated Dealers, ensuring a focused environment for meaningful business interactions. Beyond traditional conference programming, ACE 2025 offers exceptional networking opportunities designed to foster lasting business relationships within the Canadian automotive community. Alongside the conference, Proton unveiled key models such as the 2025 Saga, featuring enhanced safety and security technologies including front airbags, immobilizers, anti-theft alarms, parking sensors, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, and brake assist. The Saga Ace variant further includes electronic stability control, hill hold assist, and traction control systems. Proton also revealed details of the all-new 2025 X50 compact crossover, adding excitement to the event’s automotive showcase. ACE 2025 has been recognized as a significant success, drawing hundreds of leaders to engage with nearly every facet of the automotive industry and fostering discussions on present challenges and future strategies.
