Why Most Automotive Events Fail — Tom Zielinski, Z Performance
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Most automotive events fail for the same reason: the people running them forget the attendee is the customer. Tom Zielinski has spent decades on both sides... as the vendor getting squeezed and as the operator building Detroit 4Fest, Cars at the Station, and OEM launches for Jeep, Toyota and Stellantis brands. In this episode he breaks down what separates an event that compounds year over year from one that quietly dies.If you run events, sponsor them, activate at them, or you're just tired of writing checks that don't return anything, this is the one.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
→ How to tell a good event from a bad one within 30 seconds of walking in
→ Why you should never build an event around a sponsorship dollar target
→ The mistake that makes 90% of events feel hostile to the people attending
→ How to build relationships with OEMs and why the 11th-hour panic call is an opportunity, not a burden
→ Why the A/B/C sponsorship package is costing you renewals
→ How to work with content creators instead of fighting them
→ Where the money actually is in the events business
→ What the second half of 2026 looks like for the automotive aftermarket
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Tom Zielinski is the founder of Z Performance Group, producing consumer events, OEM media programs, and brand activations across the automotive and powersports industries. He is a co-creator of Detroit 4Fest, a partner in programming at Holly Oaks ORV Park, involved with Cars at the Station in downtown Detroit, and serves as Secretary of the Board for Tread Lightly. His career runs from dealership sales manager to Pit Bike Nationals, Supermoto, X Games and Red Bull productions.
CHAPTERS
0:00 "You're making it suck"
0:26 Meet Tom Zielinski: Z Performance Group, Detroit 4Fest, Tread Lightly
2:27 From AutoRama kid to dealership sales manager at 24
5:53 Pit Bike Nationals, Supermoto, and the X Games years
8:08 How to spot a good event vs. a bad one
10:13 Why auto shows are struggling
13:10 Live events vs. social media: "but will they do anything?"
15:12 Don't build your event around sponsor dollars
17:33 The hardcore 10% vs. the 90% who've never tried it
20:29 Working with brands: listen first, then push
22:25 The chicken-and-egg problem brands vs. attendance
24:42 Landing Jeep, Toyota and the OEMs
26:31 How to actually build an OEM relationship
29:05 Solve the customer's problem, not your budget
31:07 Why so many events treat attendees like a nuisance
33:51 The event checklist: front gate, vendors, follow-through
36:26 Kill the A/B/C sponsorship package
38:52 How media and content creators fit into events
45:03 Inside Z Performance Group: where the money actually is
51:12 "No, you don't want this job"
55:59 The teacher who thought his daughter was making it up
58:12 Tread Lightly, land use, and paying it forward
1:02:30 Support your local events... or lose them
1:07:24 Brands that do events right
1:12:58 Events that should be on your radar
1:19:36 Goodwood, the Quail, and stealing good ideas
1:23:57 What the second half of 2026 looks like
1:26:47 Closing thoughts
ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE ADVANTAGE
Automotive Advantage is a business-first automotive podcast for owners, operators, builders, marketers and decision makers. Not bench racing, not horsepower numbers... real conversations about growth, leadership, marketing, sales and the long-term health of the automotive aftermarket.Grow your business and get smarter in just one hour.
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