Manufacturing - labour, location and automation.
Senior manufacturing executives consider the global vehicle making model and present their opinions and strategies. Special themes of automation versus low labour cost location, moving production closer to the customer and the changing face of customer expectations.

• Trevor Mann, Deputy Managing Director, Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK
• Ben Rimmington, Director, Automotive Unit, Department of Trade and Industry

Machines that changed the world
Discussing the social and economic influences of vehicle making infrastructures on various regions and looking at government and local administration responses to the peaks and troughs of a volatile market.

What do our customers really want?
Designers, product development experts and market analysts examine the global customer base and discuss methods of gauging end-user expectations, demands and how the industry must respond to keep the increasingly specification-smart purchaser onside.

• Werner Stelzer, Vice President, Alcan Automotive

Mass customisation and niche models
Specialised and personally specified vehicles are making a big impact on the modern car buyer's available range of choices. Brand managers and marketing experts debate the true value and cost of personalisation and ever-increasing customer expectations.

• John MacIntyre, Associate Dean, School of Computing & Technology,
  University of Sunderland
• Ralf Wiege, Programme Director - Nissan Project, Karmann

Logistics - counting the cost of automotive logistics
Top-level insight into the cost pressures permeating the automotive industry. Our speakers examine the need to increase car sales while reducing costs, and the consequences on supply chain operations.

• Bruce Arlinghaus, Director, European Supply Chain Solutions, Ryder
• Ralf Hattler ,Director Logistics IT Structure & Planning, BMW
• Kevin Wall, Director - Material Planning & Logistics, Jaguar & Landrover

Packaging
By taking control of your packaging requirements, you can reduce costs through greater efficiency. This session discusses how car makers, suppliers and specialist providers are finding solutions though effective packaging and container management.

• Patrick Allen, Head of Group Marketing,
  United Co-operatives Ltd & Managing Director, The Rollet co
• John Wright, General Sales Manager, Linpac

Service parts
Increasingly complex vehicles have put tremendous pressure on service parts operations. Logistics experts from car makers and service providers will discuss improvements in delivery times and reliability.

• Simon Hobbs, Commercial Director, Automotive UK, Exel
• Ray Runza, General Manager Logistics, Honda Logistics Centre UK

Production development and evaluation
Speakers discuss the continuing trend of carmakers who locate in low labour cost areas, the balance of global technology transfer and how the new automotive regions are moving from importing to exporting cars, components and technology.

• Markel Jonsson, Marketing Manager, Gestamp HardTech
• Jon King, Director, Corus Automotive

Testing and evaluation
With legislation and customer expectation growing at an ever-increasing pace, experts debate the response from the industry. Concentrating on differing standards and levels of customer sophistication and how to meet these using global and local design and technology bases.

New frontiers and materials
Presentations on car design for manufacture in the new territories of the emerging markets in Asia and beyond. Examining the exciting possibilities of new methods of construction afforded by developments in new materials.

• Daryl Greig, Vehicle Architect, Lotus Engineering
• Dr Andreas Leson, Deputy Director, Fraunhofer IWF

Tomorrow's vehicles and the greener planet
Protection of the environment has never been more pressing. Experts debate the current legislation and initiatives and chart the roadmap towards a lower impact automotive future. Discussions of emission controls and alternative fuel and energy technologies will also be held.

• Claudio Bianchini, Director, National Research Centre of Italy
• Gary Mahon, Senior Materials Consultant, Innoval Technology

Purchasing and partnerships
As globalisation increases in new and challenging locations, speakers from OEMs and suppliers look at the demands on vehicle makers' purchasing departments and how suppliers must respond to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive global arena.

• David Cameron, General Manager, Purchasing, Nissan

Supplier innovation and responsibility
Presentations on the 'down-chain' pressure being put on suppliers to work on complex and costly research and development programmes to satisfy increasingly demanding customers - from vehicle makers to the end user.