New specialty session—part of an annual management seminar event—touches on OEM and supplier collaboration
The 2008 Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) is hosting a seminar entitled “Profitable Personalization: OEM-Aftermarket Collaboration” to discuss the automotive specialty equipment market and partnerships among vehicle manufacturers, suppliers and aftermarket companies. Presented by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and SEMA, the session is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 12 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Themed “Transcending Turbulence,” MBS is an annual industry event attended by more than 1,200 automotive executives for top vehicle manufacturers, original equipment and specialty equipment suppliers and key industry stakeholders. It will be held Aug. 11-15 in Traverse City, Mich. The specialty collaboration session will be co-chaired by John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of vehicle technology, and Brett Smith, assistant director of the manufacturing, technology and engineering group at CAR. Featured speakers include Myles Kovacs, DUB Magazine president; Elaine Matsuda, vice president of corporate accessories at Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.; and Tom Phillips, general manager of Microsoft’s Automotive Business Unit. “This session will address the challenges, opportunities and new business models associated with the future of customization, as well as highlight several examples, solutions and business cases that clearly demonstrate the mutual value and benefits of cooperation between automakers and the specialty-equipment industry,” says Waraniak. “The future of customization is all about delivering fully integrated customization while significantly reducing capital investments for tooling and time to profit by integrating core and platform engineering practices with lean customization principles.” Scott Ulnick, managing partner with Ducker Worldwide will also accompany the panel and share insights on how vehicle manufacturers and specialty suppliers can effectively co-brand their products. An up-to-date listing of all MBS sessions and speakers and registration information is available online at the CAR site. For more information, visit SEMA online. |
