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Senior industry executives and policy makers will gather together this week for the 91��Ƭ������’s International Automotive Summit, a half-day conference sponsored by Messe Frankfurt that profiles the global trends shaping the automotive sector.

With a packed agenda of keynote speakers and panel sessions, and broadcast journalist Zeinab Badawi as the moderator, the event will cover a range of topics affecting the entire life cycle of a vehicle – from the manufacturing supply chain through to where it is sold, who buys it, and how it is used.

This year’s speakers include:

• Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management, BMW Group
• Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe
• Andy Palmer, Chief Executive, Aston Martin
• Chris Giles, Economics Editor, Financial Times
• Jin Xu, Minister-Counsellor, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
• Stewart Ferguson, Head of Research, China-Britain Business Council
• Peter Johansen, Chief Executive, London Taxi Company
• Namrita Chow, Principal Analyst, IHS Automotive
• The Right Honourable Patricia Hewitt, Chair, UK India Business Council
• Dr Timothy Leverton, President & Head – Advanced and Product Engineering, Tata Motors
• Gamil Magal, Chief Executive, Magal Engineering
• Mike Hawes, Chief Executive, 91��Ƭ������

Now in its seventh year, the Summit is an annual event bringing together the people who shape the industry. Sponsored by Messe Frankfurt, the company behind the international trade show brand Automechanika, Summit delegates will have access to the latest industry insights, commercial analysis, and networking with peers and influencers.

Themes this year include:

• Automotive technology in the 21^st century
• How the UK can become a world leader in innovation
• A global economic outlook for the industry
• India: growth, regulation, and working with local suppliers
• The future of the luxury automotive market
• China: commercial relationships, the power of brands, and Chinese market policies

Mike Hawes, SMMTChief Executive, said, “Understanding how social and economic trends will affect the automotive sector is essential to remaining ahead of the pace of change. The topics chosen for this year’s Summit are all about keeping the sector innovative and commercially competitive. We’re exceptionally pleased by this year’s speaker line-up, and look forward to a packed programme on the day.”

Simon Albert, Event Director of Automechanika Birmingham, said, “We’re delighted to be partnering with SMMTto bring the automotive industry together for debate and discussion. The International Automotive Summit has a long track record of success in this area – it’s an outstanding platform for thought-provoking content. We’re looking forward to furthering our relationship with SMMTwhen we jointly host Automechanika Birmingham in 2016.”

91��Ƭ������ Automechanika Birmingham

Automechanika is the world’s biggest international trade fair brand for the automotive sector. The first Automechanika took place in Frankfurt in 1971 under the title of the “International Exhibition for Automobile, Workshop, Filling Station and Garage Equipment”. Today, with a network of 15 events in 14 countries, Automechanika offers exhibitors access to new markets and brings them into contact with new national and regional visitor groups. Among them there are shows with an international visitor profile such as Frankfurt, Dubai and Istanbul as well as others with a regional profile such as St. Petersburg. The latest new destinations are Chicago and Birmingham. The Automechanika Fairs are supported by Messe Frankfurt’s global network of 28 subsidiaries and approximately 50 international Sales Partners, giving it a presence for its customers in more than 150 countries. Automechanika Birmingham is run under license by Forest Exhibitions ltd.