Between the 6th and 7th of November this year, Telematics Munich 2008 Conference will be held in Munich, Germany. The conference is expected to attract more than 400+ senior level executives and is being positioned as the European answer to Telematics Detroit. Telematics Detroit 2008, was held in May this year and had more than 1,600 delegates, 90 expert speakers, 40 sessions, 20 interactive debate forums and 4 focused mini conferences.
“All the topics and speakers for this year’s conference have been very carefully hand-picked. We conducted over 6 months of intensive research to determine the scope and agenda of the conference to reflect key industry challenges, solutions and opportunities. Each and every speaker has been hand-picked by me. For this year’s show we’ve completely re-vamped the structure. In the morning of day 1 and day 2 we have keynotes. After which the conference splits into four multi-tracks each focusing on the following topics: Navigation &, Location, In-Car Infotainment, Asset Management & Monitoring and Intelligent Vehicle Safety,” said Precksha Saksena, project director for Telematics Detroit 2008, in an earlier interview with AI.
“For the very first time this year not only have we got the top automakers such as BMW, Honda, Toyota, suppliers such as Alpine, Visteon, Panasonic, wireless carriers such as T-Mobile, AT&T and telematics service providers such as Hughes Telematics and ATX speaking – but we’ve managed to get companies like Yahoo! to discuss and debate the future of location-based services and in-car telematics,” she added.
Telematics Munich 2008 hopes to provide a similar platform for the telematics industry in Europe. The show is expected to attract the biggest players in the industry and the show organizers, Telematics Update, promise that lots of networking opportunities will be provided for participants. “We at Telematics Update as the organizers of the industry’s biggest get-together, are rising to the challenge of effecting positive change on the industry, in the interest of everybody who attends our events and their future prosperity. The event is the biggest and best in the calendar and to ensure we keep it that way, we must keep ahead of your significant upcoming challenges. We plan to implement a series of quite dramatic changes in 2008 to ensure that Telematics Munich remains the best and biggest automotive and mobile telematics event for the industry in Europe,” says Precksha Saksena of Telematics Update.
This is expected to be done by quality, case-study based presentations, and break out tracks monitored and reviewed by a team of telematics experts who will work with facilitators and speakers for at least two months prior to the conference to ensure a consistent quality. The show organizers promise that there will be no sales pitches. Instead, presentations and workshops for solutions providers and consultants will be strictly limited to ensure positive outcomes for participants.
“Telematics Munich is already booking exceptionally well and will sell-out in no time. Rather than just concentrating on telematics in general, we’ll focus on uncovering new topics, as there is real innovation in many areas of wireless and mobile technology. The format of the event will be redesigned to focus on specific topics rather than just a general program. We know this is what you want, so in 2008 we will be adding more time to ensure you get as much time as possible to network. Networking breaks and networking activities will be well-spread to ensure you stay focused and interested throughout the event,” says Telematics Update.
In the run-up to Telematics Update’s Telematics Munich 2008 Conference in November, Automotive Industries spoke to Precksha Saksena, project director of the event.
AI: What will be new at this year’s Telematics Munich conference?
PS: Our flagship European Conference has had a complete makeover in terms of content, structure and speaker line-up. We’ve designed this far reaching, major summit for all senior-level executives in the digital automotive and mobile industries. We kept our audience in mind when creating the agenda. After focused plenary sessions, the conference will break out into multi-tracks focusing on telematics services, navigation & location-based services and in-car infotainment.
AI: Why do you think Telematics Munich 2008 is vital for the telematics industry in Europe?
PS: Because telematics as an industry is evolving at a fast pace. Never before has the telematics industry in Europe been faced with today’s challenges, regulations and competition, which will test both big and small companies at every stage in the lifecycle. Telematics Munich 2008 will give European companies an opportunity to come together to discuss challenges that are unique to the European marketplace. For instance, telematics service and solutions providers operating in Europe will need to understand European consumer needs and learn how to differentiate their offerings to boost adoption.
AI: What are some of the key issues facing the telematics industry – especially in Europe?
PS: Instead of discussing several issues here, I will highlight just two key issues:
eCall in Europe is inevitable, but even now there are several technical and political barriers preventing the roll-out of a public eCall service. Telematics Munich will give the delegates a clear insight into what’s being done to overcome these barriers because we’ve invited speakers from the European Commission, the European Parliament and emergency services to shed light on this issue.
Telematics-based insurance is also generating a lot of industry interest – particularly in Europe. Companies like Cobra and CoverBox have been invited to Telematics Munich to offer delegates an insight into the new delivery model for Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) insurance.
AI: Are issues facing the industry in Europe different to those in the US?
PS: The European market is quite unique because all 42 countries in Europe, with their different ethnicities, develop and use telematics services differently. With an economically revitalised Russia, the political and commercial realities of Europe are changing quickly. Russia is now the single largest car market in Europe, having overtaken Germany three years earlier than predicted.
Telematics Munich 2008 will answer questions such as: What is an appropriate view of Europe from a telematics perspective? What are the issues that need to be considered when developing a pan-European telematics strategy for the next decade?
AI: What kind of innovations and technological advances have been made in the telematics industry this year?
PS: Telematics as an industry is witnessing major changes and growth; both in terms of consumer attitudes and technologies. Connectivity is a big trend – especially bringing the Internet into the car. In order to do this, companies not only have to make technological advances but also need to adopt and use the right business models.
Telematics Munich 2008 will provide more information on these trends and will help delegates to understand how to apply the latest technologies and business models both for profit generation and long-term sustainability.
Telematics Munich 2008 follows the most recent and ultra-successful global flagship event – Telematics Detroit 2008 – which was attended by more than 1,800 senior level executives. Telematics Munich 2008 is being positioned as Europe’s answer to the USA’s Telematics Detroit, and the event is expected to attract more than 400 senior level executives from some of the biggest players in the industry.
Telematics Update promises that the event will present plenty of networking opportunities for participants.
“We are rising to the challenge of effecting positive change on the industry. We plan to implement a series of quite dramatic changes in 2008 to ensure that Telematics Munich remains the best and biggest event for the automotive and mobile telematics industry in Europe,” says Ms Saksena.
This is expected to be achieved by quality, case study-based presentations, and break-out tracks monitored and reviewed by a team of telematics experts who have been working with facilitators and speakers for the past few months to ensure consistent quality. The show organisers promise that there will be no sales pitches. Instead, presentations and workshops for solutions providers and consultants will be strictly limited to ensure positive outcomes for participants.
Instead of concentrating purely on telematics in general, the event will focus on specific topics, as there is real innovation in many areas of wireless and mobile technology. “We know this is what you want,” says Ms Saksena, “so we have designed the agenda with well spaced breaks and plenty of time to give you maximum networking opportunities and ensure you stay focused and interested throughout the event.”
Telematics Munich is already booking exceptionally well, and tickets are expected to sell-out soon.
To download the Telematics Munich 2008 e-brochure, visit:
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