In response to 2014 I-CAR Conference attendee feedback, the organization has announced that it will be moving the annual event to a biennial schedule. The move will allow the organization to properly examine changing technology in the collision industry, which has been the conference’s theme for the past two years.
“Changing from an annual to a biennial conference allows us time to
effectively study the evolving technology landscape and continue to
produce a relevant, thought-provoking conference, with a lineup of
quality speakers, that offers new insights to all segments of our
audience,” said I-CAR Senior Marketing Director Ann Gonzalez. “Attendees
have come to expect that I-CAR will deliver exceptional presentations
and fresh perspectives, and we want to continue delivering on that
expectation.”
The 2014 I-CAR Conference, which was held during Industry Week in Detroit this past July, dove deeply into emerging vehicle technologies and featured speakers such as Keynotes Robert Fascetti (Ford vice president of Powertrain Engineering) and Larry Burns (professor of engineering practice at the University of Michigan and former vice president of R&D and planning for General Motors).
Registrations for the 2014 conference were up 50 percent over the prior year, and post-survey results showed an unprecedented 96 percent satisfaction by attendees. When asked what topics I-CAR should cover in future conferences, 86
percent of attendees requested that I-CAR continue to focus on evolving
vehicle technology. Attendees also expressed that I-CAR should continue to co-locate the conference with NACE and Industry Week in the future.
I-CAR also significantly expanded its NACE presence in 2014 with the
addition of a main stage located centrally on the show floor. Throughout
the show, I-CAR collaborated with OEMs to bring topical and relevant
presentations to the NACE audience, as well as through live
demonstrations held in the I-CAR Demo Zone.
“When we initially decided to combine events into one Industry Week,
adding NACE | CARS to the annual event I-CAR holds in conjunction with
CIC, we believed there would be significant benefit to attendees,” said
I-CAR President and CEO John Van Alstyne. “That benefit has now been
proven as evidenced by the successful results and positive feedback all
three organizations received from this latest event. We look forward to
continuing our expanded presence at NACE and also combining our now
biennial I-CAR Conference with Industry Week in 2016.”
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