The dates have now been set for the 2011 Automotive Logistics Europe conference, which will be held in Bonn, Germany from February 28th to March 2nd. (www.automotivelogisticseurope.com). Speakers are already being confirmed for the 9th annual event, including Susanna Webber, the new vice president, purchasing and supply chain for Opel/Vauxhall.
The theme for this year’s conference, “Entering the age of responsible logistics”, reflects the attempts by manufacturers to shift toward a more balanced and holistic view of the automotive supply chain in Europe. “Responsible logistics” means not only the industry’s efforts to make its supply chain more environmentally friendly, from reducing carbon emissions in transport to recycling rainwater at warehouses, but also the need for smarter, more collaborative logistics from both OEMs and logistics providers. Whether it is manufacturers aiming to lower inventories and produce cars in line with sales, or logistics providers across all transport modes making efforts to better manage their fleet capacity and utilisation, the new age of automotive logistics must mean less waste for manufacturers and yet more profit for providers.
Such a utopian vision for the supply chain might only be realised with communication and partnership, another two pillars of responsible logistics that will be an important part of the sessions and workshops at the event. As last year’s conference revealed, both manufacturers and logistics providers want to see more transparency and visibility in the supply chain, whether in deeper sharing of production plans and forecasts by manufacturers, or by better sharing of potential service disruptions or problems by providers. The conference will provide the setting for executives on both sides of the desk to find mutual savings and benefits.
As the most important overall meeting in the automotive logistics sector held during the year, the conference will bring together senior decision makers from carmakers, tier suppliers, 3PLs, transport providers by road, rail, river, sea and air, IT companies, ports and terminal operators, insurance, inspection and damage repair specialists and other service providers which ensure inbound and outbound logistics actually work.
The conference will feature two days of intensive sessions and workshops. There will be dedicated streams of the event for finished vehicle logistics and tier supplier logistics, as well as workshops concentrating on packaging, IT, damage and supply chain management. There will also be networking opportunities, including a cocktail reception, gala dinner and coffee breaks.
