HYPERMOBILITY CONFERENCE COMING TO SA IN NOVEMBER
Messe Frankfurt South Africa is partnering with the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (naamsa) to probe the way forward for the local and global motor industry in a fully virtual engagement session on Wednesday, 18 November 2020.
This ground-breaking event will be staged in association with AutoTrader under the banner of HyperMobility with the theme for the initial event being: “Navigating the turbulence together towards mobility 4.0.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up all aspects of the automotive world and this includes industry shows, festivals and conferences so we, as a subsidiary of one of Europe’s oldest and largest trade fair, congress and event organisers across 30 different locations globally, have had to think out of the box to restructure our business,” explained Joshua Low, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt South Africa.
The mobility revolution is here and the HyperMobility conference programme has been designed to impart to online delegates some ground-breaking business strategies, while examining the impact of the pandemic on the current operating environment, as well as proposing practical solutions on how the local and global industry may look in the future.
Michael Mabasa, the CEO of naamsa, had this to say: “We, as the most credible thought leader for and on behalf of the local automotive industry, are proud to once again partner with Messe Frankfurt South Africa for this annual conference. Together we aim to make HyperMobility the premier mobility conference in South Africa with relevant topics and speakers who are leaders in their specific areas of knowledge.
The purpose of this year’s digital engagement is to bring together experts across various sectors of the automotive and related industries who, either directly or indirectly, influence the future direction and developments in these important spheres of the economy both locally and globally. We look forward to bringing some colour to the pressing challenges we face currently and how, collectively, we will take the industry into the future.”
HyperMobilty, in association with AutoTrader, will cover the interconnected and transformational technologies that are driving mobility forward in the 21st century where the various industries are having to deal with a “new normal.”
George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader, points out that the conference could not have come at a more opportune time. “This is undoubtedly the most turbulent year in the history of the motor industry. It has been shaken to its very roots. We have seen massive changes in the way in which consumers search for and buy vehicles. We have seen changes in the actual vehicles that they’re searching for and buying. We have even seen considerable differences in the way in which people are choosing to sell their cars.
“One of the common themes of this ever-changing macro-economic environment is the escalating importance of automotive digital retailing. Companies within the automotive industry are fast acknowledging the fact that, if they wish to stay relevant in the minds of consumers and on top of their game, their future will look very different to their past. Today our present is speaking loudly, and the message is that digital transformation is our future direction,” he notes.
Subjects to be covered will extend from manufacturing vehicles and components to service and repair technologies required for electric, autonomous, connected, and shared mobility solutions. The conference aims to educate and inform delegates about advances in automotive technology, business model transformations, regulatory matters and the link between consumer requirements and industry value chains that underpin the movement of goods and people in a sustainable manner.
HyperMobility targets representatives of all the industries and related businesses forming part of the automotive value chain, including manufacturing, logistics, marketing, retail dealerships, importers, finance houses, insurers, information technology service providers, automotive service and repair sectors, industry bodies and government departments.
