The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has announced details of the insightful research, detailed analysis, plus the expert speaker line up that will provide an enlightening perspective on the world of automotive retail at its International Automotive Summit in Westminster on 28 June.
The plenary retail session, ‘The changing face of car retailing’, sponsored by Urban Science and Manheim Retail Services will open with a brief overview of the UK retail sector based on SMMT’s in-depth market data and forecasts, presented by the day’s chairman, Justin Webb. Summit delegates will also hear from Antony Sheriff, Managing Director of McLaren Automotive, who will explain why his company has chosen a franchised network to distribute its new supercar.
Having set the scene in which today’s automotive retailers operate, Robert Ellis, owner of Prism, one of the UK’s leading market research companies, will present the findings of a unique study of the way modern consumers shop for new cars. Following a range of individuals throughout the full buying process, the study is the first of its kind to analyse fully a customer purchasing decisions as they are made.
David Vernon, European Practice Manager, Customer Marketing Solutions at Urban Science, will look at using science to optimise handling leads especially from the internet, using Urban Science’s extensive international experience to explore how best to value leads from different sources.
Neil Packham, Sales Director of Manheim Retail Services, will move on to lead management in the showroom. Drawing from the company’s work with over 30 vehicle manufacturers in the UK and more than 2,600 franchised dealers, Packham will reveal what retailers are doing well and where they could improve to maximise sales.
Sponsored by Manheim Remarketing, the parallel session ‘Remarketing for the 21st century: innovations in the remarketing value chain’, should also prove one of the highlights of the day, with experts from Manheim Remarketing and BCA sharing the same stage.
D’Vidis Jacobs, BCA’s Online Director, will explore innovations in online remarketing, including how online and real world can be complementary, meeting the demands of changing buyer behaviour, and dispelling remarketing myths.
Mike Pilkington, Managing Director of Manheim Remarketing, will examine innovations in the supply chain process, focusing on how to match retail demand to wholesale supply, adding value to the part-exchange process and the vendor benefits of a one-stop remarketing solution.
Further details and tickets to the SMMT Summit are available at www.smmtsummit.co.uk, by calling 020 8267 5657 or e-mailing smmt.summit@haymarket.com. Delegate numbers are strictly limited, tickets cost £250 for SMMT members and £400 for non-members.
