WardsAuto User Experience Conference To Explore How New Technologies Converge For Great Mobility Experiences

SOUTHFIELD, MI / JULY 13, 2017- WardsAuto today announces the details for the 2017 WardsAuto User Experience (UX) Conference, to be held Thursday, October 5 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan.

The event is presented with Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC), which will hold “early supplier engagement” matchmaking sessions to connect technology providers with program leaders and buyers at automakers and Tier One suppliers. WardsAuto and PMBC are inviting personnel of automotive OEMs and large suppliers to participate, asking what types of technologies they would like to explore, and matching them with Michigan-based companies on the cutting edge of those desired products and services.

The WardsAuto UX Conference will also showcase automaker keynote speakers, panel discussions on UX-focused topics, exhibits from leading technology suppliers and the annual Wards 10 Best User Experience awards ceremony. Dave Lyon, co-founder of Pocketsquare Design and former design executive at General Motors, will lead a center-stage discussion on solving UX challenges, including top designers from OEMs and suppliers.

“When we debuted this conference last year, automakers and top suppliers told us they were excited to attend an event that recognized the opportunities and challenges they now face every day,” says Drew Winter, Director, Content at WardsAuto. 

“Designers and engineers have to stay ahead of constantly changing technologies to anticipate the mobility experiences that car buyers will expect five or ten years from now. There’s great potential to make transportation more enjoyable, exciting and safe, but there are also many unknowns like the acceptance rate of autonomous vehicles, communication technologies that quickly come in and out of favor, government regulations, and much more. We’ll be doing deep dives on these topics again this year,” added Winter.

Topics to be explored at the conference include:
The New Auto HMI Will Be Everywhere. What Will it Look Like?
Where is Mapping and Navigation Headed in Automotive UX?
Turbocharging Connectivity
Machine Intelligence and Deep Learning: Where Will it Take Us Next?
The Newest Concepts and Technologies for Enhancing UX

The event will feature the second annual Wards 10 Best User Experience awards ceremony, calling winning automaker UX teams to the stage to accept their honors. WardsAuto judges are currently evaluating new model vehicles in areas such as human-machine interface design, connectivity, infotainment, controls and advanced driver-assist technologies – in addition to overall value. Winners will be announced in early September, and the October 5 event will invite all members of the UX teams at winning automakers to celebrate their outstanding work among their peers.

Several of the industry’s top suppliers, and many technology providers from outside the auto industry, will exhibit their latest technologies. In addition, a “startup pavilion” will show off new ideas for enhancing automotive UX. WardsAuto is currently accepting requests from companies to participate in both exhibit areas. Space is limited.

Registration for the event is now live at http://wardsauto.com/ux, which also includes the agenda and other key conference details. Attendees may save $100 off their passes during an early registration period which runs through August 11.

About WardsAuto
WardsAuto is a world-leading provider of automotive insights and analysis, having served the industry’s information needs for more than 90 years. WardsAuto provides a forward-looking perspective on all aspects of the automotive business, from the tech center to the plant floor to the showroom. Its services include the premium WardsAuto.com resource and suite of customizable data reporting tools, the WardsAuto Interiors and WardsAuto Outlook Conferences, and digital newsletters and magazines. Subscribe to WardsAuto and attend its events by visiting www.wardsauto.com.

ABOUT PURE MICHIGAN BUSINESS CONNECT
Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) is a public-private initiative developed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation that helps connect local and global purchasers to suppliers of Michigan goods and services. PMBC accomplishes this by offering no cost, customized procurement or joint venture/R&D matchmaking initiatives with the intent of saving all negotiating parties time and capital resources.

Since the program was launched in 2011, it has facilitated more than $5 billion in revenue for Michigan companies, which translates into approximately 24,000 jobs for Michigan residents. For more information on Pure Michigan Business Connect, visit http://www.michiganbusiness.org/pmbc/.

ABOUT INFORMA
WardsAuto and the WardsAuto User Experience Conference are part of Informa, the international business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events group. Informa serves commercial, professional and academic communities, helping them connect and learn, and creating and providing access to content and intelligence that helps people and businesses work smarter and make better decisions faster.

Informa employs over 7,500 people in more than 20 countries in North and South America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

GET IN TOUCH
Chris Lamphear
WardsAuto
248 799 2658
http://wardsauto.com

Release ID: 256227