Hi Colleague,

Time is running out to register for the WardsAuto Interiors Conference, May 9 in Detroit.

We have updated our list of speakers you'll see in the keynote presentations and in breakout sessions.
See the full list.
 
When you register now you can reserve your seat in the breakout panel sessions of your choice, which are listed below.

Plus, you need to save your spot now so you don't miss:

KEYNOTE SPEECHES from Ralph Gilles, Head of Design for FCA - Global, and Eric Brown, Director, Interaction Design for BMW Group Designworks

WARDS 10 BEST INTERIORS awards ceremony, with the winning vehicles on display for you to check out

EXHIBITS from top interior suppliers showing off their latest innovations

PEER NETWORKING - meet up with colleagues and make new connections

During registration, you'll choose from these Panel Discussion sessions:

EARLY MORNING SESSIONS

PANEL 1: Materials Innovations
Materials can make or break a consumer’s first impression of a vehicle interior, but their importance goes far beyond aesthetics. Panelists will discuss the latest concepts for giving designers more creative freedom, reducing weight, reducing cost and optimizing eco-friendliness.
SPEAKERS:
- Rose Ryntz, Vice President-Advanced Dev. and Material Engineering, IAC (moderator)
- Robert Eller, President, Robert Eller Associates
- Adriano Odino, Technical Director, Renolit Composites
- Tony Tognetti, Technical Services & Development Engineer, Trinseo
Reserve your seat now

PANEL 2: New Ideas in Seating
A seat is a seat until someone invents something truly new that folds into the floor or uses electronically controlled air bladders to increase comfort. This session looks at examples where designers throw out the rulebook and create something dramatically different.
SPEAKERS:
John Oilar, Vice President - Engineering, Magna Seating (moderator)
Nick Petouhoff, Executive Director Engineering and Innovation, Adient
Kai Kruger, Director of Engineering, Recaro Engineering Performance Car
Speaker Name TBA, Honda
Reserve your seat now

PANEL 3: Autonomous Interiors 2.0
We’ve all seen the first generation of living-room-on-wheels designs for autonomous vehicles. This session looks at the next generation of concepts being developed with self-driving vehicles in mind.
SPEAKERS:
Nina Mital, Design Partner, Pocketsquare Design (moderator)
Dave Muyres, Executive Director, Global Research and Advanced Development, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors
Carter Cannon, Manager Functional Integration, Advanced Dev. and Engineering, IAC
Stefan Weissert, Director - Car Multimedia Division, Bosch
Reserve your seat now

LATE MORNING SESSIONS:

PANEL 4: Lightweighting Interiors
Automakers have spent decades removing mass from vehicles, but there’s still work to do, especially in the cabin. Numerous technologies and strategies for removing weight while still enhancing comfort, quiet and aesthetics will be discussed.
SPEAKERS:
Michael Maddelein, Vice President of Global Engineering, Inteva
Jim Badhorn, Product Manager - Underbody Systems, Roechling Automotive
Helmut Doyen, Director of Sales for OES, North America, Sika
Keith Nagara, Director, Transportation Design Program, Lawrence Technological University (moderator)
Reserve your seat now

PANEL 5: Creating the Ultimate User Experience
The “user experience,” a term that has migrated from consumer electronics to the world of automotive interior design, presents a new challenge: How do designers and engineers take the flood of information flowing in and out of vehicles and personal devices and turn it into positive encounters that delight, inform, entertain and protect drivers and passengers?
SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Clavin, Ninjaneer, Pillar Technology (moderator)
Jim Hotary, Director of xWorks Innovation Center, Faurecia
Chris Ludwig, Sr. Director - EPIC Experience Team, Harman
Speaker Name TBA , Visteon
Reserve your seat now

PANEL 6: Manufacturing World-Class Interiors
Panelists will discuss manufacturing processes and technologies that enable automakers and suppliers to produce world-leading interiors.
SPEAKERS:
Bill Windschief, President and Founder, Advanced Innovative Solutions (moderator)
John White, Lead Research Chemist, Henkel
Speaker Name TBA, Lectra
Ernie Wilson, Vice President - Advanced Development & Engineering, IAC
Reserve your seat now

AFTERNOON SESSIONS:

PANEL 7: The Future of Premium Materials
How will current materials associated with luxury such as leather and natural wood evolve to meet future demands for weight reduction, new designs and production efficiencies? What other materials are being developed that offer designers new definitions of luxury?
SPEAKERS:
Richard Vaughan, Industrial Designer/Consultant/Author, 363 Insights (moderator)
Thomas Gould, Director of Industrial Design and Craftsmanship, Adient
Gary Braddock, Design Partner, Pocketsquare Design
Stephen Jeske, Senior VP - Sales, Marketing and Product Dev., GST AutoLeather
Reserve your seat now

PANEL 8: Designing the Cockpit of the Future
Before the totally autonomous vehicle arrives in the future, a range of technologies will begin transforming how we interact with cars. Realistically speaking, what will the near-term cockpit, instrument panel and HMI look like for the next several product cycles?
SPEAKERS:
Patrick Murray, Founder, Murray Design LLC (moderator)
Aidano Nascimento, Design & Innovation Studio Manager, Inteva
Scott Shields, Senior Manager of Innovations, NAO, Faurecia
Matt Yurdana, Creative Director, The Internet of Things Experience Group, Intel
Reserve your seat now

PANEL 9: What do Consumers Really Want?
Car buyers never asked for infotainment systems that connect with smartphones, minivans with two sliding doors instead of one, or even heated seats. Today, many consumers can’t live without these features. This panel will discuss how to anticipate consumer wants and needs in vehicle interiors and how to learn from past mistakes.
SPEAKERS:
John Sousanis, Managing Director, WardsAuto (moderator)
Susan Drescher, HMI Technical Expert, Continental
Sylviane Meyer, Global Director of Research and Insights, Adient
Mike VanNieuwkuyk, Vice President - Automotive, Harris Insights & Analytics
Renae Pippel, Director of Global Strategic Research, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors
Reserve your seat now