April 30, 2013—The 2013 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) will feature a presentation by Mike Martini, president of the consumer OE division for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, and journalist John McElroy, president of Blue Sky Productions Inc., which will address the question: “Are we entering a new golden era of the automobile?”
Martini and McElroy will share their thoughts in an open discussion on current trends in the automotive original equipment (OE) world.
"We are going to see more changes in the next decade of the automotive industry than we've seen in the last 50 years," Martini said in a statement. "The change is breathtaking. It's not only a product change, which is the biggest part, it's also a regulatory, global and potentially a business model change."
Martini and McElroy will help the aftermarket understand the specific obstacles in each area and the potential positive and negative impacts for those who supply replacement parts. The discussion will also include future OE forecast volumes and technology deployments.
A 36-year veteran of Bridgestone, Martini is in charge of the OE sales and marketing activity for consumer OE tires in the U.S. and Canada. McElroy hosts “Autoline Daily,” the first webcast of industry news and analysis. He is also the host of the television program “Autoline This Week,” an Emmy Award-winning, weekly half-hour discussion program featuring top automotive executives and journalists.
GAAS 2013 will be held May 21-22 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare near Chicago.
