Thought leaders from across the U.S. will assemble in Nashville to assess opportunities and challenges facing the automotive industry.
Representatives from leading automotive companies will gather at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 25 for AutoConnect 2024. This one-day conference, founded in 2012 by national law firm Frost Brown Todd, is designed to bring all segments of the automotive industry together under one roof for an executive-level discussion of the year’s most exciting or alarming trends, along with insights as to where companies should prioritize in the year ahead. In addition to OEMs and Tier suppliers, other AutoConnect panelists will include legal and financial advisors and government officials, adding both a regulatory and economic perspective on the current and future state of the automotive industry.
The theme for AutoConnect 2024 is “Road Ready: Business & Legal Insights for the Ever-Changing Automotive Landscape,” and among the topics slated for discussion are opportunities afforded by new legislation, lessons in crisis management culled from the pandemic, tips on managing a cyberattack in our data driven-world, implications for managing business in Mexico, as well as the potential impact of the upcoming presidential election on global manufacturing and trade.
“AutoConnect is a unique opportunity for stakeholders to really focus in, discuss common challenges and solutions thereto, and participate in the kind of knowledge sharing that not only benefits individual companies but drives the industry as a whole,” said Frost Brown Todd Partner Patricia Burgess, who leads the firm’s mobility team. “No other automotive conference, to my knowledge, draws so comprehensively on the experience and expertise of leaders from across the industry. It really is that rare chance to take it all in—to hear from and connect with true innovators in the automotive field—and Frost Brown Todd is honored to provide a platform that makes all this possible.”
This year’s AutoConnect conference boasts an impressive line-up of speakers from some of the industry’s heavy hitters, including Volvo, Toyota, Ford, Kasai, Nexteer Automotive and Bridgestone, as well as prominent consultants and engineers from B. Riley Financial Advisors, Comercia, Gonzalez Cavillo, Plante Moran, Exponent, Inc., and other companies with strong connections to the automotive space. The conference keynote, delivered by Paul Fanson of Toyota’s Future Value Creation Group, who is back by popular demand after being an audience favorite at AutoConnect 2022, will explore emerging trends and technologies, including AI applications in manufacturing, with the potential to reshape the very fabric of the automotive industry.
AutoConnect returns to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024, the same venue Frost Brown Todd selected for the previous conference, which drew more than 150 attendees and featured panelists from Toyota, Nissan Trading, and Subaru, together with officials from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Government of Japan.
Sponsors for AutoConnect 2024 include B. Riley Financial Advisors and Plante Moran. Registration is open to the public. More details are available here.
AutoConnect 2024 Panels & Programming
In line with the AutoConnect 2024 theme, “Road Ready: Business & Legal Insights for the Ever-Changing Automotive Landscape,” a major focal point of the conference will be strategies to foster resilience and ensure automotive manufacturers are fully prepared to not only meet the challenges but succeed along the road ahead. Attendees will hear executive-level insights from OEMs, Tier suppliers, and investors concerning the latest in auto innovation, regulation, and strategy, with topics running the gamut from cross-border ventures and emerging tech to future-proofing production facilities.
One panel will explore Mexico’s ascendancy as a leading component manufacturer, drawing on perspectives from automotive industry experts and others doing business across borders to unpack what these developments mean for the rest of the global automotive market. Another panel will look at key regulatory and legislative developments from the past year, as well as anticipated changes at the policy level that stand to impact ground-level operations for automotive manufacturers.
The crisis response and management panel, featuring veteran front-liners who have helped their companies and clients navigate through a variety of crisis scenarios, will delve into proven strategies for mitigating risks and the importance of assembling a cross-functional crisis response team. Our cyber-readiness panel, featuring an official from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and CTO of Bridgestone, will address how automotive companies can navigate a cyber-attack. Learn more about this year’s panels and speakers on the AutoConnect 2024 event page.
About AutoConnect®
Frost Brown Todd created AutoConnect in 2012 to unite key stakeholders with the aim of addressing the auto industry’s ever-changing challenges and opportunities. Although AutoConnect has been held in Nashville, TN, almost every year since its founding, the conference has evolved considerably over the past decade, expanding its focus and programming to keep pace with broader changes in the industry.
More than 70 companies across the U.S. and internationally have been represented at prior AutoConnects, including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Bridgestone, Ernst & Young, Plante Moran and Fiat Chrysler, among others. The conference has also drawn leaders from China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, and Japan.