The Future Zone featured companies

In a rapidly changing landscape, Automotive Management Live turns the spotlight on the future of automotive retail with Vision of the Future Insight Theatre and dedicated Future Zone area.

Automotive Management Live, which takes place on 8 November at Birmingham NEC, also provides the opportunity to explore latest products and services from industry suppliers as well as benefit from a host of best practice sessions.

Companies featured in the Future Zone area include:

Zerolight

As sponsors of the Future Dealership Zone, Zerolight’s CMO François de Bodinat will be taking part in the Vision of the Future Insight Theatre debate whilst its ground-breaking new product, SpotLight™ will be unveiled at its stand.

He said: “As the UK’s biggest event for automotive retailers, AM Live presents a unique opportunity to meet with senior representatives from a wide range of key companies. It has the potential to be a focal point for fostering innovative ideas and collaborations. We hope to use this opportunity to meet with dealers and discuss their key challenges, aspirations, and needs in the current market.”

SpotLight™ is a cloud-based suite of applications. Its content creation applications, enabling the creation of pictures, videos, microsites, and brochures featuring any configuration of dealer cars, will be showcased on its main booth, stand D36. Its second booth, stand FDZ1 in the Future Dealerships Zone, will feature the Intelligent Car Configurator. Configuration recommendations are suggested based on the customer’s online configuration history and in-store the customer can virtually explore the car in 4K, VR, and AR.

eDynamix

Launching at the expo is the eDynamix Autopoint Lockers. These digitised self-serve lockers are fully integrated with its products including its electronic vehicle health check platform, service plans, automate customer app, SalesDesk and StockMaster. When a customer uses its online bookings systems, a code is sent via the automate customer app or an SMS message which is used to deposit the vehicle keys into a secure locker.

Commented director Iain Nickalls: “Taking heed from the airline industry, in particular, there is a growing shift towards complete self-service. You can book a hotel room online, turn up, put a code into a machine, pay and have it issue your door key without any human interaction. You can now buy a car online and have it delivered to your door without interacting with a dealership. So why shouldn’t you be able to do the same in the aftersales arena?

“Dealers need to start preparing for Generation Z (those people born between 1995 and 2010) and Generation Alpha now. Much of the automotive industry still do not offer a fully automated or integrated online bookings system and offer nothing more than a service request form so are way behind many other industries in preparing for these generations.”

Nexcel

Demonstrating its revolutionary sealed cell design to deliver quicker and cleaner oil changes in just 90 seconds, Nexcel, an automotive start-up with Castrol and BP parentage, will have a Toyota Prius, complete with the system, on display. Nexcel is currently working with manufacturers now so the next generation of engines (both internal combustion and hybrid) have this system. Disposing of the necessity for the vehicle to be on a ramp, the system opens up huge efficiency possibilities in the workshop.

Oil changes currently demand workshop scheduling and specialist equipment and the attention of skilled technicians whilst also inconvenient for customers. Every vehicle service generates at least four litres of used oil, which often has little value and may even cost money to ensure its safe disposal. Nexcel’s closed-loop supply chain ecosystem ensures that up to 100% of used oil may be easily and safely recycled. Nexcel’s oil management capabilities also provide scope for tailpipe CO2 reduction on each vehicle of 2 grams per kilometre.

Free for dealers and manufacturers to attend, pre-registration is available here