NAA Update: Happy New Year! – are these key events for 2016 in your diary?

11th January 16

Firstly our congratulations go to Lawrence Davies who received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List. Many of you know Lawrence from his current role at UKTI where he is the deputy director of the Automotive Investment Organisation (AIO), and also from his prior role as UK Purchasing Director at GM. Over the time I’ve been at the NAA he has been very supportive of us…

We have many events planned for 2016, and we will also be having events in West Yorkshire; please feel free to attend events in all locations – it really is a matter of what interests you the most. I find it as quick to get to Huddersfield as Crewe, so there’s no excuse!

Obviously the website events page (Link to Events Page)is the one to watch for our events, but here are two dates to add to your diary at this time. The first is 17 March, when we will be having our second joint NW cluster meeting where the focus will be on Lightweighting – (Link to Lightweighting Event) to find out more about the day and to register via Eventbrite.  There are also sponsorship opportunities at the event – from having stand space, to more extensive event sponsorship. There’s also the opportunity after the event to tour the iSTEM Centre at Preston College.  This is well worth the extra time, as several of our companies in Lancashire are already working closely with the Centre.

The other date for your diary is Friday 10 June which is the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power (CPOP).  We’re still in the planning stages with the organisers, but reserve the date now and we’ll let you have more details as and when they become available.

I also hope that with the New Year you’re also considering your options for exhibition participation?  We’re taking a stand at four exhibitions this year and we still have vacancies for all of them; so contact us now to reserve your place.

• 24^th – 25^th February: Future Powertrain Conference – National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham
• 7^th – 9^th June: Automechanika – NEC, Birmingham
• 14^th-15^th September: CENEX Low Carbon Vehicles Event – Millbrook, Bedfordshire
• 2^nd – 3^rd November: UK Advanced Engineering Show – NEC, Birmingham

Another item for the New Year is the instigation of our DHL Benchmarking group; so if your turnover is £10m or greater and you’re part of the product supply chain, then please contact me directly, with the name of who the key contact will be for this activity. We have space for 4-6 companies to undertake this unique opportunity.

As the Northern Automotive Alliance expands to support more companies in the Yorkshire and Humber area, we have invited Liz Towns-Andrews, who joined the NAA board in December 2015, to be the subject of our ‘In The Driving Seat’ feature this month.  Rather than give you the background to Liz, you may as well just take a look at the article below!

Please ensure that we’re on your safe senders list to enable you to be kept up to date with all the latest news and information as we learn more about the impact of last November’s spending review, the implications of the demise of the Business Growth Service (MAS & Growth Accelerator), and the role of the Northern Powerhouse.

I look forward to your continued relationship with us and to seeing you at one of our events in 2016.

Carol