On the 1st October 2015, the NTDA will be hosting a one day conference on the same day as its highly successful Annual Dinner and Tyre Industry Awards.
The event, which will be sponsored by tyre manufacturer Zenises, is also moving to a brand new venue, namely the International Convention Centre (ICC), Birmingham.
With its accommodating layout and fluid walkways connecting 10 halls and 10 executive meeting rooms, together with a dedicated registration area and foyers, the ICC offers an inspirational, flexible and well-equipped environment for events. The venue has hosted many high profile events including the G8 Summit in 1998 and is the only UK venue to have hosted all three of the major Political Party Conferences in the last five years, so the great and good of the tyre industry will be following in the footsteps of the great and good of the world of politics.
NTDA Director Stefan Hay said: “The NTDA National Chairman and I visited tyre industry leaders throughout 2014 and were consistently asked to reintroduce a national conference. The NTDA has a proud history of such events with the first conference having been held in Peebles in 1947. There are so many factors affecting our industry at the moment: illegal, non-compliant and unsafe part-worn tyres; EU labelling and what enforcement will look like; the debate over PSV tyre ageing; the growth of the budget brands; environmental issues and safety issues such as the growing number of tyres being below the legal tread depth limit on replacement and general lack of consumer knowledge regarding tyre maintenance. Combine this with changes in consumer spending patterns, such as ‘click and fit’ online purchasing and day-to-day business issues such as maintaining market share and brand protection and it soon became apparent that we will not be short of topics, and excellent speakers, to address the delegates”.
The ICC is easily accessible from around the UK and overseas, (10 minutes by train from Birmingham International Airport), and sits right in the centre of the vibrant, cosmopolitan city of Birmingham with 6,200 hotel bedrooms, ample parking and a great selection of restaurants and bars to suit everyone all within walking distance.
The NTDA has already negotiated special room rates at the stunning, recently refurbished, Hyatt Regency Birmingham a modern, 4 star hotel directly linked to the ICC via a glass bridge across Bridge Street.
The conference, which will accommodate up to 320 delegates, will run from 09.30 – 16.30 on the 1st October 2015 and will provide an excellent warm up for the highly popular NTDA Annual Dinner, which in 2015 will be sponsored by Continental Tyre Group and the NTDA Tyre Industry Awards in the evening.
Stefan Hay continued: “The 2014 Annual Dinner was heralded as a major success by my industry colleagues, but we had to disappoint a lot of people as the venue could only accommodate 530. In 2015 we can accommodate 600 and believe it or not, we have already had several table bookings even though we hadn’t published the price, date or venue!”
The NTDA has also responded to those people who challenged it to deliver an even bigger and better event as not only has it added the conference, but also two new categories to the Tyre Industry Awards, namely the REACT Roadside Tyre Technician of the Year Award, sponsored by Zenises and Truck and Agricultural Tyre Supplier of the Year Award sponsored by Apollo Vredestein who join returning sponsors Goodyear sponsoring the Tyre Wholesaler of the Year, Pirelli sponsoring the Tyre Retail Centre of the Year and Maritime Cargo Services sponsoring the Tyre and Aftermarket Supplier of the Year. In 2015, the voting process for all awards will be replaced with a submission process and independent judging panel.
After a highly acclaimed performance, as the awards host, from Michael Portillo, the NTDA has lined up former England International rugby star Austin Healey to follow in his footsteps.
As flexible on the rugby field as off it, Austin represented both England and the British & Irish Lions. He then became equally well known for his fancy footwork on Strictly Come Dancing and diving skills on ITV’s Splash.
Austin’s long career as a utility back with the Leicester Tigers was punctuated by injury, but it didn’t stop him winning two European Cups for his club and 51 caps for his country. Since his retirement Austin has worked in banking and provided punditry for the BBC and ESPN, as well as coming very close to winning the ballroom crown with Erin Boag.
Austin will talk frankly and wittily about his time in rugby and, ever reluctant to hang up his sequins, he might also lift the lid on the Strictly Tour – where he achieved even more success than on television.
The Awards ceremony sponsorship and some individual award sponsorships still remain available, but these are attracting huge interest from companies who recognise the benefit of supporting these industry flagship events.
With impressive video stings, placed programme adverts, and extensive pre-and post-event publicity, the 2014 sponsors got a great return on their investment, but in 2015 they will get even more exposure with the facility for spectacular concourse and screen advertising at the ICC.
