The retail motor industry has a chance to hear first hand how the UK government plans to help dealerships prosper in business, when Jacqui Smith MP gives one of the opening presentations at autoretailing 2005, on June 22 in Birmingham.

Jacqui, who is also Minister of State at the DTI, will offer delegates a political insight into the industry, and an analysis of current policy issues. The session will also examine upcoming UK legislation that likely to affect the automotive industry.

Joining Jacqui as speakers on Day 1 of autoretailing 05 are Roger Penske, chairman and CEO of United Auto Group; Mark Berrisford-Smith, Senior Economist at HSBC Bank, RMI chief executive Matthew Carrington; Paul Burrows and Nigel Ruddock of Grant Thornton Motor Retail; Harley-Davidson Europe’s MD John Russell and Professor Leslie de Chernatony of Birmingham Business School. The conference chairman is TV newsreader Huw Edwards. More speakers will be announced in the next issue of AM.

Day 2 of autoretailing, begins with an opening address from Sir Tom Farmer CBE, and then breaks out into a series of ‘best practice’ management workshops including - Location Clause opportunity or threat, Working with manufacturers’ bonus schemes, Unlocking the profit in your property portfolio, Maximising profit from your data, How new technology is transforming the sales process, Strategic HR for small and medium-sized dealers, Retaining the owners of older cars for aftersales, Used cars: what and where to buy to make a profit, How to sell more finance in your dealership, Get your share of lifetime customer value, and more.

For more information about autoretailing 05, contact Luke Clements on 01733 468 325 or luke.clements@emap.com. Or see the website at www.autoretailing.co.uk