Car Design News to host trio of events around Shanghai motor show

As the automotive world looks forward to the Auto Shanghai motor show, Car Design News is looking forward to hosting three events prior to and alongside the show: the CDN Interior Motives China Conference; Car Design Awards China; and the official Car Design Night.

CDN Interior Motives China Conference

Our annual China conference takes place on Thursday and Friday 18-19 April, just before the press day for this year's show, which is on Saturday 20th. Themed ‘Technology and tradition – old meets new in modern-day China', the conference will explore topics including how to design an experience, fashion and luxury in today's China, HMI design and the ‘multi-mode' interior, which flexes with the user's needs.

The conference will again seek to blend the input of influential design chiefs from China – Xiao Ning, co-chief designer of Guangzhou Automotive, Mike Ma, vice president Geely Technical Center and Ren Zhiguang, director of styling at Shanghai Haima, amongst others – with non-Chinese heads of domestic brands, including James Hope, corporate design director at Chery.

Representing the multinational brands, Wulin Gaowa, design director of GM China will be joined by Stuart Norris, director of advanced design at GM Korea. Simon Loasby, director of design for VW China will also be presenting, as will Ikuro Horii, general manager of the Toyota Shanghai design center. The external influence will be supplied by senior designers including Lou Tik, who heads JAC's design centre in Italy, Orazio Daldosso, design manager for Pininfarina China, and Gustavo Guerra, chief designer at the Shanghai design center for Volvo Trucks.

Last year's event in Beijing attracted over 450 delegates, and was described by Fan Chung of Chang'an as "a mega event of design," and by BAIC designer Zheng Yi as "superb – once a year is too little!"

The conference is carefully structured to be relevant to designers from both inside and outside China. After 2012's event, Guan Rong Zhi of Beijing Foton commented that discussions "hit straight to the point – especially regarding the topic of exporting Chinese design". From outside China, Qoros Auto's Gert Hildebrand called the conference "a must for every professional car designer", while Markus Ühlig of French tier supplier Faurecia added: "it's a very good event for building up contacts in a rapidly developing automotive design environment".

The conference offers simultaneous translation between English and Mandarin, and this year opens with a cocktail reception on the evening of Wednesday 17 April, just prior to the conference, hosted by leather supplier Eagle Ottowa.

An innovation this year is the Interactive Inspiration Zone, within which delegates will be able to experience the latest design trends, materials and technologies in a creative environment.

Along with coffee and lunch networking breaks comes an invitation to the Car Design Awards China winners' ceremony on the evening of the first day, and a soft copy of the speaker presentations to download after the event, all included in the single delegate fee.

The conference is in its sixth year, and again promises to be one of the most important gatherings of designers in China this year. Register and find further details on the conference website. There are discounts to the regular delegate fee for attendees from within China. The event will be held at the Hilton Hongqiao hotel.

The CDN Interior Motives China conference 2013 is supported by: Premier sponsor Eagle Ottowa: Gold sponsors Autodesk, Dassault Systemes, Dinamica, Johnson Controls, RTT, SRG Global, Technicon Design and Yanfeng Visteon: and Silver sponsor imat-uve.

By CDN team