China Plastics in Automotive 2011
Plastics News conference and editorial director Robert Grace served as conference chairman for PN's first-ever event in China, on May 16.
The Westin Guangzhou provided a five-star setting for the event, which drew more than 160 attendees. The conference was offered in two languages -- English and Mandarin -- with simultaneous interpretation.
Stanley Chu, chairman of Hong Kong’s Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., welcomed the conference crowd and invited them to attend his company’s May 17-20 Chinaplas trade show, which attracted more than 90,000 people that week.
PN Assistant Managing Editor Nina Ying Sun introduced – in both Chinese and English – the local government official who spoke early in the program, and later she helped to moderate a panel of Chinese automakers, as well.
Xu Jun, director of the Foreign Investment Promotion Division for BOFTEC (the Bureau of Foreign Trade & Economic Cooperation) in Guangzhou Municipality, told of his region’s impressive growth. He also serves as vice chairman of the Guangzhou Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment.
Ivo Naumann, Shanghai-based Asia managing director for consultants AlixPartners LLP, chose to release results from his firm’s latest annual China automotive industry survey at the conference.
Speaker John Zeng (left), forecasting director for J.D. Power Asia Pacific, takes in the proceedings with Yang Jian, Shanghai-based managing editor of PN sister publication Automotive News China.
Panelists (left to right) Rudy Wimmer and Cathy Huang, the principals of design management firm China Bridge International, and Alan Nicol, senior chief design manager of the GM/SAIC joint venture PATAC (the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center Co. Ltd.) fielded questions from the audience about Chinese consumer preferences.
Speaker Ganesh Khedkar, Pune, India-based head of global manufacturing for engineering services giant Tata Technologies Ltd., swapped cards with PN’s Shanghai news correspondent Lauren Hilgers.
Ford China Chairman & CEO Joe Hinrichs, who also is president of Ford Asia Pacific & Africa and a corporate group VP, held court as keynote speaker. He shared his views of the region’s tremendous growth potential, and of Ford’s own aggressive expansion plans.
Kathy Xuan, founder and president of Romeoville, Ill.-based plastics recycler Parc Corp., asked Ford keynote speaker Joe Hinrichs to elaborate on a specific point.
After his talk, Joe Hinrichs spent a lot of time networking with attendees, including Gregory Wong, commercial consul for the American Consulate General in Guangzhou.
Linda Whelan, PN’s director of marketing and events, shown here organizing attendee badges at the registration desk, kept the logistics running smoothly all day long.
Athena Chen helped staff the active booth of platinum sponsor ExxonMobil Chemical Co.
This attendee took time during one of the breaks to read the 12-page, Chinese-language supplement about China’s automotive plastics industry that Plastics News’ Nina Ying Sun produced especially for this conference.
Glenn Starkey, president of conference sponsor Progressive Components International Corp., chatted with attendee John Blundy of Incoe Corp. during a lull in the action.
Zheng Limiao, vice general manager of local, state-owned automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group Motor Co. Ltd. was a late addition to the packed program.
Thomas Apostolos, president of Exteriors & Interiors - Asia Pacific for global parts supplier Magna International, joined three Chinese automakers on a panel about the local market.
Shi Rongbo, manager of Chery Automobile Co. Ltd.’s Non-Metal Material Department, told attendees about his firm’s process for making materials choices.
Du Cao, VP and director of Chang'an Automobile Group’s Global R&D Center in Chongqing, China, discussed Chinese auto brands’ trends and methods of interior and exterior trim design.
A job well done: This panel got together after their session to pose for the camera. From left: Guangzhou Auto’s Zheng Limiao, Magna International’s Tom Apostolos, Chang’an Auto’s Du Cao, and Chery Auto’s Shi Rongbo.
Materials then took center stage, as Sabic Innovative Plastics’ director of automotive marketing, Venkatakrishnan Umamaheswaran (widely known simply as “UV”), talked about automotive application trends in engineering plastics.
Ryan Peng, Greater China auto industry manager for DuPont Performance Polymers, then shared his views of how engineering plastics might enhance future vehicles.
Panel moderator Roger Young (left), Asia Pacific VP for consultants Robert Eller Associates, shared a laugh after their session with speaker John Verity, Houston-based vice president of polyolefins for ExxonMobil Chemical Co.
And finally, when all was done at day's end, the audience showed its appreciation for the 17 presenters.All Plastics News photos are by Ginger Advertising Ltd.
