AM DigiTech 2017: Join the great data debate

By Debbie Kirlew

12 April 2017

AM’s new DigiTech conference will play host to a ‘great data debate’ when panellists tackle some of the most pressing questions surrounding the issue including vehicle connectivity and new EU regulations due to come into force next year.

The debate will round off the conference which takes place at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on April 27.

Panellists will discuss data protection, the GDPR regulations and leveraging data surrounding the connected car including how some dealers are already utilising telematics as part of their customer communications and marketing strategy as well as the challenges and potential issues such as who owns the data.

AM’s DigiTech conference merges its popular digital dealer and digital marketing events and aims to cover everything digital and technical at work in the modern dealership including the digitisation of the car buying and aftersales process.

Questions and views will be taken from the floor as part of the data discussion and delegates will have the opportunity to submit questions prior to the panellists taking to the stage although AM expects the topic to stimulate a lively debate as it unfolds.

Confirmed panellists come from a variety of fields incorporating specific areas of expertise:-

Martin Hickley is director of data protection & privacy at GO DPO EU Compliance Ltd and is a data governance, protection and privacy specialist with 25 years’ of experience mediating with regulators such as the FCA, ICO and DVLA.

He will provide valuable insight into the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which requires companies to comply with stricter controls of gathering and managing customer data and how dealers should be preparing https://www.am-online.com/news/latest-news/2016/11/24/uk-car-dealers-are-not-ready-for-new-eu-data-rules .

Professor Jim Saker is well-known in the industry as a regular AM columnist and awards judge, and as director of the Centre for Automotive Management at Loughborough University’s Business School.

He has written extensively on various aspects of data including the data produced by the connected car, the opportunities and the potential pitfalls and whether dealers are analysing the right data.

Penny Searles is chief executive of Smartdriverclub, the technology company driving Stoneacre’s vehicle connectivity campaign recently featured in AM and so far has six dealers utilising its telematics.

The company’s view is very much that the data is owned by the customer who is more likely to give dealers permission to use it in this way if there is a very obvious benefit.