Tee off your conference experience in style, joining colleagues and industry peers for a morning of golf and networking.

Limited places available

Timings:

• 6:45am - Coaches depart The Waterfront Beach Resort

• 8:00am - Registration and breakfast at Monarch Beach Golf Links

• 8.30am - Tee off

• 1:30pm - Lunch and Prize Giving

• 3:00pm - Coaches return to The Waterfront Beach Resort

*Please note that if you do not register your interest, you will not be considered for the golf activity.

Reconnect with peers and start key conversations as the Pacific sunset sets the tone for two days packed with exclusive insights and discussions.

Dress code: Business casual

Time: 18:00-21:00

Automotive Logistics opens this year’s event with insights into changes and trends into vehicle logistics across North America, including trends in operations, trade and tariff impacts and changing technology.

As supply chain, market and geopolitical disruptions intensify, discover how Volkswagen Group of America is turning ‘WTF’ scenarios into opportunity, including prioritising the right vehicle logistics metrics, partnering to scale capability and productivity, and protecting long-term customer and organisational interests.

Amid escalating cost pressures, trade and market uncertainty, and constant operational distractions, Volkswagen’s Anu Goel outlines a new practical logistics mandate for finished vehicle operations.

This keynote offers a leadership framework to focus teams on the highest impact risks, form targeted partnerships to boost capability and productivity, and safeguard the metrics that keep vehicle distribution competitive whilst ensuring longer-term production and sales viability and profitability.

• Prioritisation techniques to separate high‑impact issues such as tariffs, transport capacity shortages and logistics costs spikes from low‑value noise
• A clear decide‑build‑buy framework: when to invest internally, when to partner, and when outsourcing threatens service and cashflow
• How to manage and convert board return‑on‑sales expectations into a focused vehicle‑logistics action plan
• How to mitigate volatile trade and balance cost savings with delivery and quality reliability
• Practical criteria for selecting technology and third‑party partners that deliver measurable productivity gains

Discover how leading OEMs and logistics partners are redefining resilience to keep vehicle distribution fast, flexible and customer-focused in a volatile market.

Hear from logistics leaders and major players on how the industry is strengthening networks, compressing response times, and improving collaboration to build true end-to-end resilience in finished vehicle logistics.

• How to anticipate risk and adapt faster to market, production, and policy shifts
• Network agility strategies that improve capacity utilisation and service reliability
• Digital intelligence, AI and data tools enabling quicker decisions and increased visibility
• Collaborative models that enhance transparency and mutual performance across the supply chain

Understand how logistics purchasing is evolving toward strategic partnerships, dynamic contracts, and digital procurement.

Deep dive into smarter buying practices that enhance performance, cost control, network resilience and deliver win-win partnerships.

• The shift toward long-term, collaborative partnerships with built in flexibility
• Dynamic contracting models for volatile markets
• Digital RFQs, data-based benchmarking and performance transparency
• Integrating sustainability metrics into procurement decisions

Explore how autohaulers are navigating rising costs, driver shortages, safety demands, and customer expectations while maintaining excellence.

Leaders discuss the operational, labour, and technological shifts reshaping autohauling and how fleets can adapt for long-term success.

• Strategies to manage driver shortages and workforce development
• Equipment and safety innovations to raise quality and reliability
• Digital tracking and real-time visibility expectations from OEMs
• Productivity improvements, including closer collaboration with railramps and ports, that balance cost and service

As supply chains face increasing disruption, shifting trade flows and rising customer expectations, discover how BMW is reshaping its finished vehicle logistics strategy, leveraging digitalisation, AI and new transport modes to unlock flexibility, resilience and performance across its global network.

Hear from Raúl Gamboa, Head of Logistics, Production Control and Production Systems at BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosí and learn how the carmaker is transforming its vehicle distribution strategy in response to market volatility, trade uncertainty whilst utilising data and advanced technology to optimise planning and streamline operations.

From rethinking global logistics flows and introducing new transport modes for cross-border shipments to the US market, to deploying practical, in-house digital and AI solutions that enhance planning, execution and visibility, BMW is building a more adaptive and data-driven logistics ecosystem.

Gain insights into the new strategies and practical, low-cost, high impact use cases of AI such as delivery planning tools and automated document processing, are delivering tangible operational gains, while setting the foundation for more advanced predictive, accuracy and optimisation capabilities.

• How BMW is reshaping its North American distribution strategy, including new direct trucking flows to increase flexibility and reduce lead times
• Using AI to optimise multimodal delivery planning across vessel, rail and road for cost and schedule efficiency
• Practical applications of AI in documentation and yard processes to enable faster, more reliable execution
• How low-cost, in-house digital tools can deliver significant and scalable operational improvements without large-scale investment
• Why increased supply chain volatility is accelerating the need for real-time data, predictive analytics and smarter decision-making

Discover how asset-light providers and logistics brokers are reshaping finished vehicle logistics across North America by increasing flexibility, unlocking capacity, and partnering with asset-based carriers to meet OEM demands for speed, visibility, and resilience in an uncertain market.

• Why flexible, non-asset models are gaining strategic importance in volatile markets
• How brokers use data and AI to optimize routing, load factors, and equipment selection
• Real-world collaboration models between brokers and asset-based carriers
• Scaling capacity up or down without sacrificing service or cost control
• Improving delivery precision, visibility, and customer experience for dealers and end buyers

See how data integration and real-time intelligence are transforming visibility and performance across the finished vehicle network.

Experts reveal how real-time visibility, advanced analytics and AI can unlock predictive capabilities, enable dynamic decisions, and reduce disruption.

• Improving visibility from plant to dealer through real-time tools and connected systems
• Predictive analytics to mitigate delays and improve flow
• Data-based quality and damage prevention tools
• The role of AI in dynamic routing and smarter network optimisation

Explore how OEMs and logistics partners can work more collaboratively to reduce empty miles and build more resilient outbound networks. This session focuses on cross-OEM backhaul optimization and more effective backup carrier strategies to improve efficiency, utilization and responsiveness.

This breakout session examines two high-impact opportunities to improve finished vehicle logistics performance through collaboration and smarter network design. By comparing approaches across the industry, participants will gain practical insights into how greater transparency and coordination can unlock efficiencies while remaining aligned with antitrust considerations.

• Improving backhaul utilization through cross-OEM visibility and structured, non-competitive information sharing
• Identifying natural network synergies to reduce empty miles and improve asset utilization
• Comparing backup carrier models, including 3PL-managed and carrier-led approaches
• Understanding trade-offs in speed, cost and service when securing contingency capacity
• Learning practical strategies to strengthen network resilience during disruptions, volume spikes and capacity constraints

Discover practical controls and effective response measures OEMs, carriers and logistics partners can use to prevent and limit the impact of vehicle pickup and subhauler fraud. Collaborate with industry peers to identify simple, high impact steps across people, process, technology and contracts to enhance security and protect finished vehicle moves in North America.

This breakout examines the rise of fraud in vehicle logistics, highlights common schemes and the supply chain touchpoints most at risk, and uses brief case studies and peer-to-peer exchange to develop easy-to-implement actions. Participants will leave with a new ideas and practical takeaways across verification practices, onsite pickup checks, basic tracking approaches, contract safeguards, and incident response playbooks.

• Reliable carrier identity and credential verification balanced with operational speed
• Detecting fraudulent actors and criminal tactics
• Standardized onsite checks and authentication at point of pickup
• Enhancing marketplace and data sharing security
• Controls to reduce payment and invoice fraud while preserving cash flow
• Cross-partner incident response, escalation and intelligence sharing mechanisms

Discover how artificial intelligence is reshaping finished vehicle logistics and learn practical steps to implement AI solutions that deliver measurable operational gains.

This workshop explores how AI can be applied across finished vehicle logistics and distribution networks to improve efficiency, visibility and decision-making. Participants will gain a clear, practical roadmap for adoption - from preparing data foundations to selecting tools and deploying solutions - supported by real-world examples demonstrating how organizations are already using AI across multiple segments of the vehicle supply chain.

• Identifying high-impact use cases for AI across transport planning, yard management, routing and network optimization
• Preparing data infrastructure and governance frameworks to support successful AI deployment
• Understanding implementation pathways, from pilot projects to scalable enterprise solutions
• Learning from real-world industry applications that demonstrate measurable performance, cost and service improvements

OEMs, ocean carriers and processors explore practical tactics and best practices for maintaining consistent vehicle logistics flows.

Connect with fellow maritime vehicle logistics specialists for an interactive workshop aiming to identify and develop solutions and opportunities to maximise throughput and operational efficiencies amidst shifting trade patterns, tariffs, regulations and fluctuating volumes, powertrain mixes and equipment requirements. Attendees will leave with actionable practices to streamline terminal flows, improve schedule reliability and deepen commercial offerings without sacrificing resilience.

• Streamlining yard and gate operations to reduce dwell time and accelerate turn cycles
• Coordinating vessel arrival windows, berth allocations and onward logistics flows on through enhanced forecasting, predictive ETAs and automated scheduling
• Designing flexible terminal capacity and equipment plans to accommodate shifts in volume and powertrain mix (ICE, EVs, hybrids)
• Expanding value added services (pre delivery inspection, battery handling, customisation) that create revenue while reducing downstream touchpoints
• Establishing information sharing protocols and KPIs across ports, carriers, terminals and OEMs to enable rapid decision making under regulatory or trade disruption

Get an expert forecast on North America’s sales and production shifts and what they mean for vehicle logistics.

Future-proof your business with the latest market forecast and strategic outlook highlighting upcoming volume trends, model mix changes, dealer inventory trends, and economic and political trends shaping vehicle production, sales and distribution.

• Market drivers influencing demand across segments across North America
• Production planning realities for ICE, hybrid, and EV models
• Implications for network capacity, equipment, and modal mix
• Expert analysis on new and used vehicle sales prices

Hear from the Surface Transportation Board on the current rail network performance and regulatory developments shaping network fluidity and service reliability.

 See how OEMs and logistics partners build launch-ready networks to support an array of new model launches and powertrains, including EV and hybrids.

As OEMs increase the cadence of new vehicles and powertrain variants, discover the coordination, quality management, testing and transport capacity planning needed to ensure flawless vehicle launches and optimised logistics from the start.

• Designing transport flows from plant launch to first delivery
• Managing new EV platform requirements and charging needs
• Collaboration among OEMs, carriers, and processors during launch cycles
• Avoiding bottlenecks with proactive planning and flexible capacity

Learn how Kia partnered with Vehicle Protection Structures (VPS) to transform a major hail disaster into a breakthrough for resilient and sustainable finished vehicle logistics.

Following a devastating hailstorm at Kia’s West Point, Georgia facility in 2023 that damaged thousands of vehicles, the company worked with VPS to rethink how vehicle storage infrastructure could better protect assets while creating long-term strategic value.

This session will explore how the partners developed a large-scale, solar-integrated hail protection structure that combines vehicle protection, renewable energy generation and financial incentives in a single solution.

The result is an innovative model that turns climate risk into opportunity, demonstrating how collaboration and forward-thinking investment can strengthen resilience, support sustainability goals and set a new benchmark for finished vehicle logistics.

Continue your conversations with a refreshing drink and delicious food to wrap up FVL NA Day 1.

Dress code: Business casual

17:30-21:00

Learn how OEMs, processors, and carriers are improving processes and implementing new technology to enhance quality, simplify claims processes, and improve customer satisfaction across the network.

Explore the best practices, analytics, and equipment standards that reinforce quality as a competitive differentiator.

• Tools for preventing damage across rail, truck, yard, and port handling
• Technology and equipment to improve quality checks and claims processes
• Data-driven approaches to faster root-cause analysis
• Enhancing communication and transparency with dealers and partners

Discover how effective vehicle programme planning and improved connectivity can unlock efficiencies in vehicle logistics and yard operations, including releasing, yard management and final distribution lead times and accuracy to customers. Experts will explore efficiencies in planning and scheduling, and its benefits for load building, yard management, shipping and more.

Experts share innovations that enhance end-to-end vehicle throughput, capacity planning and lead time accuracy, from programme planning and scheduling, to best practices in yard management, releasing, load building and distribution.

• Real-time inventory tracking, geolocation tools, and automated audits
• Programme planning and end-to-end vehicle distribution planning
• Space optimisation and vehicle-flow strategies using AI and data
• Tools and innovations to drive cost savings and enhance sustainability credentials

Learn what separates logistics organisations that merely cope from those that thrive amid disruption and transformation. We close the conference with leaders discussing where they see opportunities in a tough market, how they are adapt networks and partnerships in the face of cost increases and driver shortages, streamlining cross-border logistics and making the most of new technology.

In the session, vehicle logistics leaders reflect on some of the key themes and lessons that have animated the conference and the vehicle logistics industry, from understanding key changes in the market and adapting to disruption. But the conference will close with ideas and direction for how OEMs and logistics providers can succeed in a tough environment, including opportunities to enhance resiliency and efficiency across the network and in cross-border operations, as well as to grow business.

While cost reduction and competitiveness are essential across the industry, we will discuss how that can be done in a way that ensures OEMs are able to deliver on customer promises, meet launch requirements and be prepared for recovery. Approaches will be discussed that preserve the viability and success of logistics providers and drivers, too.

• Opportunities to succeed and grow in a challenging market
• Cost-control approaches that preserve and enhance service and capability
• Network and cross-border improvements
• Adapting to shifts in electrification, new product and technology opportunities