ROCHESTER — Ignite Automotive, an evening of automotive talks with a twist, is returning to metro Detroit after a four-year hiatus.
Ralph V. Gilles, senior vice president, product design, FCA US, will keynote the event, held Feb. 9 at the Royal Oak Music Theater. Gilles will headline a roster of speakers and presenters, who are contributing to an important conversation about how Detroit, the State of Michigan and the automotive industry can attract and retain top talent early in their professional careers.
“For 125 years, the automotive industry has been an important global epicenter for innovation in design, engineering, manufacturing and marketing,” says Tor Hough of Elm Analytics and chair of the event. “The industry was built through the efforts of extraordinary people who are inventors, entrepreneurs, artists and craftsman. It is extremely important that we help the next generation reconnect with the things that are truly inspiring about our industry. It is their passion that must fuel our industry for the next 125 years.”
Hough says the event is designed to be a fast-paced, thought-provoking, and social—a high-energy evening of five-minute talks — by inspiring individuals who have an idea … and the guts to get onstage and share it with their hometown crowd. Connected through the global Ignite network, it’s a force for raising the collective IQ and building connections in cities across the globe via video streaming and archives.
Ignite Automotive has officially issued a call for event sponsors, with partnership commitments ranging from $1,000-$10,000, having already received commitments from FCA US, College for Creative Studies, Society of Automotive Analysts, MichAuto, Oakland University, and Automation Alley.
For more information about the event, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, visit igniteautomotive.org, or call 248-660-9356.
