“Automotive I/O: Bridging Minds”, the world of mobility gathering

There is always an engine in big events. The energy center that brings everything to life. And for the first edition of “Automotive I/O: Bridging Minds” (the most important virtual event, with a European scope) this engine is Marco Marlia, CEO Co-founder of MotorK who has set up a blockbuster, completely virtual event, from 20 to 23 March 2023.

Let’s start with the mother of all questions: why?
“The spirit is to give theinput to sharing ideas on the future of mobility and digital transformation and theoutput to transform them into feasible plans, there are four days of talks, keynotes, interviews, round tables and workshops held by the most important key opinion leaders in the sector on issues that are influencing the automotive industry”.

The countdown has begun, do you feel the pressure?
“Not for now. But let’s talk about the biggest event ever held on the automotive sector in Europe. In the USA there is Nada which is the world leader in terms of car distribution. In Europe our idea is that it was missing in international event. We needed our own thing, so we set it up. With the aim of creating a moment that lives all year round, available to the sector. Of the industry, to learn how to compare, see the latest trends”.

Can you give me a couple of numbers?
“During the four days of the event, talks, keynotes, round tables, interviews and workshops will alternate, held by the most important representatives of the industry, international and national journalists, on the hottest topics of the moment. The virtual stage of Automotive I/O will welcome over 70 sessions and more than 80 speakers, will open to networking opportunities and will give space to sports champions and innovative thinkers to share ideas, inspire and be inspired. We are talking about something like 5000 participants and almost 100 speaker talks, coming from eleven countries in eight languages: all the contents must be enjoyed in the native language for all the participants. So each talk is dubbed to make them accessible to everyone”.

If you had to use a subtitle for “Automotive I/O: Bridging Minds” which one would you use?
“The metaphor we always use, jokingly, is that this is like fashion, design week, but adapted to our sector. It is actually a container more than an event. With very precise cuts of topics. We range from the future of distribution to technology, from strategies to economics. That’s why I’m talking about a large ‘container’ that contains everything. In short, ours is a moment a year that takes stock of the situation”.

The big news this year?
“Before, we were the ones who had an event going around Europe. And now instead, for the first year, we have created an all-digital event in order to make it more accessible to everyone. But the basic idea is that these contents can be used forever, not limited to the week of “Automotive I/O: Bridging Minds” because change leads to a continuous approach”.

One of the missions is to…?
“Inform, educate: digital transformation is the challenge of today. The pace at which our companies are forced to change is fast. And this is the time for reflection. What I have noticed is that the more variability there is around us, the slower companies become to decide. And for this we want to support those who want to understand. In our opinion, there is a real need for information. We at MotorK are only 3% of speakers. Ours is a meeting place where everyone is welcome. And we know that there is this need because 10% of Italian dealers were at Nada. Many. And if one of us goes to Nada ‘to understand’ it means that there is a need for car culture, for information.

We used to be the ones who had an event going around Europe. Now, however, we have created an all-digital event in order to make it more accessible to everyone

For once, Europe will dictate the agenda.
“More or less. But we don’t want to appear presumptuous, far from me and from us to judge the positions of the companies. But in the automotive sector, we see a widespread feeling of slowdown. We try to understand what will happen and in the meantime we stop for a while. The many uncertainties make the need for information grow, we always go back there. And for that, the best way to ‘see the future’ is to listen to different voices. Such as Crowdfunding which offers a unique overview”.

The event as a tool to read the future?
“Yes, but also to create it: the actors at the table are the ones who create the future. They are the ones who decide.”

But are you in a sense the enemies?
“No, maybe a few years ago we were. Digitization is a difficult topic to govern. But if once the car distribution was given up for a doom, today the tide has changed. We have shown that – together – the world of cars and that of digitization are creating something new”.

A highlight of the event?
“This will be different than usual, having so many countries connected and so many speakers, everything is widespread. We will immediately start strong because on the opening day the players will give us a snapshot of the sector. There will immediately be a way to understand what is happening in the automotive world. We don’t have a highlight, but a very large container. Everyone will find his gold nuggets in the space available. In fact, the event will develop around a rich agenda of speeches ranging from the theme of digital transformation to the new concept of mobility, from emerging business models to the definition of new digital talents, offering a state of the art of the automotive trends that are influencing and they will drive it in the months to come. Among the speakers announced so far, the names of Martin Kuhn, Managing Director EDC Volkswagen Group, Steve Greenfield, CEO and Founder of Automotive Ventures, a point of reference in the American automotive scenario, Giuseppe Stigliano, entrepreneur and keynote speaker and orchestrator of Automotive I/O, but also those of world sports champions, such as Marco Belinelli, Virtus Bologna champion and first Italian to win an NBA title, and Aurélien Ducroz, former Free Ride world champion and now engaged in nautical competitions”.

What if one wanted to follow it all?
“It’s a whole week of studies and analyses. But from what I see everyone will follow his sector. This is why we leave “Automotive I/O: Bridging Minds” available even afterwards: the contents remain online until the next appointment. We expect that much of the content will continue to be seen after March and therefore we will have many more views after the event than in the live streams”.

We try to involve everyone, even other publishers, other platforms. The more people walking with us the better

How can the public intervene from outside?
“In different ways. He can create his own agenda, talk to the speakers. Some events are open to live Q&A. But the idea is that everything starts conversations. This is the goal”.

Do you expect particular contributions from America?
“We have many speakers from the US and their point of view will be very important. Because they are always ahead. The world of American dealers is a little different from ours but they are forerunners, and in this regard I expect to see something that can infect the European market”.

What message would you like to send?
“I would like the industry to feel involved in “Automotive I/O: Bridging Minds”. We don’t expect ours to be a one-way business, but a two-way one. If anyone has a story to tell, they are welcome. We have many companies and finding stories, experiences, examples is very important. There is always someone who has done something very interesting and who has a story to contact. And to those in these conditions we send a message: contact us. This is why I never wanted to put the MotorK brand on “Automotive I/O: Bridging Minds”: if you put a brand, you close the door, instead we try to involve everyone, including other publishers, other platforms. The more people walking with us, the better.” Paradoxically, if someone else had organized the event, we would have participated with joy. And maybe we would have worked less…”.