Distributors and manufacturers from around the world logged on this week for ‘N! Virtual Days’, a two-day digital ‘summit’ organized by NEXUS Automotive International, the world’s largest and most progressive global aftermarket alliance.
This second edition of N! Virtual Days (7th and 8th April) fell at around the time N! members would normally have gathered for the annual N! Business Forum, but which could not take place due to Coronavirus restrictions.
Instead, the more than 1,500 participants joined online, with the opportunity to visit some 80 N! Supplier booths and take part in a total of 2,500 speed date business meetings and 14 webinars.
Bas Donders, N! Brand and Communications Director, said: “We listened to our community needs and we worked hard to improve their experience when live events are still not possible.
“Of course, we miss the warm presence of our members and suppliers, but we are very proud of seeing them connected, and proactively involved. Our mission is to provide the best environment for our community to gather and to provide all the support for successful meetings.”
Live webinars and much more
It was also an occasion for the NEXUS management to share important messages: from the development of projects to bring services for a more digitalized aftermarket, to strategic initiatives to level up business opportunities for the whole NEXUS Community.
During five dedicated webinars, the NEXUS team highlighted the new structure of the company, how it is more progressive and ‘in the field’, the further development of N! services and concepts, the strategy for the development of heavy duty and off-highway business, and opportunities offered to NEXUS Suppliers to grow their business opportunities.
There was a strong focus on the core activities of NEXUS, to provide continuous support and act as a growth accelerator for the NEXUS Community.
N! CEO Gael Escribe said: “While we keep strengthening our operational and core activities, especially during this moment of changes in the aftermarket landscape, we are also very interested in bringing to our Community opportunities beyond traditional business activities. We believe that by changing our mindset, we can better anticipate the challenges we will face in the future.”
At the same time, NEXUS is shaping the future of the aftermarket through a series of initiatives beyond its core activity. During the live session, a round table composed of N! Suppliers and N! Members gave a voice to the most influencing actors in the market, not only for their business drive but also for their commitment towards a more sustainable, yet profitable aftermarket.
Live award ceremony
Finally, as happens at the traditional main live conference, the event ended with the presentation of awards.
- Alternative Autoparts, Bapcor and NEXUS North America were named N! Member of the Year
- Megap as N! Heavy Duty Member of the Year
- Bosch as N! Supplier of the Year
- ZF as N! Heavy Duty Supplier of the Year
There were also special ‘Awards of Excellence’, assigned to Alex Ashmore of Delphi Technologies, Srinivasa Raghavan of TVS, and Kyoichiro Oki of SPK, for their personal outstanding contributions to the N! Community. Their excellent performance, despite the global social and economic circumstances over the past year, demonstrated a progressive approach and strong involvement within the NEXUS Community.
The next global gathering will be in October, for the ‘fall’ edition of N! Virtual Days.