The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has revealed the theme for its annual conference – ‘How to Survive and Thrive Post-Brexit.’

The conference will aim to address the issues arising from the aftermath of the recent European Union referendum and produce a lively debate for guests at the conference.

It will be held at Birmingham’s ICC on December 15 and will be facilitated by the well-known BBC television and radio journalist John Sergeant who was Chief Political Correspondent for the BBC from 1992 to 2000.

With the decision to leave the EU earlier in the year taking many companies by surprise, IAAF is aiming to highlight the main changes from a marketing, legislative and technical perspective and consider what opportunities there will be in the future.

Guests will be welcomed with coffee before being entertained by a wide selection of speakers on various insightful, relevant topics throughout the day, among these are: The UK approach to vehicle safety defects and recalls from Alison Martin of DVSA; the importance of cyber security and the threats businesses face, as well as the opportunities to invest, presented by Iain O’Brien of Triple Wood Associates; and also the latest technical threats emerging from the UK and Europe and the progress made in the last 12 months, presented by Neil Pattemore from Figiefa.

Wendy Williamson, IAAF chief executive said: “We will provide an insight into how the Brexit decision will affect the UK automotive aftermarket and whether it will be the key influencer within the marketplace over the next few years.

“We will also explore the development of the connected car and the role it will play in our industry. With our industry becoming increasingly technologically driven, we will look at how we can embrace this form of growth and maintain our relevance within the automotive sphere.”