Technology to take Center Stage at ICRS 2020
International Car Rental Show to emanate from Caesars Palace from March 22-24
The International Car Rental Show will be turning 25 years old when it reconvenes at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas March 22-24. But there probably won’t be much time to commemorate the occasion as much of the itinerary will address how the car rental industry can remain competitive in what’s turning out to be a rapidly-changing future.
As proof of those fluctuations, most of the sessions already announced will be dealing with subject matter that was unheard of even five years ago. Those topics include the effect of the latest vehicle technology on rental fleets, comprehending the increasing mobility of a company’s customer base and the implementation of telematics systems for fleet tracking and other purposes.
Technology has been a huge driver of change, especially in 2019, with the upgrading of mobile apps to boost customer service, cloud-based connectivity to retrieve raw data necessary to map a car rental company’s future and an increasing awareness of security, especially with cybercrime on the upswing. And those are just a few of the issues that the industry will be dealing with as it prepares to roll into 2020.
“With the pace of change accelerating at lightning speed, it’s even more important to gather in person to understand the market today, assess new solutions, and network with new strategic partners,” said Chris Brown, ICRS conference chair.
The choice of keynote speakers is very telling of the forthcoming ICRS agenda. Europcar Mobility Group Deputy CEO Fabrizio Ruggiero will launch the conference on the changing face of mobility as it pertains to the industry, with a series of panelists closing the three-day conference with an overview of the car rental sector’s past, present and future.
“Through these panelists’ business experiences, attendees will gain a big picture perspective on the cycles of business, dealing with disruptions, and the constant need to adapt and change,” added Brown.
But other areas being tackled will be roughly the same as previous sessions, albeit with a few upgrades over the years. Profitability remains a hot topic, as will risk management, fleet planning and how to assess the health of a car rental company.
Bluebird Auto Rental Systems has already made plans to be a part of the conference, occupying a booth on the premises to showcase its array of vehicle management software products for the car rental industry. Its latest product is RentWorks Mobile, an innovative tool for remote car rental bookings and transactions.
Updates concerning the conference will be added onto the event’s website.
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