There is less than six months to go before the Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS), and it is set to take place from Thursday 30 October through Sunday 9 November 2008. And as usual, CAR Magazine will host its biennial CAR Conference, so don't forget to diarise November 5.

NAAMSA and Kagiso Exhibitions and Events (PTY) LTD, along with some support form the Department of Trade and Industry, will stage the 2008 JIMS that will be held at the National Exhibition Centre - Nasrec, and the event promises to be bigger and wider in scope than any of the Auto Africa expos that preceded it.

And according to a recent release, JIMS objectives are:

• To build the image of the South African vehicle manufacturing, importing, distribution and associated industries;
• To apply the event as an international automotive business and trade platform;
• To use the show to further industry empowerment initiatives, to invest in enterprise development and to highlight the benefits of a career in the automotive industry;
• To achieve improved cost effectiveness in the staging of the industry's premier automotive exhibition to be held every second year;
• To ensure that the staging of the international motor show in Johannesburg is consistent with established practice, norms and standards in other major automotive markets internationally. This is a condition of international accreditation by the International Organisation of Vehicle Manufacturers.

This year's CAR Conference will take place on 5 November and its focus will be "doing business in a volatile environment". Keynote speakers will include international and local heads of industries. Speakers at the 2006 conference included McCarthy Motor Holding chairman Brand Pretorius and Naamsa president Dr Johan Van Zyl.

The CAR Conference was first held in 1996 and has become the definitive conference for the Southern African automotive industry. The conference draws on specialist speakers from the world stage and takes a global perspective on the challenges that face local manufacturers and suppliers.

More information on the Johannesburg International Motor Show can be found on www.johannesburgmotorshow.co.za

Should you require more information on this year's CAR Conference, kindly contact Dean Dicks at CAR Magazine.