Apollo 13 Astronaut to Speak at AUTO-TECH '98
27 March 1998
Apollo 13 Astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr. to Speak at AUTO-TECH '98 Luncheon
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 27 -- Captain James A. Lovell, Jr.
-- the astronaut who navigated the ill-fated Apollo 13 crew safely back to
earth in 1970 -- will complete a special mission as he lands in Detroit to
deliver a keynote address at the Automotive Industry Action Group's (AIAG)
AUTO-TECH 98 Conference and Exposition General Session luncheon at Cobo Center
on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1998.
Lovell will relate his experiences on adapting to change and facing daily
challenges to the automotive industry, providing insight on how industry
personnel can succeed in their career and life.
"This year's conference theme is 'Journey into the Next Millennium'," said
Dick Simmons, AIAG executive director on loan from Ford Motor Co. "When
thinking of adventurous journeys, Captain Lovell is one of the first people
that comes to mind."
Following extensive experience in naval aviation, Capt. Lovell began his
career with NASA's space program in September 1962. He piloted several
missions in the Gemini space program and successfully navigated Apollo 8 --
man's first voyage to the moon. He then served as Neil Armstrong's backup
commander for the Apollo 11 mission. Capt. Lovell's final flight was in 1970
aboard Apollo 13, when he and his crew successfully converted the spaceship
into a lifeboat after the oxygen system failed -- enabling a safe return to
earth.
Today, Capt. Lovell is president of Lovell Communications, a business
devoted to disseminating information about the United States Space Program. A
graduate of the United States Naval Academy, the University of Southern
California's Aviation Safety School and Harvard Business School's Advanced
Management Program, his education successfully prepared him for the transition
from astronaut to businessman.
AUTO-TECH is the conference of choice for top vehicle manufacturers and
supplier executives and the exhibitors who want to reach them. Experts from
all sectors of the automotive industry -- including production and non-
production suppliers, computer hardware and software vendors, financial
institutions, quality registrars, construction industry contractors and
others -- are represented at the conference, which will take place September
1-3.
AUTO-TECH 98 will feature a 150+ booth exposition and more than 130
educational sessions on the latest developments related to industry issues and
cooperative efforts such as Year 2000, the Automotive Network eXchange(R)
service, electronic data interchange and electronic commerce, QS-9000, global
manufacturing, CAD/CAM data exchange, bar code labeling, construction industry
issues, project management, regulatory issues, procurement and finance, and
many others.
Registration for the AIAG AUTO-TECH conference -- including admission to
all of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday educational sessions, keynote luncheon,
general session luncheon and exhibition -- costs $700 for employees of AIAG
member organizations and $900 for non-members. Individuals registering before
Aug. 1 will receive a $100 discount.
For tickets to the keynote luncheon or for AUTO-TECH 98 registration,
exhibition and conference information, interested parties should contact AIAG
at 248-358-3003.
Founded in 1982, AIAG is a not-for-profit trade association of more than
1,300 automotive and truck manufacturers and their suppliers. Originally
recognized for its efforts to standardize electronic data interchange (EDI)
and bar code standards to assist Tier One suppliers, AIAG's mission has
expanded to cover all levels of the automotive supply chain as well as to
include numerous programs and initiatives aimed at improving its members'
productivity and quality.
More information about AIAG and the annual AUTO-TECH Conference &
Exposition can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.aiag.org.
SOURCE Automotive Industry Action Group