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Oswald Rates SAE Congress Valuable as a Place to do Business, Share Ideas

23 February 1999

Oswald Rates SAE Congress Valuable as a Place to do Business, Share Ideas

    DETROIT, Feb. 19 -- "This year's Congress is not just about
engineering," said Robert Oswald, Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Robert Bosch Corporation. " It's about business, collaboration and
opportunity.  It's about people and companies from more than 90 countries
coming together to share information and ideas."
    Oswald made his remarks about the upcoming Society of Automotive Engineers
(SAE) Congress & Exposition March 1-4 in Cobo Center at a recent Automotive
Press Association luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club.
    "SAE does not replace the OEM tech day events, the international auto
shows, or the constantly evolving specialty events," Oswald said, "but, as
long as SAE continues to change with the times and upgrade its program, it
will retain its valued position."
    The 1999 SAE International Congress and Exposition is scheduled for Cobo
Center in Detroit, Michigan from March 1-4.  More than 46,000 engineers,
executives, and middle managers from the auto industry are expected to attend.
More than 1,100 companies will display their products and services during the
four-day event.  Technical authors will give more than 1,200 new papers on
subjects ranging from diesel aftertreatment to vehicle aerodynamics.
    "As the roles between OEMs and suppliers continue to evolve...we have the
need for multiple levels and types of communication," Oswald said.  "To
suggest that any one show, exhibit, or type of presentation can satisfy all of
those communication roles is not realistic.  SAE continues to be an important
part of this communication network."
    Oswald stated that pre-registrations are up more than 5,000 over 1998,
when SAE Congress attracted more than 46,000 attendees.  He also stated that
260 new products were introduced in 1998 at SAE and that he expected that
record to be broken in 1999.
    Oswald also said that 328 companies from 21 countries are participating in
this year's Congress.  This figure includes 90 percent of the world's top 25
suppliers and 75 percent of the top 30 European suppliers.