With almost all new passenger cars being sold with embedded modems, why isn’t every rental car connected now? This breakfast keynote seminar at the International Car Rental Show will present examples of opportunities and challenges for rental to join the connected car market.

Featuring a panel, attendees will learn more about the complex and dynamic connected car market and how to rethink their rental operations for a connected environment. The session will be held Wednesday, April 17 from 8 am to 9:30 am.

In addition to illustrating a big-picture update on the connected car market, panelists will also discuss new ways on how to harness a fleet’s data to automate operations, how to open new revenue-generating opportunities, and how to increase customer satisfaction.

The panel consists of four experts in telematics and connected vehicle platforms:

• Colm Brady is the CEO and founder of RentalMatics, a telematics technology provider. As a former leader at Europcar Mobility Group Ireland, he brings expertise in mobility, car rental, and carsharing sectors.

• Rob Minton serves as the head of connected car business development at Geotab. In his current role, he is responsible for developing Geotab’s connected car strategy and development with OEMs, EV makers, and car/rideshare companies.

• Chad Caswell is the CEO of Zubie, a provider of fleet management and GPS tracking rental software. He has more than 20 years of experience with SaaS technology and product.

• Kathryn Mullins serves as the growth director at Ridecell, a carsharing platform provider. She has supported growth for industry leaders, focusing on mobility, loT, fintech, cloud and data management, and autonomous transportation.

The “Connected Car Market: Opportunities & Challenges for Car Rental” keynote will be moderated by Chris Brown, associate publisher of Auto Rental News and ICRS conference chair. In his role, he covers all aspects of fleets, transportation, and mobility.

"The connected car for rental delivered fleet security through track and trace for many years," Brown said. "Today, fleets of all types are learning how to employ telematics to deliver new revenue opportunities and reduce costs. Join this session to learn the future!"

The International Car Rental Show will be held April 15-17, 2024, at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Registration is open, and early bird pricing ends March 15.