SPE Automotive Division Announces Dates for Automotive Innovation Awards Competition & Gala
TROY, (DETROIT) MICH. - The planning committee for the 36th-annual SPE® Automotive Innovation Awards Competition & Gala has announced dates for this year's awards competition and awards recognition gala.
All submissions for the Most Innovative Use of Plastics in an automotive or transportation-related part must be received by SPE by September 15, 2006. The part must be used on a vehicle in commercial production by November 1, 2006 to be considered for this year's Automotive Innovation Awards Competition. Nomination Forms and rules can be found on the SPE Automotive Division's website at www.speautomotive.com/inno.htm . The form is available in both PDF and XLS formats.
Once all nominations have been received and reviewed, nominating teams will be notified of the day they will present to the SPE Automotive Division board of directors and other auto industry participants. Two days have been set aside for this first round of judging, which will take place at the American Plastics Council's Automotive Learning Center in Troy. This year's board of directors judging will be held October 4 and October 6, 2006. The top three nominations in each of the competition's 10 categories - body exterior, body interior, chassis/hardware, environmental, hall of fame, materials, performance & customization (aftermarket), powertrain, process/assembly/enabling technologies, and safety - will advance to the Blue Ribbon Judging, which will take place the week of October 16 at a site still to be determined.
Winning teams will be fêted at the Automotive Innovation Awards Gala on November 13, 2006 at Burton Manor in Livonia, Mich.SPE's Innovation Awards Gala is the largest competition of its kind in the world. Dozens of teams made up of OEMs, tier suppliers, and polymer producers submit nominations describing their part, system, or complete vehicle module and why it merits the claim as Year's Most Innovative Use of Plastics. This annual event typically draws over 800 OEM engineers, automotive and plastics industry executives, and media. As is customary, funds raised from this event will be used to support SPE educational efforts and technical seminars, which will help to secure the role of plastics in the advancement of the automobile.
The mission of SPE International is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics worldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. SPE's Automotive Division is active in educating, promoting, recognizing, and communicating technical accomplishments for all phases of plastics and plastic based-composite developments in the global transportation industry. Topic areas include applications, materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design, and development.
For more information about the SPE Innovation Awards Gala, visit the SPE Automotive Division's website at www.speautomotive.com, or contact the group at +1.248.244.8993, or write SPE Automotive Division, 1800 Crooks Road, Suite A, Troy, MI 48084, USA.
For more information on the Society of Plastics Engineers International or other SPE events, visit the SPE website at www.4spe.org, or call +1.203.775.0471.
