What happened at the 2009 event...

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Planning and Designing Motorsport Venues
Session chair: Clive Bowen
This session is designed to assist prospective or existing circuit owners or operators to understand ways to develop economically sustainable venues. The net subject matter is an attempt to provide a walk-through of the process of development including: architecture and masterplanning, economic sustainability modelling, planning permission and how to secure consent, value engineering and cost consultancy. It will also look at interesting ways to achieve results with limited investments such as the use of temporary facilities to reduce capital investment. If you are involved in developing or re-developing a motorsport facility, or are considering options to do so, then this session will provide some valuable insights from some real experts.

Speakers: Guy Austin, John Rhodes, Mike Wells, Stephan Cimbal, Arno Bosch, Peter Wahl

Creating and Operating Socially Responsible Circuits
Session chair: Andy Watson
With environmental issues at or near the top of social and political agendas, motorsport venues need to address noise and other environmental issues or face regulatory problems. Many circuits already operate under noise restrictions and indeed some circuits risk closure over this very issue. This session looks at how circuits operate responsibly, both socially and environmentally. It also provides some real examples of how motorsport facilities can embrace and get ahead of social and environmental agendas rather than simply reacting to them.

Speakers: Dr Walter Kafitz, Andy Watson, John Symes, James Tingay, Alec Arho Havrén

Sponsorship, Marketing and Revenue Generation
Session chair: Gill Campbell
This session is designed to explore the way in which circuits generate revenue either through sponsorship or naming rights or indeed subsidies at the top end, right through to the day-to-day activities and initiatives that allow them to reach and attract more and varied customers, whether from specialist race series or from mainstream tourism or indeed through innovative new internet technologies.

Speakers: John Barrow, Dr Karl-Josef Schmidt, Ron Simons, Christopher Tate, Andy Lürling, Julian Thomas

Track Paving and Maintenance
Session chair: Alex Wright
In all the excitement over motorsport destinations, attracting customers and creating facilities, the fact is that at the heart of every venue there is a racetrack. What it is made of, how it is constructed and maintained is crucial to the quality and safety of the racing it hosts and therefore to your business. This session will look at surfaces and their properties, testing and maintenance technologies as well as what can be learned about surfacing from tracks in the US, where the quality of available materials is usually poor. If you are involved in specifying, managing or maintaining the racetrack surface, this session will provide some new insights.

Speakers: Alex Wright, Alan Wilson (additional speakers are waiting to confirm their participation and will be announced shortly please check back for updates)

Circuit Safety
Session chair: Hubert Gramling
When cars race there will be crashes, but mitigating the effects for the drivers and spectators is paramount for motorsport circuits. This session brings together the world’s two leading experts on motorsport barrier safety to discuss the types of barriers that you should install at your circuit. The session also looks at new developments in catch or debris fencing designed to protect spectators, and also focuses on the business case for maximising safety. With the world’s leading speakers in motorsport safety and plenty of spectacular crash test video, this will be an exciting session for anyone interested in motorsport but extremely valuable for those who are responsible for safety at their circuit.

Speakers: Jarno Zaffelli, Hubert Gramling, Chris Hobson, Ronald K. Faller, Jochen Braunwarth

Legal and Insurance Workshop
Session chair: Robert Cain
The fact is that motorsport is dangerous. Drivers, circuits and spectators all accept that fact, but only up to a point. Accidents happen, but when they do fingers are often pointed and lawyers and insurance companies become involved. This session looks into issues of legal liability and insurance protection, not only for established circuits but also for new facilities in regions where the legal framework to protect circuits and resolve disputes is less developed.

Speakers: Robert Cain, Jonathan Lux (additional speakers are waiting to confirm their participation and will be announced shortly please check back for updates)

National and Regional Track Seminar
Session chair: Alan Wilson
Regional and national facilities are the mainstay of the industry and are the motorsport venues which are most needed in developing markets. Many of these tracks are well established and well run; many are old and in need of safety and operational upgrades; almost all are under pressure to remain profitable in the face of growing operational costs and increased safety and service demands. The National and Regional Tracks seminar will address design, operating and marketing elements of these facilities, focusing on the need for practical and cost-effective design and operation; opportunities for new business and revenue generation; and the viability of this level of track in markets that cannot justify the costs of a Formula 1-level facility.

Speakers: Alan Wilson, Huub Vermeulen, Gill Campbell (additional speakers are waiting to confirm their participation and will be announced shortly please check back for updates)

Technology and Innovation for Circuits and Venues
Session chair: TBA
This session will look at innovations in areas such as track lighting, electronic marshalling, public address and information and video display systems.

Speakers: Kelvin Austin, Richard Milano (additional speakers are waiting to confirm their participation and will be announced shortly please check back for updates)