ALMOST 100 fleet chiefs from across Europe have so far booked to attend this year's Automotive Congress Europe to be held in Amsterdam on November 23-24. Pan-European fleet, rental and leasing issues will be under the microscope at the event organised by Emap Automotive, publisher of Fleet NewsNet.

The Congress is being supported by the European Car and Truck Rental Association, and will be held at the Hotel Okura, Amsterdam. Automotive Congress Europe is expected to attract more than 200 leading figures from vehicle manufacturers, rental and leasing companies and businesses associated with the automotive industry.

Fleet managers, human resources chiefs and finance directors with responsibility for operating company cars are also expected to attend. Both days of the Congress will be chaired by Freddie Aldous, president of ECATRA.

The first day of the Congress will focus on European competition and regulation, European taxation, changes to the rental and leasing industry as a consequence of the single European market, European car distribution and disposal, residual values and pricing issues, alternative fuels from a European perspective, and the importance of technology and e-commerce. The second day will look at a variety of leasing and rental issues and how rental and leasing companies are meeting the requirements of fleet customers.

Speakers lined up include David Kemp, vice-president and European director of ABN AMRO Bank, Hans Vervloed, partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers, Belgium, and VAT manager Bart Vanhem, Francois Boulard, managing director of Lease Plan International, and Jim Hunt, director, international procurement, of Royal & SunAlliance.

From the rental industry there will be Dr Michael Kern, managing director of Europcar in Germany and chief operating officer of Europcar International, Mark McCafferty, chief executive of Avis Europe, and Richard Plummer, UK corporate travel manager of Glaxo Wellcome.. Focusing on the future of car distribution and vehicle disposal in Europe will be Dr Andrew Tongue, project co-ordinator, of the UK-based International Car Distribution Programme, and Marc Greven, director of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA); while Mark Cowling, chief economist of CAP Motor Research, will look at price changes and residual values as Europe harmonises. Amandus Lundqvist, general manager of IBM Netherlands, will look at paperless trading and new technology. Other speakers have yet to be announced.