It’s the second year of the return to the in-person event known throughout the Canadian auto retail industry as the CADA Summit — and registration is now open. Attendees will be gathering for this Valentine’s Day edition, as the conference will be held on Feb. 14, 2024, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Ontario.
The coveted seats are now open for Canadian auto dealers and this year’s lineup includes a stellar collection of futurists, economists, industry analysts, and experts looking at the changes impacting the dealership world. Registration is now open at www.cada.ca.
The 2024 event opens with journalist Jason Stein, host of the Cars & Culture radio show on SiriusXM, moderating a Quick Takes session of quick hit interviews with OEM leaders. In a recent video interview about the CADA Summit with Canadian auto dealer, Stein said he loves the Quick Takes format for gaining great insights from OEM leaders.
“It is definitely an industry that is full of personalities. What I like about the Quick Takes segment is that you really get a chance to see the personalities of the automaker executives come out,” said Stein. “It’s fun because so much of their worlds are truly scripted…I think what the crowd really appreciates is the candor and the humility, and the honesty about where some of these hot issues will land.”
This year’s OEM leaders expected to participate in the Quick Takes include: David Klan, President and CEO of Mazda Canada, Steve Milette, President, Nissan Canada, John Cappella, President & CEO Porsche Cars Canada, and Jason Stoicevich, Chairman President & CEO, Stellantis Canada.
Later in the afternoon, Stein will also be center stage for in-depth interviews with OEM leaders, including Beverly Goodman, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company of Canada, and Marissa West, President and Managing Director of General Motors of Canada.
Seasoned journalists David Frum, staff writer at the Atlantic and a featured pundit on U.S. cable news networks, and Andrew Coyne, columnist with the Globe and Mail, will also offer their insights on the economic and political climate on both sides of the border.
Returning to the CADA Summit is Doug Stephens, retail futurist and best-selling author who will offer his thoughts on the changing face of retail and the customer experience, and the role of new technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence. In a video interview with Canadian auto dealer, Stephens said he will be exploring the impact of change.
“Certainly economic change and turmoil are all around us, and not the least of which is impacting the auto industry and auto dealers is societal change,” said Stephens. “I think one of the biggest challenges and opportunities that sits in front of us right now is the massive amount of technological change and innovation that sits on the horizon. I’ll be digging into that, and looking at both the upsides for dealers, but also I think some of the caveats, some of the things that they need to keep in mind, some of the risks that are involved in some of these technologies and how they can embark upon them with eyes wide open.”
The event will also feature economic updates, an auto industry market update from Darren Slind, Co-Founder and Managing Director at the Clarify Group (an automotive consultancy firm), and a panel featuring prominent dealers who have won the CADA Laureate award. Keynotes and other content related to transitioning to electric vehicles will also be included as part of the conference.
TD Auto Finance is the exclusive sponsor of CADA Summit, and has been since the event’s inception more than a decade ago.
