Steve Greenfield provides a summary of the big trends in the automotive industry, and how the rest of the year will play out.

Glenn will be presenting a short talk on "Ten Unanswered Questions in Automotive Retail," looking back over the last two decades of developments in the USA. On the one hand, we see immense progress in the digitization of both B2C (customer-facing) activities (e.g., service scheduling) and B2B (back office) activities (e.g., electronic submission of loan applications replacing paper faxes). But on the other hand, much that was promised by or expected from IT has not come to pass. For example, front-line salesforce productivity has barely budged upward from its historic average of 10 cars per salesperson per month. For another, ad spend per new car seems unable to move downward from its historic average of some $600 per car. In both cases IT-enabled improvements have not (yet) come to pass. Glenn will discuss these two and various other "unanswered questions" as stimulants to, or even provocations to, the thinking of conference attendees: have we fallen short of digital promises - and if so, why?

Chase Fraser | FM Capital

Jay Vijayan | Tekion

Bill Cariss | Holman Group

While we’ve had over 100 years of experience with combustion engines, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are still fairly new. One of the biggest challenges facing mainstream BEV adoption is the lack of a clear understanding as to the quality, performance, and remaining service life of the traction battery. As the costliest component of the BEV, it’s critical to understand the battery state-of-health (SOH) across the value chain. ReJoule has pioneered an advanced battery test technique to accurately, quickly, and reliably estimate a battery’s SOH, making it possible to maximize the battery’s value. Their ability to easily and reliably test the condition of a battery makes it possible to identify where the battery is on the material user hierarchy which enables an affordable, insurable and repairable used BEV market while contributing to the circular economy.

Join Kyle Disher in this informative session and learn how top dealers and companies use the transformative power of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to achieve real results while preserving the invaluable asset of human expertise. This session illuminates the process behind creating the ultimate mystery shops platform and custom LMS for sales teams, tailored specifically through AI integration. This strategy aims to foster an environment where sales teams are not just trained but are also continuously learning and evolving to meet the dynamic demands of the retail industry. Kyle will share how optimizing your current technology stacks can lead to maximum efficiency in training programs.

Jim Maxfield | Gather Technology

Jonathan Cabak | DetectAuto Inc.

Muhammad Dhamrah & Amir Hosseini | CHEX.AI

Ondrej Kuchta | ScaleVoice

Dive into the psychology of start-up founders to understand a simple truth: what makes them great at starting companies is not what makes them great at growing them. In this interactive keynote, Michelle will bring to light the different blindspots that exist within start-up culture and how to overcome them for long-term success."

In the fast-paced world of automotive retailing, adaptability is essential for dealership success. Nick Mottas will delve into how to execute a successful valet pickup and delivery program, ensuring dealerships remain competitive by aligning with current consumer expectations.

This session explores how evolving service departments with mobile service and proactive recall management meets modern customer needs for convenience and satisfaction. As customer expectations shift, automotive services must adapt by bringing vehicle maintenance directly to customers at their preferred locations and managing recalls more proactively. This approach enhances customer satisfaction, increases service frequency, boosts revenue and builds brand trust. Participants will learn effective strategies for integrating these innovations into their operations to improve efficiency and profitability, ultimately leading to greater customer loyalty and business success.

Joe Shaker | Shaker Auto Group

Karl Schmidt | Hello Auto

Kevin Frye | Jeff Wyler Automotive Family