In two pieces of news to come out of CDK early this week, the company is launching the inaugural CDK Connect Conference next week, and a new company in the auto tech space has joined its CDK Global Partner Program, as well.
Automotive Innovations (Ai), which goes by the same acronym as artificial intelligence, launched its suite of dealership tools just last month, and Monday become a participant in the CDK Global Partner Program, one of the largest third-party marketplaces of automotive applications and integrations.
According to a news release when the company was launched, Ai offers an all-in-one solution that can allow dealers to replace multiple tools, increase profits and get real-time visibility into their business.
And now with access to the extensive CDK customer base, partners have the opportunity to build solutions impacting nearly every area of business within the modern dealership, ranging from sales to service to data intelligence.
“We’re excited about partnering with CDK and leveraging their integration platform to power the real-time data exchange that drives Ai’s innovative and intuitive solution,” said Hoss Devine, Ai CEO and founder, said in the news release announcing the company as a CDK Global Partner. “At the heart of Ai is our consolidated approach to dealership operational software solutions. For too long, dealers have had to rely on stand-alone solutions or omni-solutions formed through acquisitions that typically don't work smoothly together. Ai was built from the ground-up to deliver six core dealer products in one 360-degree operating solution with one login and one low price to positively impact business in real-time when it matters most.”
To learn more about the Ai platform's six products and those under development, see here.
“We are pleased to introduce Ai as the newest member of the CDK Global Partner Program,” said Sandy Orlando, senior VP, CDK Data Services and Fortellis, in the news announcement . “Ai is a welcome addition to our vibrant program which provides dealers with a range of partner choices and the assurance that their programs can be seamlessly integrated with our applications.”
The CDK Partner Programn now includes more than 575 partner companies and 9,995 unique applications auto dealers can utilize.
Inaugural CDK Connect Conference to be held on Oct. 6
In further news from CDK, the company will be launching the first CDK Connect Conference on Oct. 6. The event is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and will include tech previews and "updates on Roadster and Salty acquisitions," the company shared.
The goal of the event is to bring the automotive industry together and showcase how CDK connects dealerships, manufacturers, software developers and consumers to create a seamless car-buying and ownership experience.
“Led by rapidly evolving consumer preferences and increased government regulation, the automotive industry is in an incredible position to rethink how it connects with its customers — and with each other,” said Brian Krzanich, president and chief executive officer, CDK Global, in the event press release. “From our place at the heart of the industry ecosystem, we are excited to host our first CDK Connect and bring an information-packed afternoon that will place us all on the cutting edge of automotive retail.”
CDK Connect attendees will have access to nsights from CDK leadership, industry experts and customers; breakout sessions with a range of perspectives and viewpoints; and exclusive previews of technology releases from CDK.
Keynote speakers include: Brian Krzanich, president and chief executive officer, CDK Global; Joe Tautges, chief operating officer, CDK Global; and Mahesh Shah, chief product and technology officer, CDK Global. Special guests will include James Hall, founder of Salty; Andy Moss, founder of Roadster; Mike Maroone, chairman and chief executive officer, Maroone USA; Joe Shaker, founder and chief executive officer, TruVideo and owner, Shaker Auto Group; and Joe Lukich, strategic variable operations director, #1 Cochran.
Following the keynote, attendees can join live breakout sessions to connect with experts on topics, including the following:
- Modern Retail: Fulfilling Customer Expectations by Making it Easier to Sell
- Fixed Operations: Establishing Consumer Trust through Transparency
- CRM: Building the Next Level of Customer Intelligence
- DMS: Transforming Accounting Workflows to Increase Productivity
- Salty's Embedded Insurance: Changing When and How Insurance Is Bought
- Information Technology: Improving Cybersecurity, Simplicity and Collaboration Services
- Auto Manufacturers: Harnessing the Power of Data to Retain and Win Customers
- Software Development: Unlocking Your Potential Through Fortellis
For more information, and to register for CDK Connect, click here.
CarGurus will host its third annual “Navigate” user conference next month with an agenda that explores auto retail disruption, diversity in the auto industry, digital retail success strategies and much more.
The event, scheduled for Oct. 13-15, will be held online. More info is available here.
“The past 18 months have shown that the automotive retail industry has tremendous resilience when facing adversity, and that dealerships need to keep their businesses on the cutting edge of marketing, technology and operations in order to succeed in the future,” CarGurus president and chief operating officer Sam Zales said in a news release.
“The third annual Navigate conference is just the place for dealerships to hear about best practices in both automotive and other industries and learn about new methods for increasing performance of buying, marketing and selling vehicles in this new digital era.”
To get a preview of the event, Auto Remarketing senior editor Joe Overby — who is moderating a dealer panel at Navigate — connected with Jeremy Sacco, director, B2B content & communications at CarGurus, for an episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, which can be found below.
Cox Automotive is committed to showing its leadershipin the electric vehicle market and its future. One way the company is proving this strategy is launching the inaugural EV Battery Summit, set to take place virtually next week.
The event, scheduled for 11 a.m. (ET) to 3 p.m. on Sept. 30, will bring together EV thought leaders and trasportation strategists to dissect and analyze the current state of the market in question, as well as new leaps in battery tech bound to impact EV growth in the future.
The new event's opening keynote will feature George Goddu, leader of electric vehicle service strategy for Ford, and Joe George, president of Cox Automotive Mobility.
Attendees will also be privy to fireside-chat style presentations, including the following:
The Road to Fleet and Commercial Electrification, that will explore "how the surge of e-commerce and on-demand delivery services, combined with EVs lower operation costs, will lead to the expansion of electric fleets of all sizes," according to Cox Automotive.
- Alex Fraser, head of fleet operations, Cox Automotive Mobility (moderator)
- Christopher Haffenreffer, mobility and electrification strategy and innovation, Enterprise Holdings
- Emily Phillips, VP of advanced solutions, XPO Logistics
- Terry Rivers, VP of Maintenance, Dickinson Fleet Services
EV Battery Lifecycle Management Services 101, during which speakers will address how battery production, health and life cycle management will play a significant role as EVs become more prominent.
- Jamie Butters, chief content officer, Automotive News (moderator)
- Dirk Spiers, president and co-Founder, Spiers New Technologies
- Jeff Haltrecht, executive, Call2Recycle
- Kev Adjemian, chief technology officer, Electric Last Mile Solutions
In EV Battery Advancements Powering the Future, today's EV battery technology and innovation leaders review battery chemistry and breakthrough advancements leading to greener roads and a healthier planet.
- Lea Malloy, head of EV Battery Services, Cox Automotive Mobility (moderator)
- Rob Ferber chief technology officer, Xos Trucks
- Maria Kelleher, principal, Kelleher Environmental
- Jeff Spangenberger, materials recycling group leader, Argonne National Laboratory
- Kevin Wujcik, chief technology officer, Blue Current, Inc.
Cross-Industry Collaboration to Advance Widespread EV Adoption will explore how cross-industry collaboration is paramount to driving EV innovation, consumer adoption and public and private infrastructure growth, including the regulatory and financial influence of the government.
- Alan Ohnsman, senior editor of future mobility, Forbes (moderator)
- Caroline Godkin, deputy secretary for environmental policy and emergency response, California Environment Protection Agency
- Dr. David Hyde, assistant professor, Vanderbilt University
- Justin Wilson, director of public policy, ChargePoint
The event will close with a keynote discussion featuring Russell Hensley, partner at McKinsey Center for Future Mobility and Cox' George.
To register for the complimentary digital conference, interested readers can visit the Cox Automotive Mobility EV Battery Summit website.
Used Car Week, which is set for Nov. 15-18 at Red Rock in Las Vegas, is proud to announce its 2021 industry partners.
These organizations are:
- International Automotive Remarketers Alliance
- National Auto Auction Association
- National Independent Automobile Dealers Association
- National Automotive Finance Association
- American Recovery Association
- Receivables Management Association International
“Used Car Week is designed to cover the entire ecosystem and lifecycle of the used-vehicle market, from retail and auto finance to repossession, recovery, remarketing and everything in between,” Used Car Week chair and Cherokee Media Group president Bill Zadeits said.
“There’s perhaps no greater representation of this ecosystem than the associations working with Used Car Week as industry partners,” he said. “And one of the core strengths of our event is the foundation of key industry partners like these six associations.
“We value the opportunity to bring the industry together each fall and truly appreciate our relationship with each of these groups,” Zadeits said.
Combining five different conferences, UCW unites all corners of the used-car industry from remarketing to dealer-consignor relations and auto finance for four days to discuss current trends, forecasting for the future and prepping for the road ahead.
Pre-Owned Con focuses on certified pre-owned vehicles and the overall used-car market, tackling analytics, data, strategies, tech and big-picture visions, delivered by thought-leaders and industry icons.
Auto Fin Con focuses on the full spectrum of auto finance from subprime to prime, as well as regulatory impacts and fintech issues like artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Repo Con tackles pain points for managing repossessions, recoveries and regulations, including questions related to new technology, new ideas and new ways of addressing risk and other key industry issues.
The National Remarketing Conference provides a forum of analysis, education and discussion that moves the wholesale auto industry forward. Focused on business intelligence for vehicle consignors, brick and mortar auto auctions, online auctions, and the technology and services providers.
The National Auto Venture & Investors Conference (NAVIcon) is the newest show to be part of Used Car Week that will provide a broader perspective across the entire M&A and auto tech landscapes. NAVIcon will arm attendees with information into innovative early-stage companies as potential investment or partnership opportunities, or those that have technology that might be adopted to create a competitive market advantage.
For more information, visit www.usedcarweek.biz.
Investors have a renewed interest in the automotive technology space, and as a result, the industry is experiencing a record amount of investment activity.
At this year’s Used Car Week in November, we are excited to announce the launch of the National Auto Venture & Investors Conference (NAVIcon).
Teaming with Steve Greenfield, the founder of Automotive Ventures, the newest Cherokee Media Group event will provide content and conversations around the industry’s biggest deals and reveal innovative, early-stage auto tech startups.
As the latest addition to the popular Used Car Week, NAVIcon will provide attendees with a broader perspective across the entire M&A and innovative auto tech landscapes.
The National Auto Venture & Investors Conference will draw investors, auto tech companies and interested industry players. The event will arm executives, dealers and investors with information and visibility into innovative early-stage companies as potential investment or partnership opportunities, or those that have technology that might be adopted to create a competitive market advantage.
Analysis of recent deals will provide valuable information to those interested in future M&A, investments and networking-building opportunities.
The National Auto Venture & Investors Conference is the industry’s largest venture conference, gathering together entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders for a high-caliber conference. Our mission is to connect auto tech startups and investors with the resources, network, clients and partnerships they need to grow. NAVIcon plays an important role in the auto tech ecosystem. Our advisory team has worked to recruit the best companies, investors and sponsors to bring the event to life.
We are looking for the most promising companies from across the auto tech landscape to pitch at NAVIcon 2021.
Used Car Week will be held Nov. 15-19 at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas.
The First Block of UCW (Nov. 15-17) features the Pre-Owned Con (retail); Auto Fin Con, presented by DRN and MVTRAC (finance/fintech) and Repo Con (collections/repossessions/recovery).
The Second Block (Nov. 17-19) features the cornerstone event of the week: the National Remarketing Conference (wholesale), presented by SmartAuction and the newly launched National Auto Venture & Investors Conference.
Attendees have the option of selecting:
—First Block-only
—Second Block-only
— All-Access.
Based on those selections, registered attendees are free to build the agenda of their choosing by attending sessions from any tracks of content they desire.
The National Auto Venture & Investors Conference will provide an intelligent and insightful platform for executives, dealers and companies that represent markets through venture capital; private equity; early-, growth- , and mature-stage companies; mergers and acquisitions and more.
The International Automotive Remarketers Alliance is again leveraging digital technology to host its next industry event, which is on tap to begin at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on Thursday.
While it will be confined to an online environment because of the pandemic, the 2021 IARA Virtual Conference includes familiar industry leaders such as Tom Kontos, Paul Seger and Jonathan Smoke.
Seger, who is executive vice president of asset remarketing at Element Fleet and current IARA president, will open and close the event, which also includes five educational sessions focusing on key business aspects. They are:
— Adapting to a socially distanced world
— Is your condition report making the grade?
— Transportation and logistics
— Dealer insights
— Consignors rising to change
One of the other event highlights has Automotive Ventures chief executive officer and founder Steve Greenfield leading a conversation with Kontos, chief economist at KAR Global, and Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive.
Registration for the 2021 IARA Virtual Conference can be completed on this website.
NADA Show 2021 is going virtual. The National Automobile Dealers Association is holding its annual convention and expo online from Feb. 9 through Feb. 11.
When the move to digital was announced in October, NADA said in the release that among the features of the digital convention will be more than 60 educational workshops and sessions, an online expo hall and OEM franchise meetings.
Complete details are available at https://show.nada.org/, but below is a list of some of the education sessions at NADA Show 2021 that are specific to the used-car market.
The information is from the NADA Show 2021 website.
- Jason Stum, who is director of strategy at Dealer Inspire, will discuss how to “Turn Your Marketing into a Trade-In Machine” at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 9.
- Tommy Gibbs, president of Tommy Gibbs & Associates, will present on “6 Strategies to Improve Gross and Volume in Your Used-Car Department,” at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 9.
- Tim Scoutelas, who is director of strategic accounts at MAX Digital, and Patrick McMullen, senior vice president of strategic accounts at MAX Digital, will present “Creative Ways to Acquire Used Inventory” at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 10.
- Michael Hayes, who is the NADA Academy chair, will present “Pre-Owned Success with CPO” at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 10.
- Zach Hallowell, who is vice president of Manheim Digital, will discuss “Wholesale Decisions in a Digital World” at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 11.
- Dale Pollak, executive vice president of vAuto, will discuss “New Metrics to Maximize Used Vehicle ROI” at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 11.
- Dennis McGinn, founder and CEO of Rapid Recon, and Anthony Martinez, who is director of customer performance at Rapid Recon, will present on “Advanced Reconditioning: Best Practices” at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 11.
- Michael Lucki, management instructor at NADA, will discuss how to “Manage Pre-Owned Inventory for Investment Quality” at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 11.
The live sessions at Used Car Week, which began Monday with the concurrent Auto Fin Con and NAF Association events, continue Wednesday with a full slate of great presentations and panels.
The virtual expo hall opens at 11 a.m. (ET), and the day gets rolling in earnest at noon with opening comments from Cherokee Media Group president Bill Zadeits, DRN executive vice president/general manager Jeremiah Wheeler and NAF Association president Joel Kennedy.
The day continues with the NAF/AFSA Non-Prime Auto Financing Survey panel at 12:15 p.m., which includes:
- Aaron Dalton, Senior Vice President, Prestige Financial Services, Inc.
- Tamara D’Angelo, SVP of Sales and Originations, Gateway Financial Solutions
- Ken Kertz, Vice President, Transportation, FICO
- Darren Kazich, Executive VP of Servicing, Automotive Credit Corporation
Wednesday continues with an Economic Outlook presentation from Cox Automotive chief economist Jonathan Smoke at 1 p.m., which is followed by the Auto Finance Executive of the Year presentation to Tanya Sanders of Wells Fargo at 1:45 p.m.
We close the day with Part II of our Women in Auto Finance panels, which is moderated by Cortney Osborne of American Recovery Service and includes:
- Jennifer Barrett Guana, Chief Administrative Officer, Flagship Credit Acceptance
- Stephanie Casto, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, GM Financial
- Michelle Jackson, VP of Sales, Advantage GPS
- Tanya Sanders, Head of Retail Underwriting and Fulfillment, Wells Fargo
- Michelle Whatley, Chief Human Resources Officer, Exeter
For more information and to register, visit www.usedcarweek.biz.
Whether they are talking automotive or otherwise, this surely is a question many people are asking: What is going to happen in 2021?
A presentation at Used Car Week, which begins Monday, aims at answering that question — at least when it comes to new- and used-vehicle sales.
Used Car Week kicks off with Auto Fin Con and the National Auto Finance Association’s Annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference, which will run concurrently the week of Nov. 16-20.
On Friday of that opening week, National Automobile Dealers Association chief economist Patrick Manzi will lead a session titled, "Where is the Automotive Market Headed?"
The presentation, which begins at 1:30 p.m. (ET) on Nov. 20 as part of Auto Fin Con, will share Manzi's forecast for 2021 new- and used-vehicle sales.
For the complete lineup at Used Car Week, see our agenda page here.
Following the Auto Fin Con and the NAF Association events, and a break for Thanksgiving, the remainder of Used Car Week will run as follows:
- Dec. 2-Dec. 4: Repo Con.
- Dec. 7-11: Pre-Owned Con
- Dec. 14-18: National Remarketing Conference
For more information, visit www.usedcarweek.biz.
Registration is now open for Used Car Week, which will be an all-digital endeavor this year, with content spread across four weeks this fall.
Similar to a host of other industry gatherings, Used Car Week is shifting to an all-digital format that will still include the staples of the event — Pre-Owned Con, Auto Fin Con, Repo Con and the National Remarketing Conference. Rather being confined to a five-day span, Used Car Week will be conducted over a longer period with week-long combinations of online workshops and live digital keynotes and panel discussions.
To register, visit https://usedcarweek.biz/register.
Here’s how the Used Car Weeks schedule shakes out.
The action begins the week of Nov. 16-20, with the Auto Fin Con and the National Auto Finance Association’s Annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference, which will run concurrently.
Then, Dec. 2-Dec. 4 will be the Repo Con.
Next, the Pre-Owned Con will run Dec. 7-11.
Lastly, we will close with the flagship of Used Car Week, the National Remarketing Conference, which runs Dec. 14-18.
For the weeks of Auto Fin Con/NAF, Pre-Owned Con and NRC, the agenda content will be divided up as follows:
- Monday of each week: Two live keynotes
- Tuesday of each week: Recorded workshops released
- Wednesday of each week: Two live keynotes
- Thursday of each week: Recorded workshops released
- Friday of each of week: Two live keynotes
For Repo Con, the schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday: Live sessions
- Thursday: Recorded workshops
- Friday: Live sessions
In terms of registration costs, all access is $295. That includes the all conferences within the event.
First block registration, which includes the Auto Fin Con/NAF and Repo Con Events, is $195.
Second block registation, which includes the Pre-Owned Con and the National Remarketing Conference, is $195.
Again, you can attend the entire event for $295 with the all-access registration.
For more info or to register, visit: https://usedcarweek.biz/register/
If interested in speaking at the all-digital Used Car Week, our call for speakers remains open. More information available here: https://usedcarweek.biz/call-for-speakers/.
