OTTAWA, Ontario — As the economy in Canada continues to struggle, the aftermarket aspect of the auto industry has been impacted. To shed some light on what the future may bring, the Aftermarket Industries Association of Canada will host a conference to help executives anticipate future trends.

The association shared some details this week about the speakers' lineup for its Aftermarket Conference for Executives: How is the Economy Affecting the Automotive Aftermarket? The event will be held April 27-28 at the Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain.

The conference is designed to offer professional development and insight into business trends for high-level executives. It will feature presentations from the following:

—Don Bell, co-founder and retired executive vice president of WestJet, who will present "The Value of a Strong Corporate Culture."

—Ryan Robinson, senior manager of research at J.D. Power and Associates, who is presenting "Satisfying Vehicle Service Customers in a Hyper-Competitive Market."

—Jim Allworth, portfolio manager at RBC Asset Management, who will present "Canada Today and Tomorrow … An Economic Outlook."

—Andrew Ramlo, director of the Urban Futures Institute, who is presenting "Changing People, Changing Place" — The Changing Face of Retirement.

"The Aftermarket Conference of Executives offers registrants the opportunity to gain insight from some of Canada's top experts while taking advantage of unique networking and personal development opportunities," officials noted.

To register for the conference, click here.

During the conference, AIA Canada will also host its 2010 Annual General Meeting. Moreover, at the conference's luncheon AIA will unveil the new I-CAR program in Canada. At that time, the association will discuss the partnership and the program's launch in more depth.

"AIA is proud to partner with the collision industry to provide quality training for this sector of the industry," officials said, regarding I-CAR.  

"AIA is inviting member companies involved in the auto collision industry in Canada to support this special I-CAR luncheon and become a sponsor of this event," they added.

Room for sponsorship for the lunch is limited, but those interested can visit http://www.aiacanada.com/uploads/2010_website/events/2010_ACE/2010_ICAR_Lunch_sponsorship.pdf to learn more.