The beloved Canadian country-blues band Blue Rodeo rocked the house at VIP night on the eve of the opening of the Canadian International AutoShow on February 13.
It was a high-energy wind-up to an action-packed whirlwind night of cocktail parties, private functions, an awards gala, and of course checking out an eye-popping collection of the latest cars, trucks and SUVs available to Canadians.
The OEMs really stepped it up this year, with more luxury brands back to the show, and more brands overall. The VIP night was also more lively and upbeat than it has been in recent years. Perhaps a good party was what the industry needed with so much uncertainty and chaos swirling around.
Canadian auto dealer attended a host of events and took in as many activities as we could. The mood was upbeat and most of the revellers we talked with were enjoying the food, drink, and music, and less inclined to talk about the headlines of the day, the tariff threats, and the overall unease and anxiety many in the industry are feeling.
A group of suppliers who serve the auto dealer world held their Cars, Culture and Conversations event at a speakeasy-style club a few minutes north of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre where the VIP night took place a couple of hours later. The invite-only event was jointly sponsored by TD Auto Finance, SiriusXM, PBS Systems, and Safe-Guard.
The mostly dealer attendees were treated to drinks, oysters, and an impressive food spread, and entertainment from a magician and a tarot card reader operating behind a mysterious door near the back of the club.
The Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario (MVRO) held their President’s Preview, an elite private reception, in the AutoExotica section of the show. Attendees were hosted by Jim Williamson, currently serving as the association’s president, and this year’s auto show president. The exotic and classic cars provided a classy background to the night as dealers and other industry leaders enjoyed food and drinks before VIP night officially opened.
Keyloop, a global software vendor that serves the dealer market, perhaps still best known among some Canadian dealers for the products they acquired in this market (SERTI DMS and RapidRTC), held a classy cocktail with soft jazz music, and well-equipped bars. Their event was located near the entrance to the VIP night show floor and attendees were able to enjoy some chill before touring the show and logging some miles.
Meanwhile, at the Steam Whistle Brewing bar, just a five minute walk south from the convention centre, the Automotive Business School of Canada, taq Automotive Intelligence, and Accelerate Auto, held their annual gala event that has become a can’t miss staple of VIP night.
That gathering brought together dozens of students studying in the Automotive Business School of Canada program, along with industry suppliers, dealers, and educators. Near the end of the event, ABSC played a tribute video for well-known auto dealer Brent Ravelle, President of the Ravelle Group of Companies, with two dealerships in Listowel, Ontario. Ravelle was named the winner of the 2024 ABSC Alumni Recognition Award.
After the video, Ravelle offered some remarks on stage and was clearly moved by the recognition. In a discussion afterwards, Ravelle said he found it difficult to keep his emotions in check as he watched the video as his former classmates, colleagues, and college officials praised him both for his career success and for continuing to give back to students and to the college.
All of these activities took place before the doors officially opened for VIP night at 7:30 p.m. Once the general public made their way in, the booths and bars were flooded with attendees, and the night culminated with the performance of Blue Rodeo in the GM booth.
For those that still hadn’t had enough fun, some gathered in other after hours events and parties, like Dave’s After Party, hosted by David McClean, Director of Marketing for the show.
