You won’t find the most cutting-edge tech at the next dealer conference
I love attending events and conferences all over the country and internationally. They are energizing and I always leave with new tactics, strategies and ideas to help dealers win.
In business, you are either growing or slowing. Events and trade shows are no different; in fact, some of the events that used to be the biggest and brightest have fallen victim. RIP DSES. Conversely, new events benefit from innovation. ASOTU Con in Baltimore, MD is a great example.
Why talk about conferences in Canadian auto dealer’s AI column?
These days, every conference is an AI conference. NADA in NOLA, ACE in Niagara, and WCDS in Banff all had a lot of AI discussions, either at vendor booths or on the stage and in workshops.
I remain bullish on the impact that AI is having and will continue to have on our industry and our daily lives. That said, you’re not going to get cutting-edge technology at an automotive conference.
As a regular speaker, my goal is to help move people forward from where they are. Just like in school, teachers focus on the average students.
At any event focused on a non-technology vertical, such as autos, real estate, or household services, you will learn a basic or intermediate level of technology. Frankly, that’s a good thing.
I don’t think many conference goers enjoy presentations that are too technical. It’s akin to sitting in a Quantum Physics class with Sheldon Cooper, quirky and entertaining — but you’re not likely to leave with anything actionable.
If you’re ready, what can you do to expand your mind?
This May, I attended two events that you should consider attending next year, and there are a few this fall that you may want to add to your calendar.
Upper Bound: The largest AI-focused event in the west, if not the biggest in Canada. This year, the event sold out — other than Taylor Swift, what live events sell out these days? The creators of the event, the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute — a world-leading AI institute dedicated to advancing AI for good, has hosted Upper Bound for the last four years.
Why attend? Being surrounded by 6,000 people excited about and using AI every day is guaranteed to get you thinking about ways that you can use available tools in your stores.
Every presentation had some direct relationship to our industry. For example, AI for data analysis has me thinking about AutoGraph Analytics, AI to improve medical ultrasound accuracy has applications for fixed operations and diagnostics, and the AI personal trainer could help with sales training and deal-level insights that CRMs could deliver.
WebSummit: in Vancouver from 27-30 May 2025, the first North-American Web Summit drew 15,727 attendees. Sessions ranged from generative-AI breakthroughs, quantum optimization to forthright debates on AI ethics and brand trust in a “post-deepfake” world.
Why attend? Web Summit is where the broader tech ecosystem shows off what’s coming two or three years ahead. The Commerce and Marketing tracks demo new retail tools, hyper-personalized ads and Gen-Z buying journeys that translate directly to online F&I flows and service upsells.
In the fall, two more events are coming up that you should consider. Tech Crunch Disrupt event in San Francisco October 27-29, 2025 and specifically for AI, The AI Summit NYC December 10-11, 2025. The only way to stay ahead of the curve is to be ahead of the curve, keep learning and keep growing.
