The Best Automotive Conferences to Attend in 2019
We love learning as much as we can about digital marketing in the automotive industry, but we love seeing our dealers out at conferences where they can learn too! Here’s our annual round-up of the best automotive conferences to attend in 2019.
Montreal Auto Show: January 18-27, 2019
Start the year off at the Palais Des Congres de Montreal and check out the first auto show of 2019–you could even be the lucky winner of a 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross! Every year, the Montreal Auto Show also hosts a Charity Preview night, and tickets purchased support six local hospital foundations in the Montreal area. For more information, visit their website here.
NADA Show: January 24-27, 2019
The NADA Show is a fantastic opportunity to combine education with the chance to meet other dealers and vendors to improve your marketing plan (and early in the new year). With four different educational tracks, you’re sure to walk away having learned at least one new tactic to bring back to your store. For more information, visit their website here.
Canadian International Auto Show: February 15-24, 2019
There’s a reason that Toronto’s show gets the honour of being called the Canadian International Auto Show. Head on down to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and check out some of the coolest automotive exhibits to visit our fair country, including special showcases by Barrett-Jackson and the Peterson’s L.A. Car Culture exhibit. For more information, visit their website here
CADA Summit: February 13, 2019
If you’re going to be in Toronto for CIAS anyway, take the opportunity to add in a little bit of education to the trip (and in the same venue). With a speaker lineup that includes TD Auto Finance, Robert Karwel from JD Power Canada, and Brendan Shanahan, it’s sure to be a great experience. For more information, visit their website here.
AutoRemarketing Canada Conference: March 19-20, 2019
We won’t lie–this is one of our favourite conferences every year! Join us at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto to do a ton of learning, with conference tracks including Retail (focused on dealers and dealerships), Remarketing & Fleet (focused on wholesalers and remarketers), and Auto Finance (focused on automotive lenders, banks, and finance companies). Best of all, it’s free for dealers to attend! For more information, visit their website here.
Women & Automotive: March 21, 2019
As an organization with lots of strong female voices, Women & Automotive is an event that is near and dear to our hearts–and last year, we saw our very own Carrie Oliva, Director of Product Development honoured with one of their Profiles in Leadership Awards. And let’s be clear: this isn’t just a conference for women. If you’re looking for a conference with the opportunity for not only education, but also for incredible networking and career opportunities in the automotive industry, this one’s for you. For more information, visit their website here.
Strathcom x Google Canada: March 21, 2019
Without giving too much away here, we’re putting together a pretty fantastic event with our friends at Google Canada in Toronto while we’re in town for AutoRemarketing Canada and Women & Automotive. Stay tuned for more information!
Vancouver International Auto Show: March 19-24, 2019
If you’re a fan of coast-to-coast travel, once you’re all done checking out everything the week has to offer in Toronto, we also think you’ll enjoy the Vancouver International Auto Show. Why not make a family trip of it, too? Your local Volkswagen dealers have also put together the Volkswagen Children’s Playcare Centre with free professional childcare and exciting activities for your little ones. For more information, visit their website here.
Edmonton Motorshow: April 4-7, 2019
You’ll always see our team checking out the Edmonton Motorshow! This is the largest auto show in western Canada, and includes more than 750 vehicles from all manufacturers. If being the first is your thing, we also encourage you to check out the Precious Metal Gala, which allows you to see the vehicles without the crowds! For more information, visit their website here.
Automotive Conference and Expo: April 10-11, 2019
The Trillium Automobile Dealer’s Association (TADA) is bringing the Automotive Conference and Expo back again this year to Niagara Falls, Ontario! If you’re looking to improve your dealership and grow your career in the automotive industry, come down to check out their lineup of speakers. For more information, visit their website here.
DrivingSales President’s Club: April 16-17, 2019
DrivingSales President’s Club is targeted at dealership owners and General Managers, with an incredibly impressive speaker lineup every year. This year, their main keynote speaker is Patrick Manzi, the Senior Economist at NADA, who will be there to discuss key economic trends in the automotive industry. For more information, visit their website here.
Calgary International Auto & Truck Show: April 17-21, 2019
The last stop on the cross-Canada auto show tour is the Calgary International Auto & Truck Show at the BMO Centre in Calgary. We’re particularly fond of their Vehicles & Violins Gala, which features musicians from the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, a preview of the auto show, and with proceeds going toward the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. For more information, visit their website here.
Western Canadian Dealer Summit: September 21-23, 2019
Look, we’re also really big fans of the Western Canadian Dealer Summit. Put on annually by the Motor Dealers’ Association of Alberta, the New Car Dealers Association of BC, and the Saskatchewan Auto Dealers Association, this event is packed with a ton of actionable information, opportunities to network, and is always held in a fantastic place. This year, we’ll be heading to Banff National Park, and we’re excited to see what we’ll learn about this year! For more information, visit their website here.
DrivingSales Canadian Dealer Forum: Fall 2019
While we don’t have a confirmed date for this one yet, we know we’ll be heading down to Calgary to check out the DrivingSales Canadian Dealer Forum this fall. DrivingSales does a great job of providing new information specific to Canadian dealerships. For more information, visit their website here.
DealerTalkX: Fall 2019
Similar to the DrivingSales Canadian Dealer Forum, Dealer TalkX has been tight-lipped about their city and date lineup for 2019. We love this event because it brings together a combination of awesome dealerships and vendors alike to talk about up-and-coming concepts in clear, actionable ways (and usually with three different city stops on their tour). For more information, visit their website here.
DrivingSales Executive Summit: October 6-9, 2019
Nobody does Las Vegas like the automotive industry. DrivingSales Executive Summit is always a team favourite at Strathcom Media, and the DrivingSales team consistently does a great job of pulling together a speaker lineup that encourages dealers to break stereotypes, share new and innovative information and strategies, and otherwise improve our industry. And did we mention it’s in Las Vegas? For more information, visit their website here.
There are always new and awesome conferences that happen each year (and as a result, we try to keep this post as up-to-date as possible), so if you think yours is fantastic, don’t hesitate to contact us to tell us why you think we should share your event as well. We’re ready to see how we can help make 2019 an incredible year in the Canadian automotive industry!
