Collision repair technology, certification and evolving repair standards will be among the topics on the agenda when the Automotive Conference & Expo (ACE) returns to Niagara Falls this fall.
Presented by the Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario (MVRO) and Consolidated Dealers, the conference will be held at Fallsview Casino Resort on Oct. 15 and 16. Organizers expect more than 750 attendees and more than 70 exhibitors representing Canada's automotive retail industry.
Collision repair programming is scheduled throughout the second day of the conference.
Stuart Klein, vice-president of collision programs and executive director of I-CAR Canada at the Automotive Industries Association of Canada, will present Collision Repair Today: Skills, Standards & Staying Competitive. The session will examine how advancing vehicle technology, increasing repair complexity and rising operating costs are reshaping repair operations.
Later that morning, Jen Jones, Canadian manager of OEC Certified Repair Network, and Dylan Richardson, director of product management for Advanced Repair Technologies, RepairLogic and EstimateIQ at OEConnection, will present Repairing the Future: OEC's Vision for a Smarter, More Connected Collision Shop. The session will examine how collision centres are adapting their operations as vehicle technology becomes more complex and repair processes become increasingly connected.
Beyond collision repair, the conference program includes presentations on vehicle valuation, artificial intelligence, dealership profitability, cybersecurity, human resources, retail strategy and automotive crime. Scheduled speakers include Shawn Vording, president of CARFAX Canada; Kimberly Nicholson, director of research at AutoTrader; Erin Richmond, chief executive officer of sMedia; David Koziel, president and chief executive officer of Northern Alarm Protection Co. Ltd.; and detectives from Peel Regional Police's Auto Crime Division.
The conference will also include a tradeshow featuring more than 70 exhibitors, networking events and an opening-night reception at Margaritaville Niagara Falls featuring the Elton John tribute act Classic Elton.
