Drive Innovation & Accelerate Growth

The future of automotive retail starts at AUTOVATE 2026.
Scottsdale, AZ | September 30 – October 1, 2026

Thank you to everyone that joined us for the 10th annual AUTOVATE! Below is the full agenda from September 30 – October 1, 2026, at the Caesars Republic Hotel in Scottsdale. Stay tuned for AUTOVATE 2027 details.

Agenda

September 30, 2026
2:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Registration Reception
Hotel Lobby Area
3:45 PM – 4:15 PM
Welcome & Overview: Five Questions That Will Define Automotive Retail by 2031
Cliff Banks, Founder, AUTOVATE & The Banks Report – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)
4:15PM – 4:45 PM

The Affordability Equation: Financing the Customer, the Car, & the Next Era of Automotive Retail

Mary Leigh Phillips, CEO, Drivetime & Bridgecrest;
Marguerite Watanabe, President, Connections Insights;
Rich Hyde, Senior Managing Director & Auto COO, OneMain Financial;
Evan Baker, Chief Risk Officer, Capital One – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

4:45 PM – 5:15 PM

The Dealer Playbook: Protecting Profitability While Reinventing the Customer Experience
Roger Holler III, is President and CEO, of the Holler-Classic Family of Dealerships

5:15 PM – 6:00 PM

The Competitive Edge: What Automotive Leaders Can Learn from Elite Golf
Sean Foley, Founder, Sean Foley Performance & Elite Swing Coach – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

6:15 PM – 9:30 PM

Sunset Dinner on the Veranda: Celebrating a Decade of Dealmaking at AUTOVATE (and Purpose in Motion – Vehicle Giveaway with Vehicles for Change; NADA, The Asbury Automotive Group) 
Caesars Republic Veranda (8th Floor)

9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Term Sheet Nightcap
The Library in Wolf at Caesars (7th Floor)
October 1, 2026

7:00 AM – 8:45 AM

Capital Grind Breakfast
Luna by Giada Bar (First Floor)

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM

Day Two Welcome
Cliff Banks, Founder, AUTOVATE & The Banks Report – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

China: Early Lessons from Canada
Niel Hiscox, CEO, Clarify Group America; Publisher, Canadian Auto Dealer – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

The AI Valuation Test: Where Smart Money Is Actually Going in 2027
Eric Denlinger, Group Head, Vertical Software, Data & Analytics, TD Securities;
Daniel Raglan, Partner, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader;
Ron Frey, Automotive Strategist, M&A Advisor, Investor – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

The Rules Are Moving: Trade, Industry Threats & Regulatory Challenges
Dan Ingber, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, NADA – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM

Deal Flow Break

Adjacent to Romulus Ballroom

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM

Buy, Build, or Partner? The Strategic Decisions Reshaping Automotive Technology
Sidney Haider,Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions, Reynolds and Reynolds;
Brian Donnelly, Director, Autotech Ventures – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

11:15 AM – 11:45 AM

The C-Suite’s AI Moment: Strategy, Scale and the Stakes of Standing Still

Alexi Venneri, Co-founder & CEO, DAS Technology
Dan Aston, Senior Vice President, Engineering, DAS Technology – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

The Connected Retail Enterprise: Turning Automotive Data Into Action
Gary Watkins, Vertical CTO, U.S. Auto & Manufacturing, Amazon Web Services – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

12:15 PM – 1:30 PM

Market Movers Luncheon

Luna by Giada (First Floor)

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

The Carvana Question: What Digital Retail Means for Franchise Value and Dealer Consolidation
Don Reese, Partner, Franchise Equity Partners;
James “JT” Taylor, Managing Partner, Accrual Equity Partners
Scott Gruwell, President and CEO, Courtesy Automotive Group – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
The DMS Is Not Standing Still: Reynolds’ Next Chapter in AI, Data & Dealer Performance
Chris Walsh, President & Acting CEO, Reynolds and Reynolds – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Proof, Trust, and Profit: The New Fixed-Ops Playbook

Joe Shaker, CEO, TruVideo – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

AI Agents in the Dealership: What Is Real, What Is Hype, and What Produces ROI?

Tim Hayden, CEO & Managing Partner, Brain Trust Partners;
Anthony Monteiro, CEO, AutoAcquire AI – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM

Deal Flow Break

Adjacent to Romulus Ballroom

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM

Financing the Next Vehicle Economy: EVs, AVs, Robots & Affordability

Jenn Reid, Managing Director, Head of the EV Portfolio, JPMorgan Chase – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Capital in the Crosshairs: Where Investors See Value—and Risk—in Automotive

Bill Cariss, Executive Vice President, Holman Strategic Ventures;
Robert Burnett, Managing Partner, 1876 Partners – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

4:30 PM – 5:15 PM

The AI Operator: Practical Automation, Real ROI, and the Enterprise of Tomorrow

Kevin Surace, AI Futurist & Leader, Appvance.ai – Romulus Ballroom (First Floor)

5:15 PM – 7:00 PM

Sunset Sips At DAS HQ
DAS Technology Office
6900 E Camelback Rd Ste 1100 Penthouse, Scottsdale, AZ

9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

The Final Toast

The Library in Wolf at Caesars (7th Floor)