Canada. Land of Canuks, mickeys, double doubles and a 25-piece patio set (IYKYK). It’s also the home of one of the continent’s finest industry events, Canada’s Used Car Week (CUCW). Held in Toronto, this year’s conference will take place June 25-27.

Canada’s Used Car Week, hosted by Cherokee Media Group (CMG), is really a combination of two tremendous events. The first, Auto Remarketing Canada, is known for delivering highly curated and relevant content for the used-car industry, with an emphasis on retail, remarketing, fleet and auto finance. The second, Women and Automotive (W&A), is a must-attend event with important leadership and development content for women — and the men they work with.

The best part about both events is the recognition that occurs at the Auto Remarketing Canada Under 40 Luncheon and the Women in Automotive Profiles in Leadership Luncheon.

The host city, Toronto, is ideal for this affair. As one of the premier industry networking events in Canada, CUCW benefits from Toronto’s rich and diverse community as well as offering an easy destination for almost any Canadian (and American) to reach.

As a summer tourist in Toronto a few years back, I can vouch for the fact that CUCW can easily lead into a fabulous family holiday.

The primary reason to attend CUCW is the value it provides to every attendee. It’s not easy or cheap for dealers (or vendors) to send their leaders for a week away from their daily responsibilities.

But, CMG makes it worth their while through high-quality learning, networking opportunities, and award recognition.

Educational value

With an all-star cast on the speaking agenda, it’s almost impossible not to learn at CUCW. The agenda delivers performance and industry trends from the likes of Kim Fletcher, who is senior vice president at Tricor Automotive Group, and Baris Akyurek, who is vice president of insights and intelligence at AutoTrader.ca.

And the high-caliber agenda goes on for three days.

Jake Stacy, executive vice president sales and training for LGM Financial Services, considers CUCW to be among the very best as a result of the programming.

“The content and session format are well curated. The topics are relevant and modern, and the speakers are talented. It’s the best version of peer learning that you can find,” Stacy said.

From AI to arbitrage, the topics cover all of the important industry trends. Personally, I want to go just to see Megan Mahon, head of sales enablement at Premier Truck Rental (PTR), deliver her “Find Your Fight Song” on June 27.

Networking value

Aside from sitting in learning sessions and soaking up knowledge while rubbing shoulders with peers, CMG has programmed specific networking time. Because this is such a high-profile event, high-ranking leaders are present. They come to learn, see old friends, and establish new contacts.

According to Michael Buckingham, managing director of automotive finance for J.D. Power, “this show is as much to meet other vendors as it is to meet dealers. It attracts people from all over the country — and from the United States. Everyone leaves with a better perspective on trends impacting our market.”

Likewise, Laurie Foster, president and founding member of Foster Strategies Group, notes “there is real value in the combined Canadian and American attendance. Even though our countries are neighbors, our industry experiences can be different. And there is value in learning about those differences.”

The value of recognition

Headlined in the combined Auto Remarketing and W&A events are two award luncheons.

CMG creates visibility for rising stars and exceptional female leaders in the industry. All of the award candidates are peer-nominated, and tremendous rigor is used to evaluate — and celebrate — the winners. According to one CUCW attendee, she goes solely to participate in these award luncheons because she gets to meet “the future of the industry.”

The first awards ceremony occurs during the Canadian Under 40 luncheon. The awardees are individuals who have demonstrated exceptional innovation and leadership. It’s a big deal. The ceremony allows these young-ish people to develop their own professional network with more experienced leaders. These are the next generation of leaders for our industry. You should get to know them.

The second event is designed to acknowledge the contributions by women in the industry.

According to Kathy Gilbert, senior director, minority dealer and women in retail at CDK, “The recognition allows people to see excellence in action. CMG takes the time to share what these leaders have accomplished and why they are being recognized. There is genuine enthusiasm in the room to celebrate their accomplishments.”

Who attends?

Vendors send a wide variety — from CEOs to sales managers. And dealerships typically send GMs, fixed ops directors, and sales managers.

Financial leaders, including dealership owners, are present as well. The 2023 attendance is listed on the CUCW website.

If you’re familiar with industry events, it’s very uncommon for events to post their attendee lists so publicly. To me, this speaks volumes about the quality of the event — and the people who put it on.

How to make the most of CUCW?

Because it is such a well-organized event with a unique content focus, it has become an industry standard in Canada. Attendees who come prepared to engage and learn will leave with new contacts, new insights, and likely, new business.

Foster recommends that businesses send their senior management team members. She says, “These are high-level conversations designed for high-level leaders.” She also offers these three suggestions:

—Go to this event to listen and learn.

—Pay attention to ideas and trends that haven’t hit your side of the border yet.

—Look for ways that others are solving their problems so that you can deploy those ideas when you return to your business.

Interested in attending the premier Canadian automotive event of the year?  You can learn more online at https://canada.usedcarweek.biz.

About the author: Jennifer Sanford is an experienced SaaS marketing leader passionate about the retail automotive experience. Jennifer is the founder of Sanford Marketing Group, an agency specializing in B2B marketing strategy and project management.