As borders continue to open, and Governors ease COVID-19 restrictions across the country, the Auto Intel Summit is looking toward late summer — and reconnecting with the event’s audience of industry leaders, auto innovators — and those taking the industry into the future.
That said, Cherokee Media Group is closely following concerns, regulations and updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. And our team is aware this news is evolving daily. (For those following the impact on the auto biz, the latest industry updates can be found here covered by Auto Remarketing.)
This year, on top of implementing a layered approach to health and safety precautions for the event set for August 17-19, AIS will also be offering registration for the on-site event at one flat rate this year, as well as a virtual option, which provides access to streaming keynotes and general sessions. Both registrations include access to on-demand workshops for 30 days following the event, as well.

The site of AIS 2020, the Raleigh Crabtree Valley Marriott.
“We are taking a layered approach to attendee safety, taking into account Cherokee Media Group’s standards, the Marriott’s policies and speaker and partner best practices, as well,” said Marilu McQuilkin, Senior Director, Events & Marketing, for Cherokee Media Group. “Our ultimate goal is to help our attendees and AIS participants feel comfortable and bring peace-of-mind to attending live events again.”
Learn more about the AIS in Advance digital event in July, to add more value to your AIS experience!
Here are some of the precautions Marriott and the Cherokee Media Group will be taking to ensure the health and safety of all participants in AIS 2020:
- Frequent cleaning and sanitizing across the event venue throughout the three days, and between sessions, especially doorknobs, table tops, speaker mics, bathrooms, etc.
- Allow for social distancing best practices, including widening aisles and providing adequate space between seats during sessions and for any areas where attendees will congregate
- Provide convenient sanitization stations throughout the venue space
- Food service modifications, including providing single-serve meals, and employee manned coffee and drink stations.
- Issue best practices to attendees, including wearing masks, no shaking of hands and more logistics — prior to the event dates. Speakers and product demonstrators will also receive outlined instructions.
- Efforts to limit touch points upon event arrival and registration
- Access to information about rapid health service and medical aid
Once we get to mid-August, it’s also important for the CMG team, as well as any attendee, speaker or sponsor, to stop and do a health check, before attending the on-site event in Raleigh, N.C. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ “Check my Symptoms” tool helps you check your symptoms online and determine if you will be recommended to be tested for COVID-19.
For further COVID-19 resource links nationally and local to the AIS on-site location — Raleigh, N.C. — see below:
Stay tuned to www.autointelsummit.com for the website launch registration on the new AIS in Advance virtual event, as well as any updates on AIS 2020 set for August.
Be part of the @AutoIntelSummit 2020 conversation.
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For the Auto Intel Summit, the focus has always been on the future.
For most of us entering 2020 and a new decade in the 21st century, the concept of the “future” seems…well, very much like the present these days. Autonomous vehicles. Changing mobility structures. AI, and much more. The opportunities seem endless!
AIS will continue to move and grow with what and who is on the cusp of innovation for the automotive industry. For 2020 and the near future, according to our audience, the following key focuses are top of mind: compliance and regulations, connectivity, mobility, digital retail, predictive analytics, investing and M&A, fintech solutions and economic forecasting.
AIS will be held in April this year, 14-16, in Raleigh, N.C.! The Early bird rate — available now — saves you $400 of on-site registration!
These topics, which have been honed since launching the event in 2018 also happen to be the key focuses of AIS — and served as the overarching content themes for the agenda in 2019.
AIS itself, of course, is tied not only to those topics, but to the overarching backbone of innovation, and whatever is new and productive for the auto industry — relevant content for each new year — or decade, in this case.
Marilu McQuilkin, Sr. Director, Events & Marketing, Cherokee Media Group, had this to say about the creation — and evolution — of AIS: “The event is designed to flow with innovation in the industry — following and exploring the latest technology and initiatives pushing the collective auto business forward,” she said. “What tech is making it easier to retail vehicles? What new product is streamlining the credit and F&I process? What’s next for mobility and vehicle ownership trends? These are the types of questions we aim to answer for our attendees each year of AIS.”
Bill Zadeits, conference chair for the Auto Intel Summit, added, “One of the great things about AIS is the collaboration with industry leaders through initiatives like the Auto Intel Council (more on that here!) and our commitment to bringing together thought leaders and relevant content that highlight the latest in auto, and asks the tough questions — the ones the industry are still trying to solve.”
Where’s the auto industry headed over the next decade? If you have the answers, why not speak at AIS 2020?Â
And the 2019 AIS agenda was so well received — with the backbone of the latest in fintech and digital retailing — that the AIS team will be bringing back a few of our most well-received speakers, as well as a new onslaught of innovators and creators in the auto space this year!
Already confirmed for our 2020 April agenda are:Â
- Jim Bauman, Automotive Partnerships Lead, Uber
- Laurie Foster, Founding Partner, Foster Strategies Group
- Morgan Hansen, Senior Director, Data Science, ALGÂ
- Zarif Haque, Chief Executive Officer, DRAIVER
- Bill Liatsis, CEO, CreditIQ
- Frank Mckenna, Chief Strategist, PointPredictive
- Lonnie Miller, Principle Industry Consultant, SAS
- Daniel Parry, Chief Executive Officer, TruDecision
- John Possumato, CEO, DriveItAway Inc.
- Ryan Robinson, Global Automotive Research Leader, Deloitte
- Tarry Shebesta, CEO, TruPayments
- Mike Wall, Director, Automotive Analysis, IHS Markit
- Marguerite Watanabe, President, Connections Insights
The Call for Speakers responses are already flowing in for this year’s event, as well. And don’t wait … the Call for Speakers for AIS 2020 closes come the end of the month, Friday, Jan. 31!
Be part of the @AutoIntelSummit 2020 conversation.
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Happy New Year from the team at the Auto Intel Summit! Hopefully the holiday food coma has worn off, and the transition back to slowly checking emails and catching up on work hasn’t been too tedious.
Here’s to a joyful, prosperous year — and a new decade!
As we kick off 2020, many in the industry are busy planning their full year, their business trips and/or their often-hectic travel schedules for the spring.
Save $400 with Early Bird Registration for the Auto Intel Summit 2020.
That’s why we want to make sure AIS 2020 is on your radar— the third year of the event focused on innovation in auto, which has moved from July to April, this year.
The event will once again be held at the Crabtree Valley Marriott in Raleigh, N.C. And you can go ahead and get the event on your calendar, since Early Bird Registration is already open!
The early rate will save you a significant $400 off of on-site registration.
Respond to the AIS 2020 Call for Speakers before it closes on Jan. 31!
Last year, over 230 leaders in the auto industry gathered to discuss the latest info on AIS core topics, compliance regulations, connectivity, mobility, digital retail, predictive analytics, investing + M&A, fintech solutions and economic forecast.
Digital retailing and the latest in fintech were the overarching themes of our 2019 event, and will once again be front and center in 2020.
But we know you have a lot of industry events and agendas you’re checking out and reviewing as you work out your conference and event sched for the year.

At the Automotive Intelligence Summit, July 23-25, 2019, at the Marriott in Raleigh, NC.
As we for build out our 2020 agenda, set to be released later this winter, here are some titles from top sessions at our 2019 event to give you an idea of what to expect:
- The Next Level of Fintech: What will the Auto Industry Solve Next?
- Ensuring Compliance in a Data-Driven World
- As the Auto Fintech Landscape Evolves
- Digital Retailing: Separating the Facts from Fiction
- Necessity is the Mother of Invention – How Legacy Companies and Start-ups Change and Innovate
- How & Why CX Is Improving with Big, Streaming and Intelligent Customer Data
- Auto Dealerships & The Digital Revolution: What’s Next?
- Automotive Industry Outlook:Â Assessing Volatility, Opportunities and Risks in a Dynamic Market Environment
What will be new in 2020? Stay tuned for the latest on our 2020 event — but one thing we do know: We heard from our attendees last year, and we listened. One of the favorite sessions from our 2019 event was a star-studded dealer panel, which included Chris Vester, COO, Hubert Vester Auto Group; Erick Kirks, Marketing Director, Johnson Automotive; and Eric Flow, President of Management Services, Flow Automotive. They discussed the following: “Auto Dealerships & The Digital Revolution: What’s Next?” The panel sparked a variety of conversations, and attendees can rest assured they can find similar content and more related offerings at the 2020 event.
And if you’d rather experience the Auto Intel Summit from the stage, we are actively looking for workshop and keynote session speakers for our 2020 event. The call for speakers for AIS 2020 is open through Friday, Jan. 31! And make sure to keep an eye out for updates on early confirmed speakers.
Be part of the @AutoIntelSummit 2020 conversation.
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If you are anything like me and the team at the Auto Intelligence Summit, then you like to plan ahead. We get it. And that’s why we are launching registration for this spring’s Auto Intel Summit 2020 before the ball drops on a new year and a new decade.
Yep, that’s right — we know many of you want to get a head start on planning your year before you are toasting to the New Year!

Attendees at the Automotive Intelligence Summit, July 23-25, 2019, at the Marriott in Raleigh, NC.
Registration is open for AIS 2020, April 14-16 in Raleigh, N.C., and you early — really early — folks will be saving $100 more off Early Bird rates. This special rate to close out 2019 ends on Dec. 31, so make sure to reserve your spot before the holiday madness begins (and you forget your own name, let along what you’ll be doing in April).
Take advantage of the rate open today though the end of the year, and you save a total of $500 off on-site registration for AIS 2020.

So, what’s in store for 2020 attendees? Our Call for Speakers for AIS 2020 opened last month, and the team at AIS can’t wait to start forming next year’s agenda.
But in the meantime, here are a few notes, links and highlights to give you a taste of what Auto Intel Summit attendees will be privy to come April at the Marriott Crabtree Valley in North Carolina’s capitol city:
- A star-studded attendee list: Our public attendee list from 2019 offers an insiders look at the makeup of AIS 2020, including name, company and title of attendees, spanning the auto industry’s leading companies, OEMs, fintech startups, digital retailing front-runners and more. An exclusive, password protected version of this list is also provided to attendees post-event, including contact information to expand your networking opportunities.
- Expert speakers: Last year, AIS welcomed over 50 speakers, including leaders from legacy companies such as Deloitte and EY, as well as new innovators like digital retailing companies MotoInsight and CarNow. This year, once again, AIS will invite leaders in fintech, digital retailing, mobility, connectivity and more, to the stage in April.
- Relevant presentations, focused on key trends: Now you’ve taken a look at the type of speakers that make it to onto the AIS agenda. But do you need a taste of the content to make that big decision to register? See here for presentations from the 2019 event, covering topics like AI in auto loans and collections, mobility services, the value of data analytics, the evolution of the auto consumer and more!
- New programs designed to drive innovation: Last year, at AIS,  we launched the Emerging 8 program, implemented by AIS and sister publication the Auto Fin Journal, and designed to honor new companies that aim to improve a specific aspect or aspects of the auto-financing process through technology. The honorees are required to be in the early growth phases and making waves in the fintech industry. The 2020 group will be recognized once again at AIS 2020, and the team has other new offerings in store for attendees, as well!
Stay tuned to www.autointelsummit.com as we reveal more about the fresh offerings at AIS 2020, and look forward to kicking off a new decade of auto innovation.
Be part of the @AutoIntelSummit 2020 conversation.
#AutoIntelSummit