Last week was a hectic one for many, as companies, event teams, sports franchises, universities and many more kept tabs on the latest developments and risks associated with COVID-19 — and made the necessary arrangements.
Cherokee Media Group, parent company of the Auto Intel Summit, responded to guidance from local and federal health experts, as well as other event teams about the heightening risk associated with the Coronavirus. As a result, we have decided to reschedule the Automotive Intelligence Summit to late this summer — August 17-19.

The safety of our speakers, attendees, team — and all who make an event like AIS successful — is of utmost importance to Cherokee Media Group.
As reported by Auto Remarketing, the event will still be help in the North Carolina capital, Raleigh — which is also beautiful in the late summer (and just a couple hours from the beach, if you can make time for a quick getaway after the event!) — it will just be shifting from the original timeframe of April 14-16 to later in the year.
Additional industry events making recent date modifications in light of health concerns included organizers of the Conference of Automotive Remarketing postponing the 2020 CAR Conference, originally scheduled for later this month in Las Vegas, and the American Recovery Association moving the North American Repossessors Summit to the beginning of October.
All registrations, sponsorships and speakers for the Automotive Intelligence Summit will convey the new dates of Aug. 17-19. In the case of any scheduling conflicts, Cherokee Media Group will work diligently with impacted individuals and companies to smooth challenges as much as possible.
All AIS hotel reservations made within the original Auto Intel Summit block will be automatically canceled. If you had a reservation, no need to call to cancel. We will be in touch shortly with a new link for reservations for August, with our original room rate.
See below for insight from Cherokee Media Group president Bill Zadeits and Marilu McQuilkin, Cherokee Media Group’s senior director of marketing and events, on the company’s methodology for making the move, plans — and ‘pledges’ — for AIS 2020:
“I’d like to state clearly that the we are taking concerns about COVID-19 (commonly known as Coronavirus) very seriously,” Zadeits said. “The health and safety of our clients and their families, as well as our team and their families, is our top priority.

Bill Zadeits, Chair, Auto Intelligence Summit; President, Cherokee Media Group
“Our team is closely following the CDC’s official Interim Guidance for Event Planners and the PCMA’s (Professional Convention Management Association) COVID-19 resource page for the most accurate, relevant and updated information and will be making the necessary and appropriate changes for our event to ensure a safe and successful meeting for all of us,” he went on to say.
“Our team possessing more than a dozen years of wide-ranging experience ensures that we can navigate extreme challenges when hosting our industry-leading events,” said McQuilkin. “Our pledge is to orchestrate the Automotive Intelligence Summit with the same excellence the industry has come to know with our other events, including Auto Remarketing Canada, Women & Automotive and Used Car Week.”
Zadeits said, “We are excited about the great speaker lineup and energy that is building around this event, the new business opportunities, the new people we’ll meet and the new things we will all learn.”
For the latest information about the Automotive Intelligence Summit, stay tuned to www.autointelsummit and autoremarketing.com.
Nick Zulovich, Senior Editor, Cherokee Media Group, contributed to this report.
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?
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:
- Jim Bauman, Automotive Partnerships Lead, Uber
- Laurie Foster, Founding Partner, Foster Strategies Group
- Morgan Hansen, Senior Director, Data Science, ALG
- 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.
#AutoIntelSummit
Alright, it’s off to a great start — we’re all still pumped about the new year! (We hope so; if not, cmon, folks, it’s only been six days!). But even if your New Year’s resolution only lasts about a week into 2020, we won’t judge you.
The AIS 2020 Call for Speakers Closes on Friday, January 31st!
The team at the Auto Intel Summit is much more interested in where you are putting your time and energy when it comes to your career — and whether you may have a pulse on the next big thing for 2020 in auto.
Why? Well, the AIS 2020 call for speakers is open until the end of the month! And we want to make sure we once again find the brightest and best minds for this year’s event — those sitting on the boards, and leading the companies on the cusp of innovation for fintech and digital retailing.
These two topics will serve as the backbone of the upcoming 2020 event, scheduled this year for April 14-16 at the Crabtree Valley Marriott in Raleigh, N.C. — an event that is designed to explore what’s next for the automotive industry.
This year in particular, has the opportunity to take a look at the future of these topics and more, such as compliance and regulations, connectivity, mobility, and predictive analytics, as we enter a brand new decade of the 21st century.

At the 2018 Automotive Intelligence Summit July 24-26 in Raleigh, NC.
What will the next 10 years look like for the automotive industry? You tell us, by responding to the AIS call for speakers 2020 today.
Still not sure if you fit the bill for AIS 2020, or need some ideas on potential hot topics?
Check out just a few headlines below from Cherokee Media Group editors, and content from analysts and leaders from across the industry that explores some of the latest in auto tech & trends:
The AIS 2020 Early Bird Registration rate is available through March 1!
See here to review some of the top presentations from AIS 2019. Then, if you’re ready to put your name in the ring for 2020, see here!
Be part of the @AutoIntelSummit 2020 conversation.
#AutoIntelSummit
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: 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.
#AutoIntelSummit
What do the next 10 years mean for the automotive industry — and for the evolving fintech leaders and experts on the edge of digital retail? The industry has a whole new frontier ahead of it, and we are all on the cusp of further innovation in auto.

The 2018 Automotive Intelligence Summit July 24-26 in Raleigh, NC.
The Auto Intel Summit is designed to bring together visionaries and their insights to help the auto industry answer the most pressing questions about its future.
Do you have answers, insights or strategies to share with our audience of auto leaders on the next horizon of automotive, this April 14-16 in Raleigh, N.C.?
If so, make sure to respond to the AIS 2020 Call for Speakers today, which just opened this morning!
AIS gives you the opportunity to meet and connect with the intellectual capital that is critical to providing innovative solutions for the industry today and for decades to come.
If your expertise broaches compliance and regulations, connectivity, mobility, digital retail, predictive analytics, investing and M&A, fintech solutions, or economic forecasting, then the 2020 Auto Intelligence Summit is the right event for you.
The event, previously held in July, is moving to April in 2020. So you can kick the first year off of the new decade this spring with a deep look at what’s next for automotive, and how you can stay up to speed — and remain competitive.
Enter your idea for AIS 2020! The Call for Speakers closes Monday, Jan. 31.
We received a large number of responses to the 2019 AIS Call for Speakers, so make sure to get your name in the running early!
What is the next horizon of fintech tools? Where should you focus your cybersecurity efforts? Do you want to separate the facts from fiction when it comes to digital retailing? Or perhaps you want to explore what’s turning the dial in auto with other industry peers? This is what the Auto Intel Summit is set up to do — to create an environment ripe for strategizing, innovation and meaningful discussion.
Need a sampling of what was top of mind at 2019 AIS before submitting your proposal? Check out the recording’s of some of last year’s top sessions.
AIS 2019 speakers included the following industry expert speakers, among many more:
- Dinesh Chopra, Ally
- Tim Cox, CarNow
- Eric Flow, Flow Automotive Companies
- Alex Fraser, Cox Automotive, PIVET
- Bob Glaser, NCADA
- Nathan Hecht, Honcker
- Lonnie Miller, SAS
- Joe Oliveri, KAR Global
- Mark Olson, PNC Bank
- Ryan Robinson, Deloitte
- Andrew Tai, MotoInsite
- Mike Wall, IHS Markit
- Jeremiah Wheeler, DRN
Be part of the @AutoIntelSummit 2020 conversation.
#AutoIntelSummit