The 2022 Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) Summit has moved online for the second consecutive year.
The association that represents more than 3,200 new car and truck dealers across Canada opened registrations for the Feb. 16 event earlier this month, while shifting the event fully online from the hybrid in-person and online model originally planned.
As with the cancellation of the Canadian International AutoShow in December, CADA pointed to the reintroduction of capacity limits on venues in Ontario as the cause of the adjustment.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 and rising case counts brought the 2022 consumer auto show circuit to an abrupt halt across Canada Dec. 16. The fast-spreading variant also partially upended CES in Las Vegas this month, prompting a range of automakers and parts suppliers to cancel in-person displays and the show itself to end a day early.
CADA said plans had been “well underway” to return to an in-person summit this February, but health and safety needed to take priority. The event was also held exclusively online last year.
The 2022 summit will run from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 16.
A considerable portion of the afternoon will focus on the shift to zero emission vehicles and how Canada’s dealers can adapt to the new landscape. Speakers will also explore global changes in dealer and automaker relationships and economic trends affecting the Canadian auto industry in 2022.
