The 11th Annual CARSTAR Industry Conference took place at the Delta Centre-Ville Hotel in Montreal, QC.

Dave Lush, chief operating Officer of CARSTAR Automotive Canada, opened the conference by discussing the evolution of the industry. He highlighted the strategies, tactics, and business plans in place to ensure CARSTAR has continued success.

Sam Mercanti, president & CEO of CARSTAR Automotive Canada, provided his “State of CARSTAR” address to an eager audience. Mercanti provided a review of the company’s past successes, and gave an update on the transition processes at the strategic management level.

The conference’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. John Izzo on Thursday morning. The topic was the importance of engaging CARSTAR employees in the network’s success. Dr. Izzo also acted as facilitator for the Insurance Roundtable Panel Session. The roundtable provided a platform for innovative ideas to be shared openly, helping key industry stakeholders understand crucial matters that need to be addressed cooperatively. 
 

ARSTAR’s Business Partners Expo & Lunch was one of the highlights at this year’s event. The lunch allowed attendees to meet with many of CARSTAR’s preferred vendors and insurance partners, and also gave people a chance to investigate new products and provide feedback.

On the final evening attendees dined at The Bonsecours Market. Opened in 1847, the market has been lauded as one of the ten major achievements in the history of Canadian architecture, and has recently been completely renovated. This makes it a fitting venue for the final night of the conference given that evolutionary business practices was the theme that remained an integral part of the various presentations.

For more photos from the CARSTAR conference, please visit www.collisionrepairmag.com.