Kananaskis, Alberta — On June 19th to the 21st, AutoCanada Collision and Hail held its Elevation 2024 Conference, where automotive industry members and guests alike joined together for informative and fun networking opportunities and knowledge sessions all centred around continuing to elevate for the future.
The event, which saw 120 exclusive guests, was held in scenic Kananaskis, Alberta, and was jam-packed with key talks from OEM partners, vendors, insurance partners, and AutoCanada Collision and Hail team members.
The Elevation Conference began at Woody’s Pub and Patio by breaking the ice with a comedy show that had everyone laughing and enjoying the first evening.
The next day featured talks and discussion panels followed by a wonderful “Thank You” dinner for AutoCanada’s OEM and insurance partners. The panels included various subjects including an EV Electrical Storm Panel, Insurance Partners Summit Exchange, OEM Riverside Discussion, and Repair Masters Fireside Chat. Two special guests included UFC Hall of Famer, Georges “Rush” St-Pierre, who captured the audience with stories about his unique life, and Steve Greenfield, Founder and CEO of Automotive Ventures, who discussed the future of automotive retail.
The second day included a round of golf at the beautiful Kananaskis Golf Course where guests were able to enjoy the amazing mountain views alongside games on the green. Finally, the evening concluded up with the annual Collision Centre awards dinner, where many of AutoCanada’s team members were honoured.
When speaking to Keven Lupien, Director of Experience and Design, along with other AutoCanada team members, they commented that overall, the event “was an amazing conference filled with incredible people.”
When asked about the main highlights of the event, the group further commented that being able to share key values and initiatives with guests was the main highlight as it helped to integrate everyone into a community mindset of goals for the future.
“Our President, Jeff Thorpe, presented the values and key initiatives which are the foundation used to elevate AutoCanada to the Summit. This was further detailed from a collision and hail perspective by our Vice President of Collision and Hail, Arthur Crawford” Lupien and team said.
For the team, other highlights of the event included the special guests, with the team collectively cheering “GSP! GSP! GSP!” for George St-Pierre.
When asked why events such as the Elevation Conference are important for the industry, Lupien and team concluded that “events like these bring together people from different parts of the industry to form stronger win-win partnerships. They provide a venue to share knowledge and discuss subjects that help move the industry forward and encourage everyone to operate with integrity. They’re also about experiencing genuine interactions with colleagues which may not be possible in day-to-day business operations.”
Check out exclusive photos from the event below as well as the names of the annual Collision Centre award winners.
Award Winners:
- Apprentice of the Year: Autobody Repair — Layden Yuskiw, Kavia Autobody
- Apprentice of the Year: Automotive Refinish — Dylon Simmons, Eastern Collision Centre
- David Savoie Continuous Improvement Award — Carrosserie Certifiée Rive-Sud
- Rookie of the Year — DCCHail
- Outstanding Performance Eastern Canada 2023 — AutoLux
- Outstanding Performance Western Canada 2023 — SMP Collision Centre
- Customer Excellence Award – Kavia Autobody
- Collision Centre of the Year 2023 — AutoLux
