Organized by Kijiji, the DealerTalkX tour finished up in Toronto (Nov. 16) after stops in Montreal (Sept. 21) and Calgary (Oct. 17).

Dealers, analysts, industry experts, and media gathered in Toronto on November 16, for the fifth annual DealerTalkX conference. Themed “Dealership of the Future,” this year’s conference was designed to inspire and educate Canadian automotive professionals, and offer insights on the latest sales and marketing trends.

Keynote Speaker Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the world’s most sought-after marketing experts shared his expertise on digital media, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Vaynerchuk is a venture capitalist who rose to prominence in the late 90s after establishing one of the first e-commerce wine sites called Winelibrary, helping his father grow the family business from $4 to $60 million in sales.

“Today, everything happens on your phone,” explains Vaynerchuk. “We are trading in attention now and it’s getting more fragmented every day. In another 10 years, things will change so much you will wish for the days when people were glued to their phones.”

Vaynerchuck went on to shock and awe his audience with his business predictions that include the demise of big box stores including Walmart, and he even questioned the future of large auto dealerships.

Following the keynote speech, four business speakers led seminars in the Sales & Marketing stream. Business strategist, Martin Latulippe advised attendees on how to understand and manage constant change and successfully capitalize on new opportunities. Auto Expert Emma Hancock discussed the customer of the future.  Kevin Gordon, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Convertus, outlined how to maximize your digital marketing efforts by leveraging attribution and tactical online advertising strategies.

To wrap up, Devin Daly, CEO of SpinCar discussed effective vehicle merchandising technique to move more metal. Starting with an overview of the evolving online landscape, Daly discussed several factors to bear in mind when making digital decisions, while also highlighting dealerships from around the globe that are pushing the envelope with online showrooms.

A complete report on DealerTalkX, with overviews of the presentations, will be coming soon in AutoJournal.