Annual conference and expo continues to grow in scope, while remaining true to the values that have defined it as a major annual event for dealers.

On October 15 and 16, the Automotive Conference & Expo (ACE) returns once again to the Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This event, which began more than a decade ago as Ontario Dealer Day, has grown to become a highlight on the automotive retail calendar each year.

When we originally set out to create this event, the objective was to provide a specific Canadian trade show for dealers, since previously, if you wanted access to the latest equipment, tools and solutions, most of the time, the only place to find it was at one of the big trade shows in the U.S. While we recognized that many would travel to the U.S. for events where they could attend a trade show and get real, relevant learning at the same time—travel logistics frequently limits the number of people from organizations who can attend due to time and cost. Additionally, not all the learning you receive at these events is applicable to local regulations, particularly given the differences in dealer operations between Canada and the U.S.

Local access
Ontario Dealer Day began as a partnership between MVRO (TADA as it was known then) and Consolidated Dealers Co-Operative (Co-Auto). Tom Langton, President of Co-Auto at the time) and myself wanted to give dealers more access to the vendors operating right here in Canada and that’s essentially how it all began. Since then, the automotive landscape and the event has evolved, morphing to incorporate an increasing number of general content and workshop sessions relevant to the target audience.  Today, ACE combines an expansive, dealer-focused trade show, with high quality, Canadian driven and focused content sessions that comply with regulatory guidelines and focus specifically on business regulations here at home.

Each year, we pick content that is the most relevant to market conditions and can be practically applied. From the outset, we’ve had strict conditions in that sponsors cannot buy their way onto the stage and all content is vetted in advance to ensure it addresses business needs and isn’t focused on selling a brand or product.

We’ve also committed to having only the best-in-class when it comes to speakers and entertainment. MVRO prides itself on delivering first-class events and we have consistently committed to not wavering from this. As a result, we’ve been fortunate enough to attract some very high profile names to this event over the years including Chris Hatfield, Peter Mansbridge, Rick Hansen, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Kim Mitchell, Dwayne Gretzky Band, Tom Cochrane, Honeymoon Suite, Mark Messier, Curtis Joseph, Wendel Clark and Rachel Homan.

TACE 2026 will continue to build upon the core values that have established the event as the premier go-to dealer conference and trade show in Canada. – Todd Bourgon, CEO and Executive Director, MVRO

True partnerships
Additionally, feedback from attendees has demonstrably shown that the all-inclusive pricing and the combination of keynote sessions and workshops on day two of the conference are highly appreciated. It takes true partnerships and a long-term approach to build an event like ACE. It’s simply not possible to run something of this size and scope on one-year commitments as the financial risk is too high if the support changes last minute. We are very fortunate to have a dedicated team that understands the needs of dealers, when it comes to sourcing relevant content and finding the right people to deliver it, as  well as great partners and sponsors who understand this and have committed to us year after year.

ACE 2026 will continue to build upon the core values that have established the event as the premier go-to dealer conference and trade show in Canada—one that continues to grow every year. At MVRO, our objective [as a non-profit association] is to serve the interests of our members, and we feel that ACE represents a strong example of that—a conference where the emphasis is on quality content, networking and business opportunities, not sales pitches conceived for a profit line that benefits third parties. As we count down the days to ACE 2026, we look forward to sharing more updates regarding the event and of course, seeing you there on October 15-16.