Dubbed as the largest MSO gathering in the industry, the 1NE CARSTAR North America Conference kicks off this week in Charlotte.
The conference takes place Aug. 23-25 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte as well as the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
More than 1,500 CARSTAR franchisees from across North America, corporate team members, vendors and industry leaders will participate in the event, according to the company.
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts in 2015 joined Charlotte-based Driven Brands and in 2016 integrated with CARSTAR Canada to become CARSTAR North America. This week’s conference will showcase the Queen City and as well as the racing environment Charlotte is known for throughout the country, the company said.
The event will open with an Aug. 23 dinner and awards presentation to recognize several of the top-performing franchisees, capped off with a special appearance by NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, courtesy of Axalta Coatings Systems, and a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
CARSTAR then will shift gears to focus on strategic planning, management and technical education sessions, panel discussions, motivational speakers and an insurance industry forum.
The guests will visit Charlotte Motor Speedway for a vendor expo and an opportunity to take some laps on the 1.5-mile speedway.
“Over the past year, CARSTAR has expanded its presence as the most dynamic company in the collision industry,” said Michael Macaluso, president of CARSTAR North America. “Our conference will reflect this with an event where store owners, business leaders, vendor partners and insurance companies come together to help build the collective industry for the future. This is the largest MSO-network event of the year, with an incredible lineup of speakers, educational events and networking opportunities exclusively for the CARSTAR storeowners. This is just one of the many resources we provide store owners in the CARSTAR family, and a powerful tool for them to help them gain the edge, grow their business and improve their operations.”
