CARSTAR Canada announced it will host their annual industry conference in historic Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island from August 24-26.

Themed “1,” this year’s conference will focus on the continued unification of CARSTAR Canada and U.S. into CARSTAR North America and the continued commitment to its brand, its business and its people.

“We are 1 CARSTAR. We have 1 vision, 1 mission and 1 core set of values,” said Michael Macaluso, president, CARSTAR North America. “This is year 1 for CARSTAR, as we are venturing into a new beginning and a new journey, built upon the same culture of excellence and fighting spirit. For CARSTAR, it is not only about being No. 1 in our industry; it is about being a part of 1 community, having 1 united focus, and driving forward as 1 CARSTAR family.”

The conference will kick off on August 24th with CARSTAR’s annual Walk to Support Cystic Fibrosis Canada and then drive forward into a full schedule of influential speakers, expert break-out sessions, intriguing panel discussions and an informative vendor expo.

CARSTAR has recruited a few of the industry’s most knowledgeable speakers including:

• Dr. Nick Bontis – As one of the world’s leading experts on intellectual capital and its impact on performance, Bontis has recently been named as one of the Top 30 Management Gurus worldwide. He helps organizations leverage their most important intangible asset for sustainable competitive advantage.
• Jay Papasan – Best-selling author and co-owner, alongside his wife Wendy, of Papasan Properties Group with Keller Williams Realty in Austin, Texas. His most recent work with Gary Keller on The ONE Thing has garnered more than 250 appearances on the national bestseller lists including No. 1 on The Wall Street Journal bestseller list.
• Etienne Berlinguet – Berlinguet joined Intact in 2007, working in the Broker Financial Solutions team and in Corporate Strategic Planning, coordinating the annual action plan and working on various M&A opportunities. He was named to the position of vice president, Finance Operations for IT and Claims in 2012 and in January 2015 was appointed deputy senior vice president, Corporate Claims, where he overviews claims finance, procurement, data analytics team, claims IT systems and supply-chain initiatives.

To top it off, on Friday evening, a premiere gala dinner and awards ceremony will celebrate the best of CARSTAR and feature a “roaring twenties” theme where decadence and elegance are on the menu.

“We are confident that, once again, our annual conference will excite and educate our franchise partners and provide them with the tools, resources and contacts to grow their business and improve their operations,” said Macaluso. “This is our largest network event of the year and is sure to be a show-stopper.”