Digital Dealer Conference & Expo 2026 is finally here! We’ve got a full day of insightful sessions, real networking and solutions you can put to work back home. The event kicks off with the Car Dealership Guy/800% Elite Auto Keynote with Sam D’Arc and Glenn Lundy.
Attendees will feel CDG’s influence throughout the show with D’Arc also hosting the Car Dealership Guy’s Daily Dealer Live Show right from the expo hall floor, and Yossi Levi and Steven Greenfield hosting the Car Dealership Guy Dealer Breakfast, Sponsored by Podium & The Shop on Wednesday morning!
Here’s what’s what else is awaiting attendees at Huntington Place:
- Dealer-led sessions with no product pitches, just real strategies from practitioners running dealerships like yours
- 60-minute Learning Labs where you build AI workflows before you leave the room
- 100+ exhibitors across marketing, AI, digital retail, CRM and fixed ops
- Structured networking that connects you with peers facing the same press
Here’s how to make the most of it.
Today’s Agenda
- 7:30 AM | Badge Pickup & Registration. Get your badge and grab a coffee before the crowd.
- 8:15 to 9:15 AM | Networking Breakfast. Meet peers facing the same market pressures you are.
- 9:15 to 10:00 AM | Car Dealership Guy / 800% Elite Auto Opening Keynote. Set the tone for your two days.
- 10:10 AM to 12:30 PM | DealerTech Live Sessions. Practical strategies from people running dealerships like yours.
- 12:30 to 1:30 PM | Networking Lunch. Keep the conversations going
- 5:30 to 8:00 PM | Digital Dealer Bar Crawl. Close out Day 1 with the connections that matter.
Innovative Expo Hall
More than 100 exhibitors covering AI, digital retail, CRM, service lane technology, marketing and advertising, and data analytics will be on the floor. You’ll talk directly to the people building these tools, ask the hard questions, and see live demos of platforms already deployed at comparable stores.
A few things worth knowing:
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Dedicated expo hours give you real time to evaluate, not just walk past booths.
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This is the best place to benchmark what you’re paying against what’s available.
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Your peers are shopping the same floor. The conversations between dealers in the aisles are often as valuable as the demos themselves.
Digital Dealer Bar Crawl
New this year is the Digital Dealer Bar Crawl! Enjoy our incredible venue of Detroit with real conversations and no agenda. Join fellow dealership leaders and solution providers for a self-guided tour through four of Detroit’s iconic bars. Trade what’s working, talk through what isn’t and build relationships that outlast the show floor. The bar crawl is free for all attendees and exhibitors.
Build Your Day in the App
The #DDCE2026 app is your event companion. Download it once and you can:
- Match with the right people using AI-powered matchmaking.
- Navigate fast with the exhibitor list and floorplan.
- Build your schedule so you never miss a session.
- Manage your meetings under “My Schedule” or “My Meeting Invites,” where you can view pending requests, see who sent them, and accept in a tap.
New to the app? Watch the quick tips video, then download with the QR code or link below.
Check Out the Entire Schedule Line Up
Make sure to check out our list of expert speakers and sessions and add them to your schedule in the mobile app so you don’t miss a thing!