• Industry Trends, Keynote speaker Greg Horn, PartsTrader  

• How Technology is Reshaping the Collision Industry, Keynote speaker Steve Greenfield, Automotive Ventures  

• Software-Defined Vehicles, Jeremy Carlson, S&P Global Mobility  

• Connectivity Under the Hood, Matt Harden, AT&T Connected Cars  

• OEM Perspective, Moderated by Bill Garoutte; Dan Malik, Slate; Dave Mooney, Volkswagen Group of America; and Nicholas Walker, American Honda 

• OEM Repair Procedures Panel, Moderated by Tanya Sweetland, OEC; Pat Blech, OEC; Tim Brown, ALLDATA; and Jake Rodenroth, Quality Collision Group  

• Chief Information Officer (CIO) Panel Discussion, Moderated by Kim DeVallance Caron, Enterprise Mobility; Mark Miller, Crash Champions; Casey Santos, Caliber Collision; and Creighton Warren, Boyd Group  

• Insurance Trends Panel Discussion, Teresa Candiloro, State Farm; Ray Powers, Mobilitas; and Paul Riffel, GAINSCO  

• From Data Blind Spots to Privacy-Defined Vehicles, Andrea Amico, Privacy4Cars  

• The Impact of the Changing Vehicle Fleet on Auto Safety and Insurance, Matt Moore, IIHS  

• The Dark Side of AI, Eliron Eckstein, RAVIN AI  

• Software-Defined Standards and ADAS Calibration, Nabeel Adam, Safelite; and Charlie Rich, Azimuth Claims  

• Software-Defined Vehicles, Silos and the Sector’s Infrastructure Problem, Levi Fawcett, Partly  

• Digital Part Intelligence: Tracking the Hidden Costs and Risks of Used, Reconditioned, Stolen & Faulty Automotive Parts, Mario Dimovski, Plasnomic/Plastic Repair Alliance Council 
• CIECA API Standards (CAPIS) Update, Paul Barry, CIECA 

A highlight of the conference will be a tour of the Toyota Texas manufacturing facility and Experience Center. The San Antonio facility is where Toyota manufactures Toyota Tundras and Sequoias. The event will also include a National Auto Body Council NABC Recycled Rides vehicle gifting on Sept. 30.

On Thursday, Oct. 1, a free CIECA IT Forum will take place from 1-5 p.m. The collaborative forum is for collision industry technology experts to discuss ADAS and calibration data. During the meeting, attendees will discuss business use cases, who needs the data, who inputs it, and where it is stored. Time will also be spent reviewing CIECA BMS data and identifying new data needed. To RSVP, email Paulette Reed, CIECA’s technical project manager. 

Other Industry events held during the week include: 

• NACE/CARS Conference: The Automotive Service Association will hold the NACE/CARS Conference for the independent automotive service and collision repair industry. Reimagined for today’s rapidly evolving marketplace, the rebooted conference will bring together industry leaders, innovators, educators, manufacturers and independent shop owners from across North America for a one-day, fast-paced, interactive learning and networking experience. 

• WIN Meet-Up: The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) invites professionals to attend an hour of networking and connection while learning more about WIN and its mission. Guests are encouraged to bring a colleague who is not currently a WIN member. The event will be held on Tuesday, September 29, from 4-5 p.m. CT, at the Hilton Palacio del Rio in San Antonio, Texas. 

Sponsors for CONNEX 2026 include: 

• Diamond: IAA and OEC  

• Platinum: I-CAR and Partly 

• Gold: CCC Intelligent Solutions, Enterprise Mobility, Nexsyis Collision, and Solera 

• Silver: Comsearch, Integrated CarPartPro.com, LKQ, Mitchell, an Enlyte company, Plasnomic, Revv, Safelite, TenPoint Complete, and VSSTA 

To register for the conference, click here.