Why should you stay through the end of a conference? That's not a trick question, since reasons vary as much as individual attendees.

At the upcoming Conference of Automotive Remarketing, end-timers will definitely not miss out on the benefits from a practical presentation that connects major industry changes into a coherent overview. The closing keynote on March 30 at 2:45 p.m. delves beyond the buzzwords of volatility, supply chains, vehicle pricing, and digital tools, and syncs them into a perspective on how remarketers should navigate the years ahead.

Keynote speaker David Sargent, vice president and head of connected vehicle practice at J.D. Power and Associates, presents “A Global Outlook on OEMs, Suppliers and Vehicle Markets,” moderated by CAR emcee Charlie Vogelheim.

“The auto industry has gone through some unusual years,” said Sargent, who is responsible for leveraging connected vehicle data to unlock new consumer and product insights for automakers and others. “2023 is shaping up to look very different for both the new and used vehicle markets. Who will benefit and who will lose out? We will give attendees our expectations of what to prepare for.”

Sargent outlined some of the highlights of his closing keynote:

• The return of rapid depreciation: Used vehicle values are falling quickly despite historically high new vehicle prices. How long will this continue and how fast? [Hint: a long while and fast. But why?]

• The transition to electric vehicles: How prepared is the U.S. for mass adoption of EVs? Are consumers as excited as OEMs? Will the infrastructure support it? Which markets are ripe for EVs, and which are lagging? “We will show the latest output from J.D. Power’s EV Index, a unique metric that brings all our EV knowledge together, Sargent said.

• Used EV values: Massive consumer uncertainty about new EVs is magnified in the used market. “How will consumers know whether their used EV purchase is healthy or not? J.D. Power has a solution.”

Before his current role, Sargent was vice president, Automotive Quality at J.D. Power and Associates, responsible for the company’s vehicle quality research globally, including the Initial Quality Study (IQS); Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study; and Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), as well as vehicle quality tracking studies.

He previously was the practice leader of J.D. Power’s European operations, where he established the company’s London office in 1995. Earlier, he worked in the company’s headquarters in California. Before joining J.D. Power in 1992, Sargent worked for a U.K. consulting firm, as well as for Ford of Europe and the Rover Group.

The Conference of Automotive Remarketing, held in partnership with the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance and the National Auto Auction Association, will take place March 28-30 at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, and includes a full agenda and exhibit hall spanning consignment, auction operations, industry economics and politics, auto transport, electric vehicles, digital technology, automotive recon, professional training, industry outlooks, and more.

CAR REGISTRATION HERE