The dramatic decline of the COVID-19 pandemic coincides with a last-days upswing in registrations for the Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR) that will be held June 15-17 during the first comeback month for Las Vegas.

Registrations so far are expected to top out over 300 for the three-day event at Caesar’s Las Vegas in a reassuring sign that more remarketing industry members than expected are signing up and booking travel. The more people register, the more the event returns to normal.

Sessions at this year’s CAR — the first in-person conference and trade show to be hosted and produced by owner Bobit Business Media since February 2020 — will be livestreamed as well, providing a digital option for industry members who prefer the online convenience.

As usual for the longstanding conference, CAR 2021 launches with an opening reception at 5:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday, June 15 where remarketing professionals can reunite and reacquaint in person after a long hiatus, during which CAR 2020 had to be canceled because of pandemic lockdowns.

Wednesday kicks off with a programming block from the International Automotive Remarketing Alliance (IARA), which will include opening remarks, a consignor members event, awards and testimonials from graduates of IARA’s Certified Automotive Remarketer’s (CAR) program for auction professionals and how it helped advance their careers. CAR program details here.

The official start of the Conference of Automotive Remarketing at 1:20 p.m. PT, in the Julius Ballroom, features remarks from top executives of Bobit Business Media and the conference hosts. The following keynote from Venkat Krishnamoorthy, CEO & President of Auto Auction Services Corporation (AASC), will delve into the three pillars of the roadmap to success — how to be an employer of choice, a provider of choice, and an investment of choice.

At 2:30 p.m., Peter Kelly, CEO of KAR Global, will explore what tech, data and retail trends and consumer expectations will mean for the future of remarketing and wholesale used vehicle marketplaces.

Among other CAR highlights:

• A main session, Remarketing Trends in a Post-COVID Resale Market, will pose the question: In the coming years, how might the consigned vehicle inventory mix evolve as more EVs and fewer sedans enter the wholesale market? This session, which runs 3:30 p.m. PT to 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16, will be led by Douglas Campbell, vice president remarketing, Americas, for the Avis Budget Group.

• In a Thursday keynote at 9:30 a.m. PT, Jennifer Costabile, the general director of marketing, sales, operations and used vehicle activities for General Motors, will examine how EVs will change the mix of vehicles that GM remarkets at auction and what auctions and used-vehicle remarketers can do to better position themselves to leverage the growing market of used EVs to their benefit. Details on Douglas Campbell and Jennifer Costabile presentations here.

• Auction Edge will host a session on Thursday, June 17 at 2 p.m. PT, “Gaining Ground Against the Odds,” where attendees will learn about auctions that managed their businesses in a way that enabled them to thrive in 2020. What did they do that set them apart? Session details here.

• Graduates from the Auction Academy will share the next generation vision for the industry's future and how their learning at the academy helped enhance essential skillsets, promote best practices, and yield better auction performance. The session will be held Thursday, June 17 at 4 p.m. PT.