We were off to the races this past November 13th at Texas Motor Speedway, where we held our second Impel Invitational with top influential dealers from the region and beyond (including international representation!).
The Impel Invitational is an exclusive event for select dealers hosted at premier national speedways across the country. At the Invitational, guests have the opportunity to interact with fellow dealers to network and share industry best practices. We begin the day with an educational event where attendees can learn about the newest emerging technologies that are disrupting the world of retail and how they can be applied to the automotive industry.
At last month’s event in Fort Worth, John Straw was our featured keynote speaker and disruptive technology expert. Straw is a U.K.-based technology entrepreneur with multiple successful tech start-ups and exits, published author, senior adviser to McKinsey and IBM on IoT (the Internet of Things), a regular contributor to The Economist, and more. John’s eye-opening keynote featured next-generation technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality and the metaverse, and their applications to omnichannel retail and automotive in particular.
Devin Daly, Impel (formerly SpinCar) CEO and Co-Founder, and Arthur Dessein, VP of Enterprise Sales, provided practical and powerful insights into emerging digital engagement technology with a focus on conversational AI. The pair addressed how digital technology can help solve for the industry challenges our guests knew all too well, such as how to effectively and efficiently manage increased demand in the face of inventory constraints and staffing shortages. They discussed the advantages of conversational AI platforms that can increase BDC efficiency and productivity while enhancing dealership operations by integrating with CRM and DMS systems.
And of course, our guests were able to experience the thrill of driving an authentic NASCAR stock car around the track, competing for the Impel Invitational Cup! The experience is as real as it gets, with the day including professional driving instruction with a NASCAR crew chief, timed racing sessions with no lead car and no instructor in the car, and one-on-one instruction via 2-way radio. And yes…passing was allowed! Our Invitational Cup winner reached a top lap speed of 155.7 mph, narrowly beating out the competition.
Guests were buzzing during happy hour on the Turn 1 Terrace overlooking the track as the event came to a close. It was a great time had by all with powerful insights, great networking, amazing food and drinks and friendly competition on the quad-oval course. We’re looking forward to the next Impel Invitational!
