Sept. 29, 2026
Hilton Palacio del Rio along the Riverwalk
San Antonio, TX
2026 Sessions Highlights
Opening Panel Session
State of the Auto Collision and Repair Industry
Subject Matter experts discuss how changes in insurance negotiations, AI and other top topics
- Kristen Felder - Collision Hub - Felder is an author, educator, claims strategist and nationally recognized authority on the intersection of automotive insurance claims, collision repair, consumer behavior and professional decision-making.
- Robert Redding, Automotive Service Association’s Washington, D.C., representative. Redding is a member of several federal and state advisory committees involved in the automotive industry.
- Plus, Key Shop owners
Keynote after lunch
AI Under the Hood: Understanding and Using AI as a Business Force Multiplier
AI keynote address following lunch at 1 p.m. and then doing a deep dive breakout session following your session in the afternoon.
John Wilson, CBL Training and Consulting
John established the CBLTAC in 2004 with a commitment to delivering top-tier training in bio-psychology/human dynamics related topics, communication, de-escalation, crisis intervention, safety, and personal development.
Breakout Session – Hosted by 3M special guest speaker
Jason Scharton, 3M special guest speaker - Scharton will drive deep meaningful interactions through developed collision industry relationships and thought leadership, advocating the elevation of Industry Standards and Practices, while representing 3M through participation in this session.
Breakout session – Hosted by Hunter Engineering
Loren Stowe, VTTI (The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute) - The session will focus on - an overview of the ADAS (and ADS) regulatory process including the motivations (e.g., safety issue, congressional mandate, etc.) and the necessary research to support any changes. This overview will lead into VTTI’s activity and knowledge around upcoming legislation and how that may impact the audience and will conclude with how interested stakeholders could be involved in the process."
(The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) mission is to advance transportation, moving research to reality. As one of eight premier research institutes created by Virginia Tech to answer national challenges, VTTI is continually advancing transportation through innovation and has affected public policy on national and international levels.) Stowe is a VTTI researcher doing government and OEM projects with a current focus on ADAS and ADS sensors (performance degradation, and impact of calibrations).
Breakout session
Nicholas Walker is the Wholesale Marketing Manager for American Honda, leading wholesale sales strategy, technical field support, collision repair network development, and body shop certification programs across a 10-state region. With more than 17 years of experience in the automotive industry spanning parts, service, technical operations, and wholesale marketing, he has developed extensive expertise through both retail and OEM roles with Mopar and American Honda.
