Spartan 300 Symposium Agenda
Agenda
Monday, August 3rd, 2026 - CCC Class & Vendor Set Up Day
From Insight to Action: AI in the Future of Collision Repair - This pre-Symposium bonus session is designed to help Spartans understand both where the industry is heading and how to respond today. CCC will join us to give perspectives on the future role of technology, the growing impact of AI and agentic capabilities, and the opportunities ahead in customer engagement, estimating, and shop workflow. The day then turns to practical application, highlighting tools and examples that can drive real results now.
| 8:00 am - 8:30 am | Mike Anderson: The role of technology in the future of collision |
| 8:30 am - 9:15 am | Mark Fincher: What you need to know about AI, and the impact of agentic |
| 9:15 am - 10:00 am | Sean Fitzgerald: Agentic estimating, what's the impact and what's next |
| 10:00 am - 10:15 am | Break |
| 10:15 am - 11:00 am | Ripul Jain: AI in the consumer experience, creating the modern experience |
| 11:00 am - 11:45 am | Tim Whicker: AI in repair workflow, opportunities across the shop |
| 11:45 am - 12:00 pm | Mike Anderson: Insights and perspective |
| 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch - Q&A with CCC (CCC team members sit at every table) |
| 1:00 pm - 1:15 pm | Mike Anderson: Open, additional thoughts, setup next session |
| 1:15 pm - 2:30 pm | Heidi Harris: Leveraging tools at your disposal to meet your customer where they are! |
| 2:30 pm - 2:45 pm | Break |
| 2:45 pm - 4:30 pm | Craig Stevens: Leveraging new tools for next-generation processes, estimating, parts, production, etc. |
| 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm | Mike Anderson: Insights and perspective, Q&A |
Tuesday, August 4th, 2026 - Full Day & Welcome Reception
| 8:00 am - 8:15 am | Welcome, Pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem - Abby Kasch |
| 8:15 am - 8:55 am | Opening Comments with Mike Anderson and Tracy Dombrowski - Anti-trust, Review of Agenda, Spartan stats, etc. |
| 8:55 am - 9:00 am | What If - Spartan Cheer |
| 9:00 am - 10:00 am | Keynote Chadd Wright |
| 10:00 am - 10:25 am | Break |
| 10:25 am - 11:05 am | BMW/Mini Presentation - Dennis Rice |
| 11:05 am - 11:35 am | Nissan/INFINITI - Chad Gough |
| 11:35 am - 12:05 pm | Subaru - Jeff Tripp |
| 12:05 pm - 12:15 pm | What If - Spartan Cheer - Drawing |
| 12:15 pm - 1:05 pm | Lunch |
| 1:05 pm - 2:20 pm | Interview by Aaron Schulenburg of Rebekah Cooper, Partner at The Cooper Firm and a nationally recognized litigator whose work centers on automotive product liability and advanced vehicle safety technologies - including crash-avoidance systems, autonomous driving features, and ADAS. Licensed in California and Georgia, Rebekah litigates complex, high-stakes cases across the country, often partnering with attorneys who turn to her firm when facing the most technically demanding matters. Before joining her firm, Rebekah spent years as an insurance defense litigator for major carriers, giving her a deep understanding of defense strategy that she now uses to advocate more effectively for consumers. |
| 2:20 pm - 2:50 pm | Rivian - Kelly Logan |
| 2:50 pm - 3:10 pm | Break |
| 3:10 pm - 3:40 pm | Volvo - Ken Park |
| 3:40 pm - 4:10 pm | VW - TBD |
| 4:10 pm - 4:50 pm | CCC Sr. Director Industry Analytics - Kyle Krumlauf |
| 4:50 pm - 5:00 pm | I-CAR Update - Bud Center |
| 5:00 pm - 5:10 pm | What If - Spartan Cheer - Drawing and Debrief |
| 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm | Vendor Reception |
Wednesday, August 5th, 2026 - Full Day & Awards Banquet
| 8:00 am - 8:10 am | Opening Comments - Review of Agenda, Anti-trust, etc. |
| 8:10 am - 8:45 am | Mazda - Anita Rexwinkle |
| 8:45 am - 9:00 am | What If - Spartan Cheer - Drawing |
| 9:00 am - 10:00 am | Keynote - Jon Acuff |
| 10:00 am - 10:25 am | Break |
| 10:25 am - 11:25 am | AM Best Rating Services - Chris Draghi |
| 11:25 am - 11:55 am | Toyota - Ryan Collins |
| 11:55 am - 12:05 pm | What if - Spartan Cheer - Drawing |
| 12:05 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 pm - 1:40 pm | Collision Engineering Interview with Mary Mahoney and John Helterbrand |
| 1:40 pm - 2:10 pm | Porsche - Mike Kukavica |
| 2:10 pm - 2:40 pm | Stellantis - TBD |
| 2:40 pm - 3:10 pm | Counterfeit Parts - What We ALL Need to Know! - Robert Stewart of GM |
| 3:10 pm - 3:40 pm | Parts Panel Discussion - Dane Rounkles of Honda, Justin Kendrick of Cochran Automotive |
| 3:40 pm - 3:50 pm | What If - Spartan Cheer - Drawing and Debrief |
| 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm | Cocktail hour |
| 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm | Awards Banquet |
| 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm | Entertainment by Abby Kasch "The Voice" |