SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--()--AUTOVATE, the leading automotive retail industry conference, is excited to bring entrepreneur, film producer, tech investor, and professional sports team owner Peter Guber as the featured speaker for the 2024 Scottsdale conference. The 8th annual AUTOVATE conference, created by Cliff Banks of The Banks Report, will be hosted Dec. 4-5 at the new Caesars Republic Scottsdale Hotel. AUTOVATE 2024 will feature nearly 30 speakers sharing candid insights and perspectives about the intersection of investment, innovation, and automotive retail. Guest speakers include progressive dealers, cutting-edge tech executives, innovative startup founders, and visionary investors.

“We’ve focused the last eight years on building an event known for its cutting-edge content, extraordinary venues, and engaging networking opportunities that have led to nearly $2 billion in transactions,” said Cliff Banks, president and founder of The Banks Report and founder and host of AUTOVATE. “We’re excited to add Peter Guber to this year’s agenda. Dealers, investors, and entrepreneurs will benefit from his entertaining insights from his vast experience in both Hollywood and sports.”

Peter Guber is a distinguished figure in the entertainment industry, with over 40 years of experience shaping film, television, music, and sports. After joining Columbia Pictures in 1968, he quickly became the studio’s chief, overseeing iconic films like Taxi Driver and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Guber’s entrepreneurial ventures include co-founding Casablanca Record and Filmworks, producing the Oscar-winning Midnight Express, and leading Sony Pictures Entertainment through a golden era with hits like Rain Man and Batman. He later founded Mandalay Entertainment, expanding into sports as a co-owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, and MLS’s Los Angeles Football Club. His innovative influence extends into esports with aXiomatic and the University of California as a regent. Guber's creative and strategic impact is marked by critical acclaim and groundbreaking achievements across media and sports.

"I’m excited to speak at AUTOVATE. It's a unique platform where innovation and investment intersect with the future of automotive retail,” Guber said. “I’ll be sharing insights from my experiences in entertainment, sports, and business, inspiring attendees to think creatively and strategically about their ventures. My objective is to offer perspectives on navigating change and how to seize opportunities by aiming at the hearts and minds of their audience, whether it be customers, investors, or employees.”

AUTOVATE is a first-class experience with high-level content in a relaxed atmosphere built for executives and investors in automotive retail. The exclusive audience comprises high-net-worth executives, investors, and entrepreneurs in the auto retail industry. The conference format features 15-to-20-minute TED Talk-styled Q&A sessions, with the audience participating via text with the moderator. The content is designed to help investors, dealers, and vendor executives think about the future of their businesses and the industry.

This year’s AUTOVATE speakers include Gary Gilchrist, the 2024 NADA chairman and industry relations Chevrolet liaison; Eric Denlinger, managing director at TD Cowen; and Alexi Venneri, co-founder and CEO of DAS Technology. Topics include the election's impact on automotive investment, investment opportunities for dealers, a look at the next five years, and the inside scoop on some of the industry’s biggest deals. Check out the agenda for the full details, including the Dec. 5 Q&A session with Guber.

"This has probably been the best conference I’ve ever been to,” said Chris Walsh, president of Reynolds and Reynolds and a past speaker. “I feel like I’ve learned more in the last two hours than I have in the last two years.”

AUTOVATE will be held at the new Caesars Republic Scottsdale Hotel, a lifestyle hotel experience, and Caesars Entertainment’s first non-gaming hotel. AUTOVATE is sponsored by DAS Technology, Reynolds and Reynolds, TD Cowen, Cars.com, FM Capital, Disruptive Growth Solutions, TruVideo, Cars Commerce, UpdatePromise, 1876 Partners, Cadwalader, and Impel. To register and learn more, visit autovate.org. Space is limited to 150 attendees, and the event is nearly sold out.

About AUTOVATE

AUTOVATE is a high-level premier experience at the nexus of investment and automotive retail. It brings together progressive dealers, visionary investors, innovative entrepreneurs, and cutting-edge automakers via conferences, industry dinners, podcasts, and newsletters. Anchored by its annual December summit, AUTOVATE provides first-class content in a relaxed atmosphere for investors and executives in automotive retail. Now in its eighth year, AUTOVATE is part of the DAS Technology portfolio of companies. For more information and to register, visit AUTOVATE.org.