Car Dealer Live

Car Dealer Live Returns

March 19, 2026
British Motor Museum,
Gaydon

Join us in person, or watch online

Event Overview

Car Dealer Live 2026, sponsored by Auto Trader, is back and bigger than ever: focussing on a broad range of motor industry topics.

We'll be interviewing some of the biggest names in the car dealer business from franchised dealers, to leading independents, to car manufacturer executives.

Listen, learn and connect during a packed day of inspiring sessions with other motor trade professionals at this dedicated conference for the automotive industry.

Book tickets now

Headline Partner

Event Partners


Headline Interviews

Nicola Dobson

Nicola Dobson

Managing Director, Peugeot UK

Sohib Ghafouri

Sohib Ghafouri

Founder & Director, Infinty Motors

Our headliners will feature in individual keynote interviews throughout the day, where they will individually share the secrets to their success, and discuss the hot topics of the automotive industry. More names will be added to the line-up soon.

Panel: Franchised Dealers

Full line-up to be announced

Franchised dealers regularly find themselves at the bleeding edge of new manufacturer initiatives, and that's not likely to change in 2026. Our experienced panel will share their insights on the technological and regulatory changes coming our way in the years ahead.

Panel: Independent Dealers

Full line-up to be announced

Independent dealers don't often have an easy life. With recent challenges like vehicle electrification, volatile prices and a shortage of stock, our panel will discuss how to remain profitable and relevant in an ever-changing automotive landscape.

Panel: Challenger Brands

Could 2026 be the year Chinese car manufacturers conquer the UK market? This year, we've assembled a panel of their brightest and best representatives, to help you get a feel for what sort of products are coming down the pipeline.

Panel: Manufacturers

Full line-up to be announced

Manufacturers have plenty of challenges of their own in 2026 – the ZEV mandate being just one of them. But what words of wisdom can they offer to their dealer partners, and are things going to get easier or more difficult in the next 18 months?

Session details

Headline partner Auto Trader will once again take to the stage at Car Dealer Live, offering the kind of insights that only the UK's number one automotive classified platform can.

Further details about this session will be revealed in due course.

Session details

Tom Leathes

Co-founder & CEO, Motorway

Leathes was one of the co-founders of the groundbreaking online used car marketplace which has shaken up the way car dealers buy cars. In this interview he'll answer our questions – and yours – as he opens up about the future for the radical platform.

Tom Leathes

'The Challenger Effect'

This session explores how consumer interest in new market entrants has evolved over the past six months. Backed by fresh consumer data, we’ll analyse where these brands are gaining traction, where the market has been eroded, and what this shift signals for the retail landscape in the year ahead.

Session details

Automotive powerhouse Keyloop is responsible for the back-end operations of countless dealer group and OEM functions.

The Keyloop team will be bringing their latest insights to the Car Dealer Live stage, with further details to be announced.

Session details

If there's one thing the world can't stop talking about right now, it's AI – and who better to discuss this vast topic than artificial intelligence experts from Impel.

Executives from the Impel team will be explaining how dealers can get the best out of AI, along with where to deploy it in their businesses, and what's next for the technology.

Testimonials

Car Dealer Live was informative, professionally organised and varied in content with all the current hot topics that we are wrestling with today in our industry. The panel of experts gave honest and clear feedback on how they saw the challenges and opportunities that we are dealing with right now and also what's coming down the track at us. I will certainly be making next year's event a date in the diary to attend.

Nigel Hurley

CEO, Carshop

It was great to attend the Car Dealer Live event in 2023 and hear directly from Industry leaders, OEMs and providers who gave frank views on the challenges we all face each day as well as diverse opinions on the future direction of car retailing in the UK. An excellent opportunity to network and catch up with colleagues from across the business.

Chris Wiseman

Managing Director, Wessex Garages

I found Car Dealer Live to be extremely informative and helpful in terms of how we aim to develop our business to meet the changing demands of the market. The day was well structured and broken into bite sized chunks. The sessions weren't overwhelming and I almost got as much out of the breaks as the main sessions too as there were hundreds of industry experts present and networking was fantastic. Highly recommended.

Jamie Caple

Founder, Car Quay

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Example Agenda

Accommodation and networking

At the 2026 event, Car Dealer is also offering a hotel package with all tickets which will include a stay at a four-star hotel, a short drive away from the venue, the night before.

The Car Dealer team will be hosting a social gathering in a dedicated area at the hotel the night before so attendees can network ahead of the main event.

Join us for this pre-event gathering by booking a hotel package below.

Attend in person tickets

Join us in person for an informative day, filled with insight, networking opportunities and more.

Tickets include breakfast, lunch, and refreshments throughout the day.

Dealer Ticket

For trading car dealers only

£165

£135

Early bird offer

Supplier Ticket

For non-car dealers

£335

£305

Early bird offer

Hotel Packages

Arrive fresh at Car Dealer Live by staying nearby the night before.

Our four-star hotel package offers the opportunity for further networking prior to the event.

Dealer Ticket
+ Hotel Room

£325

£295

Early bird offer

Includes breakfast, double or twin rooms available

Supplier Ticket
+ Hotel Room

£495

£465

Early bird offer

Includes breakfast, double or twin rooms available

Streaming Tickets

Watch the event from the comfort of your home or office with a streaming ticket.

Note: This ticket does not permit access to Car Dealer Live in person.

Watch Online

For dealers and non-dealers

£225

£195

Early bird offer

Watch the event live from home (no in-person access)

Ticket prices above excluding VAT.

Early bird pricing ends 1st January 2026.

10 per cent of the price of each ticket sold is donated to Ben, the automotive industry charity

Tickets to Car Dealer Live 2026 are refundable up to 60 days before the event.

Ticket types explained

Dealer Tickets

With this, you'll be able to join us at Car Dealer Live in person, at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire.

This ticket is exclusively for trading members of the motor trade.

Free lunch and refreshments are provided throughout the day, as is on-site parking.

These tickets are limited in number, and likely to sell out.

Watch Online (Streaming) Tickets

With a streaming ticket, you'll be able to watch Car Dealer Live from the comfort of your home (or office!).

This ticket does not grant access to attend the Car Dealer Live event in person.

Supplier Tickets

If you're not directly employed within the motor trade, we'd still love to welcome you to Car Dealer Live.

However, to ensure we're offering our core audience the best chance to attend Car Dealer Live, supplier numbers will be limited.

We reserve the right to cancel and refund suppliers booking an incorrect ticket type.

Group Tickets

If you're looking to book five or more tickets of any variety, get in touch with the Car Dealer sales team for more information and potential discounts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I attend the event in person with a Watch Online (Streaming) ticket?

No - the purchase of a streaming ticket only allows you to watch the event via a live stream.

Will I be able to live stream the event by purchasing a normal Dealer or Supplier ticket?

No - though highlights of the event will be available to watch online afterwards.

Why are Watch Online tickets more expensive?

We want to encourage our readers to visit the conference in person, and network with their peers. As such, we've offset the cost of Attend In Person tickets to incentivise making the journey to the live event.

Can I book a regular Dealer ticket if I'm not a dealer?

No. Suppliers attempting to book a Dealer ticket will be contacted by the Car Dealer sales team to make alternative arrangements.

How do I order more than one ticket?

After purchasing your first ticket (and creating your account), you'll be able to quickly order an additional one.

If you're looking to purchase five or more tickets, get in touch with the Car Dealer sales team, who may be able to offer a discount.