Augmented: The Human + Machine Intelligence Advantage
2026-06-18 08:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Munro & Associates, 1140 Centre Road, Auburn Hills, MI, 48326, United States
Hosted by:
Why the Winners of the Next Decade Will Be Human + Machine Organizations
The automotive industry is entering its next major transformation – driven by AI, automation, electrification, advanced manufacturing, and machine intelligence. But despite the headlines, the future is not about replacement. It’s about augmentation. The companies that win the next decade will not be the ones that blindly chase disruption. They will be the organizations that learn how to combine human expertise with machine capability to move faster, build smarter, scale efficiently, and make better decisions.
Augmented brings together automotive leaders, manufacturing innovators, technology disruptors, investors, and strategists to explore how AI, robotics, EV technologies, autonomy, and intelligent systems are reshaping the industry in practical, commercially viable ways. Featuring keynote speakers, Munro teardown insights, and expert perspectives from across the automotive and mobility ecosystem, this event will separate hype from reality – and identify where the real opportunities are emerging.
Speakers include executives from:

Munro
Robostrategy
FANUC
Pratt Miller
Kinetic Vision
Kettering University

Agenda:

8:00 a.m. — Registration/Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. — Program
11:15 a.m. — Tour of facility

Free for SAA Members
$99 for non-members (includes 1-year SAA membership)

Energyside chat with EVgo’s CEO Badar Khan and GM’s Head of Public Charging Will Hotchkiss
2026-08-11 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | EVgo Flagship Charging Station at Meijer Warren, 29505 Mound Road, Warren, MI, 48092, United States
The Automotive Press Association and Society of Automotive Analysts invite you to attend an “Energyside” chat with EVgo’s CEO Badar Khan and GM’s Head of Public Charging Will Hotchkiss, moderated by Axios’ Joann Muller, at EVgo and GM’s new flagship charging site at the Meijer store in Warren, Mich., on Tuesday, August 11.
The Energyside chat will explore how the industry is powering progress in EV infrastructure and elevating the charging experience. Topics include:

The evolution of U.S. public charging and the EV driver experience: What have we learned and how are we applying those lessons for the future?
Partnerships that power progress: Why collaboration is critical to meeting drivers where they are.
New tools for drivers: What innovations are improving the charging experience?
The role of data: Turning insights into action to improve reliability and the customer experience.
Looking ahead: What will the EV charging experience look like three years from now?

EVgo and GM’s new flagship station features an overhead canopy and pull-through access to accommodate vehicles pulling trailers, a mixture of 12 CCS and NACS stalls, and high-power charging capable of delivering a full charge in as little as 15 minutes, depending on the vehicle.
Speakers:

Badar Khan
CEO
EVgo

Will Hotchkiss
Head of Public Charging
General Motors

Moderator: Joann Muller
Transportation Correspondent
Axios

Agenda:
9:00 a.m. Arrivals, networking and refreshments
9:30 a.m. Energyside chat and audience Q&A
10:30 a.m. Flagship charging site demo (optional)
11:00 a.m. Lunch and station ribbon cutting (optional)

Questions? Contact Kevin Singer (kjsinger345@gmail.com), Andrea Knapp (andrea.knapp@evgo.com), or Stuart Fowle (stuart.fowle@gm.com).
There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

SAA Motoring Minds Featuring Motor Trend's Frank Markus
2026-08-11 13:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Join SAA Motoring Minds, a free series for automotive professionals and enthusiasts. Each session explores the latest industry trends and innovations with expert-led discussions. This is a Zoom event, but a recording will be available.
Motoring Minds is hosted by Adam Bernard, SAA President and Founder of AutoPerspectives (Adam Bernard | LinkedIn). The next episode will feature Frank Markus, who will discuss the hottest and coolest automotive technologies, from super-efficient electric motors to innovative HMI solutions.
Adam’s special guest:
Frank Markus
Technical Director, Motor Trend
Frank received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1985 and a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan in 1987. He spent six years with the Chrysler Corporation, in Vehicle Development engineering and Advance Vehicle Packaging engineering. Frank has no formal journalism training, but his love of cars and travel led him to join Car and Driver magazine in April 1991 as Technical Editor. In 2003, Frank joined the staff of Motor Trend Magazine as Technical Director, working out of the Detroit area and responsible for editing all magazine content for technical accuracy.

Attendance is free, but please let us know you are joining us.

Precision Laser-Timed Autocross Competition and Dinner: Take the Wheel -- You're the Driver
2026-08-27 16:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | M1 Concourse, 1 Concourse Drive, Pontiac, Michigan, 48341, United States
The most popular (and fun) YPN event of the year returns on August 27th when YPN members will get a chance to compete and network at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, MI — the ultimate destination for automotive enthusiasts and Michigan’s premier motorsports and entertainment venue.
Attendees will compete in a laser-timed Autocross Competition, a precision driving challenge held on the facility’s massive 2.5-acre asphalt “Arena.” Drivers weave through a cone-marked, technical course to compete against the clock and their peers. Click here to watch the Autocross Experience.
Following the Autocross Competition, YPN members will meet at Tom McDonald’s garage for networking and dessert.
Schedule of activities:

4:30 pm – Arrival
5-7 pm – Autocross Competition and Dinner
7-8 pm – Networking and Dessert at Tom McDonald’s Garage

Sponsored by:

No fee for YPN Members. Click here to become a member.

The Road Ahead – Scaling Innovation in an Evolving Landscape
2026-09-17 07:30 - 11:45 (America/New_York) | FORVIA North America, 2800 High Meadow Circle, Auburn Hills, MI, 48326, United States
Hosted and held in partnership with:

The Road Ahead with FORVIA convenes senior leaders from FORVIA and the VC mobility community to examine how the global supplier is investing in emerging technologies to move them from innovation to scale, and how capital, partnerships, and transactions shape that journey.
Agenda
7:30 a.m. — Registration, Breakfast & Startup + Capital Showcase
8:30 a.m. — Welcome Remarks
Adam Bernard
SAA President and Founder of AutoPerspectives

Francois Tardif
EVP, FORVIA North America

8:45 a.m. — Panel 1 — Identifying and Investing in Automotive Innovation
From Prototype to Platform: How Industrial Technologies Are Funded and Scaled
Moderator:
Jamie Butters
Founder of Butters Bureau and host of Autotown

Panelists:

Colleen Haley
President, Seating North America, FORVIA

Andrew Bates
Vice President, Automated Driving, FORVIA HELLA

Ben Cohen
Vice President, HELLA Ventures

Chad Durkee
Technology Scouting Director, North America, Faurecia

9:45 a.m. — Refreshment & Networking Break
10:00 a.m. — Fireside Chat — M&A, Investments, Exits and Scale
This session covers evolving buyer and investor dynamics, technology investment criteria, common industrial M&A pitfalls, and how early capital decisions shape eventual exits.
Moderator: Jamie Butters, Founder of Butters Bureau and host of Autotown
Panelists:

Chris Stallman
Fontinalis – Early-stage Venture Capital Investor

Nancy Philippart
General Partner and Co-Founder, BELLE Funds

TBD, Private Equity Fund Investor

10:50 a.m. — Financing the Industrial Technology Lifecycle
A conversation with the startups and manufacturing innovations that FORVIA is investing in.
Moderator:
Tom Kelly
CEO of Automation Alley

Panelists:

Kevin Mull
Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Bedrock Detroit

Maxwell Reeder
Account Executive, Inbolt

TBD, Regional Startup

11:30 a.m. — Closing Remarks
Free for SAA members and media; $49 for non-members

10th Annual Materials Innovations Summit
2026-11-11 08:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Munro & Associates, 1140 Centre Road, Auburn Hills, MI, 48326, United States
Mark your calendars.
More information to come.
