12:50 pm, February 11, 2026
Suzuki GB’s boss is the latest carmaker chief to confirm their attendance at Car Dealer Live 26, as excitement builds for the popular motor trade conference.
Suzuki GB director of automobile David Kateley will be appearing on the car manufacturer panel at the event. His confirmation follows hot on the heels of new Dacia UK brand director Lina Ribeiro, who was revealed to be joining the panel last week.
Car Dealer Live 26 – sponsored by Autotrader – takes place on March 19 at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon.
Tickets are available now for both dealers and suppliers on the official Car Dealer Live website.
Kateley assumed the top role in January 2025, and succeeded Dale Wyatt, who had worked for the Japanese brand for 17 years.
- Dale Wyatt, Suzuki GB – Outstanding Achievement Winner, Car Dealer Used Car Awards 2024
Kateley himself is another long-serving member of Suzuki’s UK automobile team having joined the carmaker in 2003 in a business development role with Suzuki Financial Services.
He moved to a regional sales manager position for the south of England in 2006, before promotion to general manager in 2014 – a role he had until his appointment as director of automobile.
Kateley will be on stage to talk about the Japanese carmaker’s plans for the years ahead, along with wider industry topics such as the new and used car markets, and the ZEV Mandate.
Car Dealer Live 26 will be hosted by James Baggott, James Batchelor and Rebecca Chaplin, and this year’s event has been redesigned to give even more insight and learnings for attendees.
Along with the car manufacturer panel, there will be headline interviews with Peugeot MD Nicola Dobson and the boss of used car dealership Infinity Motors, Sohib Ghafouri.
New for 2026 will be a Chinese carmaker session, which will feature executives from BYD, Geely, Omoda & Jaecoo and Chery as we discuss their entrance to the UK market and their plans for the future.
There will be also be a franchised car dealer panel featuring Hedin CEO Richard Ennis and Luscombe Motors MD Sam Luscombe.
Meanwhile, the independent car dealer panel features IMDA chairman and used car dealer Umesh Samani, Steven Douglas the founder of dealership Really Easy Car Credit and George Manning, director of car supermarket Hilton Garage.
Car dealers will be able to hear exclusive white-paper sessions with sponsors Autotrader, as well as Google, Motorway, Impel, Keyloop and Cox Automotive.
There will also be a social media masterclass run by Danny Bond, founder of used car dealership DB Automotive and James McConville, boss of Solo Car Sales. Both talk about how they use social media to great effects.
Tickets to the event are available now and cost £165 for trading car dealers. Supplier tickets are £335.
Hotel room packages are also available with a room the night before the event. A social get together will be held the evening prior to the event for those attending to catch up with colleagues and network with like-minded professionals.
Pricing:
- Dealer ticket: £165
- Supplier ticket: £335
- Streaming ticket: £225
- Dealer + Hotel package: £325
- Supplier + Hotel package: £495
(prices ex vat)
Stay tuned for further announcements in the coming weeks and to book your tickets log on to the website.
