The sun was shining, the coffee was flowing, and the concourse of the Las Vegas Convention Center was packed for the start of Day 2 of NADA Show 2020 as more than 20,000 attendees got ready to learn, network and discover the latest trends and technology solutions at the “Automotive Industry Event of the Year.”
Auto All Stars Lead the Way
Once again, the NADA Live Stage was the center of the action on Saturday as 2019 NADA Chairman Charlie Gilchrist and NADA Show Chairman Michael Joe Cannon welcomed attendees to the NADA Show before the official “seatbelt unbuckling” ceremony that marks the official opening of the Expo. “It’s been an exciting year, a good year,” Gilchrist said before urging all dealers to get involved in NADA. “We have 18,000 dealers. If we get every dealer involved, think how much we can change.”
Gilchrist expanded on his “We Are NADA” theme from last year during his presentation at the Opening General Session. “A year ago, I challenged you not to just be part of NADA, not to be just a member” but to be an active part of the team, Gilchrist said. “Because one dealer can accomplish some things but many dealers together can accomplish anything. Over the course of this year, I saw it.”
Hear more reflections from Gilchrist on his year as chairman in this video.
The Opening General Session concluded with the announcement of the 51st annual TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year – Susan Moffitt of Audi Shreveport in Shreveport, La.
Over at the American Truck Dealers (ATD) Show, Jodie Teuton, outgoing ATD chairwoman, gave her farewell remarks before handing over the reins to incoming ATD Chairman Steve Bassett.
More Learning at the Live Stage
There was no shortage of collaboration, questioning and knowledge-sharing on the Live Stage as NADA experts and industry leaders stopped by throughout the day for super-fast, fun sessions covering digital marketing, recruitment and retention, television advertising, women in automotive, and much more.
NADA Senior Economist Patrick Manzi and Jonathan Banks, vice president of Vehicle Valuations and Analytics at J.D. Power, discussed economic trends and provided a positive forecast for both the new-light-vehicle and used-car markets in 2020.
It’s also a great market for job-seekers, noted Indeed.com’s Tina Amelchenko. She joined Manzi on the Live Stage to provide an overview of what she called “a candidate centric” labor market, during a separate economic session presented by Indeed.com.
Too Much to See and Do in Just One Show
What is it that brings attendees to NADA Show year after year? Is it the workshops and educational sessions? The peer-to-peer Exchange roundtables? The chance to hear from Distinguished Speakers like motivational speaker and author, Kevin Brown, who spoke on creating a culture of heroes at every level? Or maybe the high-caliber entertainment from comedians like Kathleen Madigan during the Opening General Session.
AND it’s never too early to start thinking about NADA Show 2021. Participate in the NADA Dealer Flash Contest to win free registration to the 2021 Show in New Orleans. Learn more in the video below.
