LAS VEGAS (Feb. 4, 2026) – The automotive retail industry is constantly evolving, and ingenuity is crucial for success — especially when confronting new challenges and opportunities. That spirit of business-minded creativity was on full display at NADA Show on Tuesday and Wednesday, when attendees heard more than a dozen fresh ideas during two lively pitch competitions on the Live Stage.
Together, the competitions showcased two distinct perspectives on innovation: Wednesday’s pitches came from representatives of established companies, while Tuesday’s event spotlighted ideas from university students stepping onto the industry stage.
The panel of judges included Scott Dube, dealer principal at McGovern Hyundai Route 93, Bobby Sight, dealer principal at Rob Sight Ford, and Savannah Simms, director of business development at Ford Lincoln Fairfield. Anthony Rinaldi, senior manager of digital communications at NADA, served as moderator.
DAS Technology: Winner of the 4th Annual Exhibitor Pitch Competition
After hearing compelling presentations from 10 industry innovators on Wednesday, a panel of judges announced the winner of the 4th Annual Exhibitor Pitch Competition: DAS Technology, an AI-native customer data and experience platform (CDXP) provider for automotive retailers. Alex Venneri, co-founder and CEO, and Krys VanSlyke, senior vice president of marketing, led the winning presentation, which focused on leveraging data and AI to reach and convert prospective buyers through the company’s new Power AI Search solution.
While building business was obviously on the minds of presenters and attendees alike, VanSlyke kept the tone energetic and light, with fun props and visuals, including an image of a vintage Cadillac Eldorado and oversized star ratings.
DAS Technology’s new Power AI Search solution is designed to maximize the potential of AI to help car dealerships, according to Venneri. Noting that consumers increasingly use and trust AI — “the robots” — when shopping around, she stressed that her company’s product addresses an important issue: “How do you make sure those robots find you and recommend [that consumers visit] your stores?”
“We’ve built tools and technology where we use AI against AI,” she explained, so that an AI agent can tell AI search engines to find dealer businesses online. “It’s about technology that performs.”
The company’s Power AI Search has proved capable of getting top-rated dealers higher rankings in AI-driven and generative search results, according to Venneri. The solution also improves review performance and consumer visibility, and includes dynamic, one-to-one AI video that features consumer-generated reviews — as well as search-friendly consumer content that dealers can use on their own websites.
Power AI Search isn’t the only enhanced product from DAS Technology being discussed at NADA Show 2026. Also on Wednesday, the company announced the debut of their patent-pending Vehicle Smart Score (VSS), a new, consumer-facing monthly statement and vehicle score that aims to strengthen dealership loyalty and customer satisfaction while also increasing finance, insurance and service revenue. VSS is also designed to encourage vehicle upgrades through vehicle-specific ownership insights.
Stop by DAS at Booth 1311W at NADA Show to learn more about the company’s latest products and services.
Maggie Nelson: Winner of the Student Pitch Competition
Nearly 50 students from Northwood University are attending NADA Show this year, representing the university’s largest student delegation to date — and one savvy student took home the prize during a pitch competition that brought seven participants to the Live Stage on Tuesday.
The winning pitch came from Maggie Nelson, an automotive marketing and management major from Midland, Mich. Her idea: Drive Flow, a platform that would serve as a communication and information channel for customers — playing on consumers’ already-strong comfort levels with services like Uber and DoorDash.
The platform is designed to address what Nelson considers a serious issue in the retail automotive segment.
“Most people drop their car off at the dealership, and in the course of the day are wondering, ‘has anyone even looked at my car yet? How much will this cost me, or why hasn’t anyone even updated me yet? Did they forget about me?’” she said. “This uncertainty is incredibly frustrating for customers, which ultimately results in the industry's biggest challenge today: lack of customer trust in dealerships.”
“Drive Flow is a digital concierge service platform that completely modernizes the dealership service experience for customers, from check-in all the way to delivery,” Nelson added. “In the Drive Flow app, customers will schedule their service, just as they would order food. They would choose pick-up or drop off, and they can connect either from work or from home.”
“Once the car is checked in, everything happens digitally,” she explained. “Customers receive real-time updates such as ‘MPI complete’ or ‘repair in progress,’ and technicians and managers send video MPIs showing exactly what needs attention and why. This is huge, because studies show that over 60% of customers prefer video explanations, because it builds trust and it speeds up their decision time.”
Stop by the Northwood University booth 2200W to learn more about the activities of these talented students.
