A trio of automobile dealer associations from Western Canada joined forces to create one big super event for their collective members this year — and the first-ever Western Canadian Dealer Summit held Nov. 6-8 in Las Vegas, Nev. appears to be a hit.
Rather than hold an annual conference in their own provinces, as is typically the norm, the associations developed content and a program for dealers and sponsors and held it in Las Vegas to coincide with the massive SEMA automotive specialty products event that attracts more than 130,000 attendees annually.
The conference featured a jam-packed full-day session focusing largely on digital marketing, and the more than 300 attendees were also provided passes to tour SEMA as part of the event.
Leaders from the Motor Dealers’ Association of Alberta (MDA), the New Car Dealers Association of B.C. (NCDABC), and the Saskatchewan Auto Dealers Association (SADA) will review the feedback and determine whether — but more likely when — to do it again.
One of the drivers for creating the “super-event” was Denis Ducharme, MDA President, who says he was tasked with setting up a western dealer convention when he was first interviewed for the job of leading the association. “Seven years later, we are seeing the results from it, and we are very happy with the turnout we have received from all the provinces,” says Ducharme. “We are hoping eventually we might be able to expand to make it into a national type of event.”
Denis Ducharme, MDA President and Robert Austin, iBeam, share a smile at the Western Canadian Dealer Summit in Las Vegas, Nev.
Ducharme says he hopes it’s something the associations can continue to grow, and could even involve manufacturers at a later date. “I don’t think we will ever be able to compete at an NADA type of level, but it can certainly be something where the dealers can come and socialize and see what’s happening,” he says. “It worked out well this time with SEMA. We think we have a good line up of social media speakers and hope they can go away having learned something to help improve their businesses.”
For his part, Blair Qualey, President and CEO of the NCDABC, says he’s pleased with the turnout and the results. “It’s always a great opportunity to bring dealers to share war stories,” says Qualey. “In the times we are going through now with consolidation in the industry and with dealer groups crossing borders, it’s a good chance to do some of that ourselves as associations when we are organizing events.”
It was also easier on sponsors who typically travel to several association events in each of the provinces. “Quite frankly it was a great opportunity to give a break to the good sponsors and partners that sponsor the dealer association events every year. This way, they only have to come to one, travel to one, and staff one event instead of staffing three,” says Qualey.
Steve Chipman, CADA Laureate Award Winner, newly-named CADA Chairman, and President & CEO, Birchwood Automotive Group, briefed delegates about the work the national association is doing on behalf of dealers.
But he says the associations will review the results before deciding how to proceed in the future. “When we entered into this we never said, ‘look, this will be the start of a regular annual event,’” says Qualey. “We did say maybe every two or three years we will try to do something like this,” he says. “ But I’m not sure it will be every year…Who knows maybe this will be the start of a national event.”
“It’s something we have been thinking about for a long time,” says Susan Buckle, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Auto Dealers Association. “We are thrilled about it. This is one of the best things we could have done.”
She says difficult for a smaller province like Saskatchewan to create the same calibre event that the three associations were able to pull off by working together. It’s also easier for sponsors who only have to support one major event.
“Our sponsors are awesome. They do support every province. If we can at least accommodate them by trying to do a larger, major conference or summit for them, they are happy, we are happy, and our dealers are happy. That’s all we can ask for.”
Buckle says it’s a win-win for her association and expects she will support it in years to come. She says she’d also like to see Manitoba join the event in the future.
The Manitoba Motor Dealers’ Association (MMDA) did not take part this year. “We made the offer early on, and for various reasons they needed to do their own event this year,” says Qualey. The next time we try one of these of course the invitation will be extended to them to join us again.”
Annual conferences held in the provinces are an important source of revenues for not-for-profit provincial associations, since annual dues only make up part of their revenues.
The revenues from this year’s event will be shared between the associations.
Graham Line, VP Business Development for Search Optics Ltd., says when he heard dealers from Western Canada were contemplating creating this event, his firm jumped at the chance to sponsor it and became the event’s Diamond Sponsor. “It’s an important investment for us about people and about the industry,” says Line. “We think it is a keystone corner to building a lasting relationship in the industry.”
Glenn Pasch, CEO PCG Digital Marketing, coached dealers on the importance of enhancing their reputations.
Grant Gooley, Director of Marketing, Zanchin Auto Group, gave a spirited presentation
Having a big group of dealers assembled was also well received by speakers. “I actually think it’s smarter,” says Glenn Pasch, a speaker at the summit and the CEO of PCG Digital Marketing. “The speakers would rather come to one event and have a large audience.”
“The problem with a lot of associations trying to put something on themselves is it’s very time consuming, as well as sometimes the dealers would rather go to something and learn from people in the other provinces,” he says.
The event was hosted by Jay Radke, Vice President of Business Development, cDemo Mobile Solutions Ltd, and featured speakers such as: Grant Gooley, Director of Marketing, Zanchin Auto Group, Eric Miltsch, President, Command Z Automotive Consulting, Inc., Joe Webb, Founder, DealerKnows Consulting, Glenn Pasch, CEO, PCG Digital Marketing, Aleksandra Banas, Digital Marketing Manager, Lexus of Edmonton, Mitch Gallant, Chief Digital Officer, Capital Auto Group, Duncan Cochrane, President Strathcom Media. Ryan Holtz, Automotive Marketer & Trainer, Graham Line, Vice President Business Development, Search Optics, Al-Karim Awadia, Lead Member, Google Canada with greetings from Steve Chipman, Laureate Award Winner, CADA; Chairman, CADA; and President & CEO, Birchwood Automotive Group, and a keynote presentation from Danny “the Count” Koker, American Car Restorer and Reality TV Star.
The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) is a visual extravaganza for car enthusiasts who make their living in the automotive industry.
