The jam-packed aisles at the Moscone Center were filled with dealers and suppliers from across the globe at the 2015 National Automobile Dealer Association (NADA) Convention & Expo that opened yesterday in San Francisco, Calif.
The mood among dealers and their suppliers was upbeat and positive — which was in stark contrast to 2011 the last time the event was held in San Francisco, when dealers were reeling from an economic downturn and the mood was anything but chipper.
The day began on a positive note with a press conference held by Steven Szakaly, the NADA’s Chief Economist, who says he expects to continue to see a steady growth in vehicle purchases in 2015, with sales of new cars and light trucks expected to reach 16.94 million.
Attendees also heard from Forrest McConnell, 2014 NADA Chairman, who gave a Chairman’s Address and from Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, who delivered a keynote address.
Canadian auto dealer met with dozens of suppliers, and Canadian, American and even international dealers from as far away as Australia and India.
“I’m here to pick up best practices,” says Andrew Ojamae, Managing Partner at Kitchener Ford, in Kitchener, Ont. “NADA always offers an opportunity to see everything under one roof, learn about all the different vendors and suppliers that might exist and usually hammer out a good deal.”
Ojamae attended NADA for several years when he worked in auto financing, but it’s only his second event attending as a dealer. He says he’s balanced his time between walking the show floor to find out about new technology and services and attending the dealer sessions. “So far we have gone to some super sessions that have focused on the digital experience and connecting the digital experience to what the in-store experience is like,” he said, adding that he also attended some great fixed ops sessions.
Canadian auto dealer also attended press conferences offering insights into automotive retail trends affecting dealers. MTV unveiled the findings of a new research study that revealed Millennials love their vehicles even more than social media and texting.
On Saturday, Jay Leno, former host of the Tonight Show, will also deliver a much anticipated keynote address.
The NADA Convention & Expo runs until Sunday, Jan. 25 and Canadian auto dealer will continue to provide coverage, so visit www.canadianautodealer.ca for regular updates from the show.
Canadian auto dealer’s editorial team are also producing videos from the show, as part of our ongoing “On the Road” series. You can view those videos at: www.canadianautomotivevideo.com
