Dealers from across the globe are making their way to New Orleans this week to mark the 100th anniversary of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and to take part in the 2017 NADA Convention and Expo.
The event kicks off Jan. 26 and runs until Jan. 29 and is expected to attract more than 23,000 people, including dealers from more than 30 countries. The expo will feature almost 600 companies showing their goods in 700,000 square feet of space at the convention center.
This year’s NADA is extra special because it marks the 100th anniversary of NADA that was founded in 1917 to represent the interests of new car and truck dealerships.
It’s also a special week and year for another dealer association. The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the association with a party at the House of Blues tonight featuring Canadian rock icon Tom Cochrane. That sold-out event will be one of the highlights of what promises to be a week of parties and social events throughout the city.
An afternoon flight from Toronto to New Orleans yesterday in anticipation of the CADA event was like the who’s who of the Canadian dealer community with dealers, industry association executives and suppliers filling the plane.
It is the 12th time that New Orleans has played host to the annual NADA event.
The NADA organizing team lined up a powerful group of keynotes this year, including: Mark Fields, President and CEO of Ford, Roger Penske, motorsports legend, and Helio Castroneves, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner. Inspirational speaker Amy Purdy and comedian Jim Gaffigan will also deliver keynotes.
You can check out the full convention schedule at: www.nadaconvention.org.
