The 2019 NADA is fast approaching, and the AutoSuccess team is excited to head to the “city by the Bay” for what is sure to be another incredible event.
New this year is the NADA Professional Series — special workshop sessions that will equip dealer managers with the tools they need to advance their dealerships. There are individual sessions for office, sales, service and parts managers, focusing on managing inventories within each department.
There is also an extensive list of workshops and educations sessions with topics from attracting your dream team, to service department effectiveness, to preventing workplace harassment, as well as roundtable discussions on digital marketing campaigns.
You won’t want to miss the keynote speakers either. In addition to speeches by 2018 NADA Chairman Wes Lutz and Vice Chairman Charles Gilchrist, Kat Cole, president of Cinnabon, will share her experiences with accelerating change, team building, best practices and more. Comedian and actor Dana Carvey will bring his unique humor and insights for a discussion on politics and current events. Lastly, Maj. Dan Rooney, USAF fighter pilot, PGA professional and author will highlight how personal accountability and the synergy of working with others can be applied to any business or endeavor to bring success.
This, in addition to all of the networking opportunities of the trade show and receptions and the Distinguished Speaker series, makes the NADA show a must-attend and much-anticipated event for our team.
A lot of preparation goes into getting a team there and making the most out of your time — coordinating schedules, setting appointments and planning customer/vendor dinners — but then when you arrive, you can hit the ground running.
The time our team takes to prepare not only keeps us on schedule and in the right place at the right time, but also helps leave time to enjoy ourselves in a beautiful city. We are looking forward to visiting San Francisco again — as well as its amazing restaurants, craft breweries and more. You might want to check out trip.sftravel.com/plan/ to help plan your free time.
After the show and when you’re back at the office, catching up and going through the business cards you collected, be sure to send a follow-up note to each of the people you met. Include a recollection from your meeting to help them remember you. This is also a great time to make any introductions you have that could help these new connections network with your colleagues.
Don’t keep all your newfound knowledge to yourself. People who weren’t able to attend the conference will appreciate you sharing tips from favorite seminars you attended.
The show provides so much, it might seem overwhelming, but a little pre-planning can ensure a successful show.
Oh, and don’t wear new shoes! I’ve learned that lesson and it’s not a fun one. Hope to see you in San Francisco. Be sure to say “hi” if you see me.
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