Technology and networking are among the key reasons for international dealers to attend the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in Nevada.
During the NADA Show 2018, located at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, Canadian auto dealer caught up with people from various countries to better understand what they hoped to achieve at the event for both their business and for dealers in their respective country.
“I have been coming to NADA for the last 15 years. It’s great to come and see the new technology, new products and also to meet friends,” said Charlotte Ye, Founder and CEO of Webcars, which one of the top automotive websites in China. She is also the Vice Chairman of the Beijing Dealer Association, and has previously held the position of International Director for the China Auto Dealer Association (CADA).
Ye says the NADA Show is the largest event in the world for auto dealers, and that during the 15 years that she has attended the event, China has really evolved. The country has developed its automotive market, growing from selling one million cars in 2002 to about 28 million new vehicles last year, according to Ye.
“In China we have 3,500 franchise dealers, the used car market is still developing, and last year we sold as many new cars as the population of Canada,” says Ye. “The country is going through a big learning curve, so NADA is a great place for our technology companies and dealers to come and learn from U.S. industries.”
Josè Ramon Rozzi, the owner of an Opel (Buick) dealership in Italy, also noted the importance of technology at the show.
“This is the fifth NADA conference that I have attended, and I’m looking forward to learning about new technology and picking up new skills to improve my business and grow my company,” says Rozzi.
He adds that customer behaviour is quite different between Europe and the U.S., but that there are still a few things worth borrowing from the American way of doing things just to help improve his dealership and grow the business in the local market. “This is the real deal, to come to NADA,” says Rozzi.
As for Mark Squires, Chairman of the National Franchise Dealers Association in the U.K., he sees the event as a fantastic opportunity to share information with international colleagues from all four corners of the globe — including those from China, Brazil, and the rest of Europe. NADA is an excellent event to discuss and discover what is going on in the market and “really see what the state of affairs is,” says Squires.
“It’s amazing how much we have in common in terms of problems and challenges, and (it’s also important) to understand one another’s processes and culture: how technology is developing, how the digital world is developing,” says Squires. “I’m here to get as broad a picture as I can of where things are at today, and perhaps more importantly where they are heading next.”
The NADA Show 2018 runs from March 23-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre in Nevada.
