Used Car Industry’s Premier Event Draws Independent Dealers From Across the Nation to MGM Grand
LAS VEGAS (June 20, 2022) – The 76th annual NIADA Convention and Expo opened this morning in familiar territory.
For the first time in three years, the used vehicle industry’s premier event is back in Las Vegas, where it’s been held nine of the past 12 years.
This time, the venue is the recently expanded and upgraded convention space of the MGM Grand, where more than 1,600 independent vehicle dealers, exhibitors were registered as the Convention opened at 8 a.m.
That number is expected to grow as registration continues throughout the event, which ends Thursday night with the presentation of NIADA’s highest dealer honor – the National Quality Dealer award.
Attendees are gathered to honor the best in the business, meet and network, find the latest products and services in the Expo Hall and learn from the most comprehensive dealer education in the independent space.
The education agenda is the most ambitious in the Convention’s long history, with more than 60 workshops, panel discussions, Service Bay micro-sessions and general sessions led by some of the used vehicle industry’s top names.
That includes NIADA’s own experts – 20 Group senior moderators Ed Curry, Bill Elizondo and Ben Goodman, and vice president of government affairs Brett Scott – as well as successful independent dealers and industry headliners Ken Shilson, Jonathan Dawson, Zach Klempf, Lyamen Savy, Patrick Janes, Ron Heider and many more.
The sessions are presented in five tracks – Sales and Marketing, Retail, Buy Here-Pay Here/Lease Here-Pay Here, Service and Human Resources/Operations – and cover all aspects of dealership operations, including digital retailing, financing and capitalization, F&I, leadership, legal and compliance, marketing, taxes and accounting, underwriting and collections.
The keynote speaker is Jon Taffer, the creator, executive producer and star of Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue.
The larger-than-life personality and hospitality industry guru, whose session is sponsored by Carfax, takes a no-holds-barred, no-BS approach to helping businesses reach their full potential.
He’ll deliver his keynote address Tuesday afternoon and will be available to meet attendees that evening in the Carfax booth during the Expo Grand Opening reception.
In addition, the Convention includes social events such as tonight’s popular Cigars and Margaritas poolside welcome reception, Tuesday’s National Leadership Awards and Expo Hall Grand Opening, and Thursday’s National Quality Dealer Award ceremony.
“Vegas always brings its own energy,” said Dean Strawn of AutoTrek in Littleton, Colo. “It’s great to be back here. There’s lots going on.”
The Convention, he said, offers “a lot of great education, and you get to unite and talk with fellow dealers about what’s going on in the industry to get some insights on trends and topics. And I like the legislative side a lot, to know what’s going on nationally and in other states.
“The educational opportunities and fellowship with other dealers is what makes this a great event.”
About NIADA
The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) is among the nation’s largest trade associations, representing the used motor vehicle industry comprised of some 40,000 licensed used car dealers. Since 1946, NIADA has represented the voice and interests of used car dealers at the federal level in Washington D.C. Coupled with its state association network across the country, NIADA’s grass-roots framework provides a dual layer of advocacy unmatched in the used motor vehicle industry. For more than 75 years, NIADA has engineered programs and leveraged technology to fulfill its mission to advance, educate and promote the independent used car dealer. NIADA members subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics of duty, honor and integrity, and believe in the advancement of small business in support of the free-market system. More information about NIADA programs and educational opportunities is available at www.niada.com.
