Lisa Marshall offers the same advice to her fellow dealers attending the NIADA BHPH Dealer Forum that she gave her children when attending class.
“Be a sponge,” Marshall said. “Everyone learns from everyone in the room. Every single Dealer has something to add.”
Marshall, the owner of North Main Motors in Marysville, Ohio, is one of four dealer roundtable moderators named this week, joining Nathan Smith of Parker Auto Sales in Nashville, Tennessee, Cesar Stark of S&S Motors in El Paso, Texas, and Ben Libby of Highway Motors in Chico, California. Elisabeth Taylor of iGo Group in Columbia, Kentucky, was previously confirmed as a moderator.
“I can’t wait to meet so many new contacts and network with professionals seeking continuing education. I am thrilled to get to be part of this roundtable discussion and hear from others, and draw on their vast experience and wisdom,” said Marshall, a National Quality Dealer of the Year finalist in 2024.
Time is running out to save $200 on registration. Early-bird registration runs through Friday, Oct. 10, with the cost at $495 per person for NIADA dealer members, $695 dealer for non-members. Group discounts are available for dealer groups with two or more registrants. After Friday, the price will be $695 for members and $895 for non-members. Register at niada.com/bhphdealerforum.
Discounted rooms are $269 per night and are available through Oct. 16 or until the room block sells out.
The dealer moderators will be leading discussions on sales, inventory, reconditioning, capital, customer retention, underwriting, compliance, employee management and other hot topics during the roundtables, which will include approximately 20 dealers matched by size and operations.
“I’m really looking forward to being part of the BHPH Dealer Forum and helping lead the discussion,” said Stark, the 2025 Texas Quality Dealer of the Year. “It’s a great opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices with other dealers who are navigating the same challenges and opportunities in our industry.
“As a moderator, my goal is to foster open, practical conversations where everyone walks away with something they can implement right away. I’m especially looking forward to digging into topics around inventory management, compliance and evolving financing strategies — areas where collaboration and shared experience can really make a difference.”
Smith is looking forward to welcoming dealers to his hometown to share ideas and pick up ideas similar to his 20 Group.
“I find that I tend to learn as much as everyone else in the room when I am leading a meeting,” Smith said. “I am looking forward to the conversation going around the room about what everyone’s ideas are on this challenging time we are in. I want to know what’s working for people. I want to know what’s not working for people. I want to get fresh ideas and fresh perspectives.”
He wants to help dealers find solutions and discuss cash flow.
“It is my opinion that cash flow analysis is a largely overlooked component of our industry. In a challenging time, cash is king,” Smith said. “Obviously, borrowing money has just gotten a lot more difficult.
“I also hope to bring some insight to dealers paying more attention to the accounting side of their business. This is not a car dealership any longer. We are finance companies using automobile sales as a means of loaning money. Therefore, you had better learn how to run a finance company properly. The business has changed so much in the past decade and is continuing to move in the direction it is moving. You’d better know where the pitfalls are, and you’d better know how to see them coming.”
Libby will be moderating a roundtable for a third straight year at Dealer Forum.
“It’s such a good conversation. It’s like a 20 Group, but you are in there with dealerships with more variance. I’ve found a lot of value going. I’m there to learn as well and take things away every time. I enjoy being part of the conversation.
“I kick the first domino and the rest take care of themselves.”
Along with the popular dealer roundtables, there will be three deep-dive workshops and nine education breakout sessions.
See the full agenda here.
