NADA 2010: on the ground in Orlando

Canadian AutoWorld is front and centre in Orlando this weekend to bring you all the news from the show floor at the 93rd installment of the National Automobile Dealer’s Convention and Expo.

All the industry players are here as the convention continues to be a great draw for dealers and companies alike. Convention officials recently confirmed a strong international presence with representation from over two-dozen countries.

Though smaller than in recent years, the tighter layout of the show floor makes moving from booth to booth much easier. Early buzz from Canadian dealers includes DealerTrack’s new DMS system rolling out in Canada, Reynolds & Reynolds’ Ignite program and some new initiatives from Manheim.

One of the biggest new concepts is converting dealership software programs into mobile browsing format for use on cell phones.

The show kicked off Saturday morning with the Women Dealer Breakfast shortly after the sun rose at 7:30. The official opening took place at 8 a.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the West Exhibit Halls. Numerous workshops continue to run throughout the day as the handshaking and business chat takes place on the show floor.

NADA chairman John McEleney addressed the attendees and wished the crowd well for the show.

“The key question we're facing now is what is the new normal?” he said. “We know the car business will never be the same. Our industry will have to accommodate the demands of climate change legislation, changing consumer tastes, less available credit and new entrants from China and India.”

Workshops include: Selling and managing relationships with the online social community; Guaranteed phone success; and The road to dealership growth goes through your service drive.

The Canadian AutoWorld team, as always, will be prowling the floor looking for the best news, advice and new services/products to help you in your business. Look for complete coverage at www.canadianautoworld.ca and in the next issue of Canadian AutoWorld