NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 26, 2025 — In New Orleans, a lagniappe is a small bonus or gift for a customer. Day four of NADA Show was all about giving that little something extra to all the dealers and managers, OEM execs, allied industry and international attendees who made it to the Crescent City for this year’s big event.
While NADA bid a fond “a bientot” or "see you soon" to New Orleans—that is, until the Show returns to the Big Easy in 2029—here’s a look at all the action today.
Lessons Learned on Main Stage
Not too many leaders can say they’ve led the Team USA basketball squad to even one Olympic gold medal, but Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) can boast three Olympic gold-medal teams. The former head of men’s basketball at Duke University—where he led his players to five national titles—Coach K is a master motivator of not only teams, but also individuals and organizations.
On Sunday, Coach K took to Main Stage to share key coaching tips and inspire dealers to spur employees on to succeed beyond even their own expectations. “Your people are the single biggest resource,” Coach K said. As for putting together a team, Coach K stressed how dealers need to ensure staff set aside their egos and buy into the larger vision. Even if they’re LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, he joked.
Employees “have to feel what they’re doing,” Coach K said. “If they only come to work for you…it’s not going to be optimal. They have to feel it in their heart.”
Product Demos, Education, Networking
Attendees continued to enjoy product demos and one-on-one connections with exhibitors, as well as OEM meetings and assorted networking events. There also was a full roster of educational programming: workshops, Exchange sessions, Ask the Expert mini-sessions, the Dealer Learning Lab, the EV Power Pit, and a Super Session focused on fixed ops by five highly-qualified NADA Academy instructors.
American Truck Dealers (ATD) President Jacqueline Gelb and ATD Chairman Scott Pearson were on Live Stage to discuss the state of the commercial-truck industry. Upcoming ATD priorities: informing the new Congress and administration about truck-dealer issues, battling onerous environmental and emissions regulations, and supporting legislation benefiting truck dealers and their customers, such as bills to repeal the Federal Excise Tax on most new heavy-duty trucks.
The final Live Stage presentation put the spotlight on upcoming NADA and ATD events, including the New York Automotive Forum in April and ATD Fly-In in June. Plus, there was a preview of what to expect at NADA Show 2026 and ATD Show 2026, including rumors of an opening welcome reception at The Formula 1 Paddock Club in Las Vegas.
That’s a Wrap!
Just because NADA Show 2025 is over, doesn’t mean it ends. Many of your favorite sessions can be accessed on-demand. Plus, there’s always next year to look forward to as NADA Show 2026 returns to Vegas. See you there!
Missed any of the action at NADA Show 2025 in New Orleans? Here’s a recap of day two and day three.
Catch up or relive all the experiences of NADA Show 2025 on social media using hashtag #NADASHOW on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
