NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 24, 2025 — Despite an unprecedented 10 inches of snow (thanks, Enzo), the Automotive Industry Event of the Year rolled into New Orleans on Friday, January 24—with NADA Show 2025 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the concurrent American Truck Dealers (ATD) Show 2025 at the Hilton Riverside.
The night before, attendees were able to enjoy an unforgettable NADA Show Welcome Reception: NADA Fest, also held at the convention center. Part jazz fest, part bayou bash, NADA Fest offered plenty of opportunities for networking with fellow dealers, OEMs, exhibitors and industry affiliates. Grammy Award winning jazz artist Trombone Shorty headlined the event, and plenty of only-in-NOLA flavors were on hand, from po’boys and jambalaya to bourbon and beignets (but no sno-balls!).
The Auto Industry’s Biggest Expo Opens
The excitement was palpable this morning at the annual “seatbelt unbuckling” ceremony, which marks the official opening of the NADA Show Expo. Attendees queued up to meet representatives from more than 500 companies—from startups to Fortune 500 companies—offering products, solutions and services to help dealerships stay ahead of the competition.
NADA 2024 Chairman Gary Gilchrist’s remarks ahead of the seatbelt unbuckling emphasized the unofficial theme of this year’s Show—"resiliency.” Franchise auto dealers “have a proven track record of adaptability and resilience,” Gilchrist said as he recapped his tenure as NADA chairman. “Thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime and an unforgettable year.”
Executive coach and bestselling author Ryan Leak also spoke about resiliency during his inspiring Main Stage session, highlighting how to “level up as a leader” and build flexible, high-performing teams at the dealership. So many “of us have been through a lot just to be in this room, not just this week but in life,” Leak said.
First-in-Class Education Sessions
Much of Thursday’s programming was rescheduled to day two, making Friday a busy but productive day of franchise meetings, workshops and other educational sessions.
There are more than 60-plus workshops this year, as well as innovative Ask the Expert seminars, mini sessions in the Dealer Learning Lab and an EV Power Pit on the Expo Floor.
For the first time, the popular NADA Live Stage is in the center of all the action on the Expo floor. Throughout the day, attendees at Live Stage were treated to a rotating roster of speakers and panelists. Some of the more than a dozen short, engaging presentations on Friday included a 2025 economic forecast from NADA and COX Automotive; an overview from TVB on Capturing the 2025 Auto Customer: Streaming TV in a Linear World; a conversation with 2024 NADA TIME Dealer of the Year Rita Case, the roll-out of Dealer Driven, the new NADA podcast and the ever-popular Third Annual NADA Exhibitor Pitch Competition.
Looking Ahead to Day 3
Grab your coffee and jumpstart day three of the Show at Main Stage, with comedian, actor and impressionist Frank Caliendo. Then, get to know incoming NADA Chairman Tom Castriota as he addresses NADA Show attendees.
Finally at Main Stage, NADA, Ally and TIME will recognize more than 49 of the best and brightest dealers for their tireless efforts to improve the industry and their communities—but only one finalist can be named TIME Dealer of the Year.
NADA Show action continues with more workshops and exchange sessions, Live Stage presentations and dealer franchise meetings. And don’t miss the first Super Session—“Don’t Hope, Prepare: Cybersecurity Strategies”—in the afternoon. National security expert Harry Coker sits down with Jonathan Steenland, chief innovation and security officer at Botdoc, to dive into the most pressing cyber threats and their potential impacts.
Didn’t make it to New Orleans this year? Don’t worry, we’ve got live coverage all weekend from Main Stage and NADA Live Stage.
Be sure to follow all things NADA Show on social media using hashtag #NADASHOW on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
