UCD Magazine • August 2020 • A Letter From The CEO

A trade show. A reunion. A celebration. And, of course, a place to learn. But at its heart, it is about one thing.

The Convention is the ultimate representation of the association’s commitment to help you succeed – however you define success – by providing the industry’s best education as well as access to providers of the products and services you need to operate.

This year, for obvious reasons, fulfilling that commitment has been a challenge.

Ultimately the COVID-19 pandemic proved too much for us to reach our goal of having the Convention as planned at The Wynn Las Vegas.

The NIADA|NABD Convention and Expo – the used car industry’s premier event of the year – will be held online in 2020, featuring education in the areas most important to independent dealers, as well as a virtual Expo Hall with access to exhibitors.

It will take place over a three-week span, with dealer education on Sept. 22, Sept. 29 and Oct. 6, and the Expo Hall open 24 hours a day for the entire 21 days.

When we made the difficult decision to take our show online, we found ourselves faced with a lot of questions. But we quickly realized the most important question to answer was this: What, exactly, are we going to deliver?

After all, it is not reasonable to expect to take an entire four-day event – including some 100 breakout and general sessions, keynote speakers, meetings, receptions, etc. – and just throw it online at the flip of a switch.

First and foremost is dealer education and content. Next is the ability for dealers to connect with industry providers they can do business with.

They are the two things most central to the Convention’s mission and NIADA’s commitment.

Thanks to the power of technology, the 2020 NIADA|NABD Convention and Expo – in its digital form – will give you both, on an easily accessible platform.

You can find out more about the event in our Convention preview on page 16 of this issue of UCD, or visit niadaconvention.com for details and to register.