Here we go again!

NADA 2025 in New Orleans is about to begin, and as I have done for years, I am writing my first blog about NADA on the plane en route to the U.S. Although we have only just departed, I am already tired! The night before departure, at 11:30 PM, I received a message from our travel agent that the flight from Atlanta to New Orleans had been canceled. And there was no alternative flight available. I can tell you, that keeps you awake all night. Not that I am a tour guide, but we are traveling with a large group!

Tradition

Traditionally, my wife Olga comes along. But also Gerben Beck, Stefanie van Dijk-Meenink, and Hugo van der Sman from #DCDW, my partners Jeffrey Silva, Koen van de Laar, and Remco de Vette from CARMEN Automotive BDC, and friends Maarten Bekkers, Rolf Westgeest, Erik van den Heuvel, and Marco van Beek. Everyone, except for my colleagues, booked their own trip, but I still feel responsible. So, I spent the whole night—or what was left of it—looking for a solution. After all, on Wednesday, no more ice was forecast, and the sun was shining in New Orleans, but which flight could we still get? Everything was already fully booked.

Rented Cars

So, we got in the car! Something I did eight years ago with Clem Dickmann, but in the opposite direction! Back then, there was also ice in New Orleans and a closed airport. That attempt was not very successful, as after a night drive to Atlanta, we got stuck there as well—for two days even. New Orleans has never been my favorite NADA destination in the winter! So, with the car this time, we needed four of them, and by the time we got on the road, it was already morning. Finally, I could sit down, do nothing, write a blog, and sleep in a still-quiet airplane! In the end, it turned into quite the road trip, but we made it! Now, finally, time for a beer!

What Are We Going to Do?

What are we going to do at NADA? For me, it’s very simple: I am not here to party or take a vacation. I want to spend four days gaining knowledge, meeting new people, and strengthening relationships and friendships. Fun, exhausting, but so valuable in the long run! I too often hear NADA attendees say there was nothing new to see. And they draw that conclusion after just one hour of walking the show floor and attending one workshop, only to then go off and do something else fun.

If you visit NADA this way, you will indeed hardly discover anything new. But if you really go for it, you can fully enjoy the exhibition floor with all the new features, startups, and ideas that make online automotive so unique. Every year, there is a new buzzword. Last year, it was AI, the year before that CDP, and before that Digital Retailing. The great thing is that now, a few years later, you can see how mature those ideas have become and which ones have had no impact on automotive retail.

Plenty of Personal Experience

Now that I am fully involved with Ligier Store Doesburg – Experience Center, I look at all developments with a different perspective. I now know what I personally struggle with—the daily hustle—and which available tools, new or unknown, can help streamline the day better. The daily workload remains, but I need to manage it better. That’s what I’m looking for. Gerben is searching for something else, and Stefanie wants to see and hear different things too. This way, we, as #DCDW and as CARMEN Automotive BDC, can gather an incredible amount of content to improve each other!

This year, we also have a first: colleague Hugo will be working at the Calldrip booth to showcase all the possibilities of Calldrip in Europe to European visitors. In short, despite the rough start, I am looking forward to it!