There we go again!

Gerben Beck already said it, it seems like less than a year ago that we made the journey to the NADA in America. And yet, we are now a year further. The NADA is just around the corner, and with my wife Olga, our colleagues from #DCDW Stefanie van Dijk-Meenink, Gerben Beck, Gerard Franken from the Ligier Store Doesburg – Experience Center, and colleagues from Marktplaats Alexander Prinssen, Melvin Ester, and Michiel Aker, we boarded the plane!

As is customary, I write this article on the plane, 10 km above the Atlantic Ocean, with a feeling of happiness. What a great job I have, that I get to keep doing this! Heading to an Automotive B2B conference, attending some workshops, and meeting old and new friends.

Inspiring

The NADA is inspiring, very informative, and incredibly valuable on a human level for me. You spend a few days at a trade show with colleagues, eat together, and discover new things. All that time together brings you closer to each other.

In recent years, I think this is my thirteenth NADA, I have spoken to many Dutch participants who haven’t found anything ‘new’ but have attended all the parties and events. Well, that’s fine, but for me, the NADA is something other than ‘big parties.’

You are only 1 conversation away!

Without knowing people, it’s challenging at the NADA, but if you open yourself up and, in this case, want to meet Americans, then it all happens naturally. I now have a large network of American partners, and some have become friends. Okay, I missed all the parties and events, but I have become much richer in terms of contacts and relationships. That’s why I like going to NADA: you are often only one conversation away from the next partnership to improve online automotive!

Worth the investment?

It’s a significant investment, this trip, but I gladly make the investment in my colleagues. That is also an important reason to travel together to the US. It is an expression of appreciation from me to them, for their tireless efforts to make our company, #DCDW, and the Ligier Store thrive. The better I can equip my colleagues with knowledge, inspiration, and connections, the better they can help dealers and importers. The ROI is definitely there, just never immediately visible to the accountant!

I am grateful that Clem Dickmann made it easy for me to attend the NADA. I will always cherish those trips, especially the nighttime hours together in cars searching for a snow-free airport. I am also genuinely happy that Johan Lammers has taken the trip to the next level by organizing the trips and being a host. It makes it so much easier to join. So, are you considering going to the NADA next year? I think Johan has a spot for you. On to the swinging New Orleans!

We are going to attend the first workshops; I will share them with you soon!