Isn’t she ‘tweet? It’s that time again – the semi-annual Digital Dealer conference, and of course the infamous review care of DealerRefresh. Jeff Kershner was unable to attend, I think he was attending the Cannes Film Festival or receiving the Nobel Prize for Automotive Excellence or something, so that leaves the flunkies like myself and Alex Jefferson with The Proctor Dealerships to pick up the slack…

So what kind of healthy food do automotive professionals eat? For the first official meeting of the “Automotive Industry Knights of the Round Table”, we chose to meet at the Rosen Shingle resort, which coincidentally was also the location for the 8th Digital Dealer Conference held in Orlando, Florida. Ok, so the table was not round, and most of these guys are not Knights, or even someone I might want to even run into at night, but great fun was had by all as we gathered together to share what is working well for each of us in this rapid-paced market, as well as looking for new ideas for where things are going.

Is it legal to give away alcohol?

Dealix is hosting a free webinar this upcoming Monday (April 26th)..

“Perfecting the Lead Mix: the Key to Growing Sales in Your Dealership”

Registration:
Topic: Dealix Presents: “Perfecting the Lead Mix: the Key to Growing Sales in Your Dealership ” Webinar
Date: Monday, April 26, 2010
Time: 11:00 am, PST
Register Here

Event Description:

Dealix presents “Perfecting the Lead Mix: the Key to Growing Sales in Your Dealership” webinar.

During this session, a panel of automotive experts will discuss the value of consumer leads from three key sources – dealer websites, OEM websites, and independent Internet sites – and the role each plays in creating sales and growing market share for dealerships.

Over the course of an hour, the panel will examine:

• Value each lead type delivers to your dealership and what constitutes the ‘right’ mix
• How to measure performance and ROI for each lead source
• Lead handling tactics and best practices for optimal results
• And much more!

The session will be moderated by Kevin Hunt, Vice President of Sales at Dealix and will feature the following panelists:

David Kain, President of Kain Automotive, will focus on leads from OEM sites.
Brian Pasch, Owner of Pasch Consulting, will argue the merits of leads from the Dealer Sites.
Anna Zornosa, General Manager of Dealix – a Division of Cobalt – will advocate the contribution of leads from independent sites.

Don’t miss out.

Date: Monday, April 26, 2010
Time: 11:00 am, PST
Register Here

NADA 2010 Convention & Expo in Orland Florida

–This is a dual post by myself and Alex. Mine is the following and Alex’s is below.

Attendance this year was low – - dealers and vendors.

Parties were at a minimum

The sessions were good, the ones that I was able to attend (not many). The dealers attending this year seem to be more in tune; not just looking for new shiny objects but also looking for some substance. Looking for features and benefits of a solution/vendor can provide.

Date: Friday, Feb, 2010
Time: 12pm to 1 p.m. (Eastern)
Location: Your Computer
Cost: FREE – Register Here

With the new year underway, are you working your plan for a profitable 2010?

Do you know how current industry trends and emerging technology will drive your business and fuel your success? Each year, the NADA convention is a hub for new ideas, tools and tactics that can help drive your business. Join Cars.com and a panel of industry experts as we recap the hot topics and trends raised at this year’s show and discuss how they can boost sales and the bottom line at your store.

In this session, we’ll discuss:

• The state of the new- and used-car marketplace and sales projections for the year ahead
• Emerging technologies that help you reach internet shoppers and fully merchandise your inventory
• New sales processes that engage car buyers and encourage them to purchase from you

Panelists:

Steve Finlay
Editor of Ward’s Dealer Business

Jeff Kershner
Founder of DealerRefresh.com

Ralph Ebersole
Cars.com Automotive Consultant

Vegas, Social Media, JD Power Stats, OEM representation, professional atmosphere, and excellent networking opportunities were the highlights of 2009′s #JDPAIRT << click for Twitter conversations.

I must state that I’m writing the rest of this from a dealer’s stand-point (mine in particular), so this might not be the same perspective an OEM or vendor would have…

With the economy being what it is, representation by the dealer body was low. This was no surprise, but the sad part was it didn’t set the stage for great debate on the dealer’s behalf. A few of us tried to push things through twitter, but I think we just disturbed people. So when you have a bunch of vendors and manufacturers, many have a tendency to play things safe. There were a few people who pushed the envelope on stage (Larry Bruce from Reynolds & Reynolds and David Metter from MileOne), but these were few and far between…I’ll write a bit about what they did a little further in.