A heroic journey through the southern USA
The visit of VWE The NADA Show began with an unexpected adventure. After a smooth flight to Atlanta, their onward flight to New Orleans was cancelled due to severe winter weather. The next available flight wasn't scheduled for several days. For Piet and Daan, that wasn't an option; they wanted to go to the show!
Determined – and perhaps a little overconfident – they hired a four-wheel-drive car and embarked on a road trip of no less than 850 kilometres through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Without navigation and with severe ice storms on the roads, it became a real ordeal. The police pulled them off the motorway and directed them the wrong way down a safe exit. Determined to reach their goal, Piet and Daan managed to bypass the roadblocks themselves via small country roads. Eventually, after 27 hours of travelling, they safely reached New Orleans, where they were the only ones to arrive from Atlanta.
An icy reception and an inspiring conference
Upon arrival, the city was found to be completely shut down due to extreme snowfall – something that hadn't happened in 150 years. Shops, restaurants, and even the exhibition venue remained closed. Piet and Daan were the first visitors to report at the NADA Show, much to the surprise and delight of the organisation.
Once the thaw set in after 2 days, the stock market eventually got underway. The NADA Show offered numerous insights in the areas of digitalisation, AI and marketing strategies for car dealerships. Inspiring insights were gained, for example:
- How AI helps with personalising advertisements
- Generating sales analyses via AI
- The optimisation of customer contact points via AI tools
- Building a trustworthy image via social media with different target audiences
- Optimising your own website through the recognition of buying signals
- Online sales assistance during the sales process
- Keeping customers engaged after they've purchased their new car
This is just a small selection of the many possibilities that American dealers see to further improve their sales and business operations. VWE Over the next period, we will look at how the newly acquired knowledge can be an addition to the product portfolio. This is how our customers will also benefit from our acquired knowledge!
Networking and new opportunities
In addition to attending workshops and visiting stands, Piet and Daan spoke with international relations and customers. During the Holland House drinks reception, there was an opportunity to exchange experiences with other Dutch participants.
With a wealth of inspiration and innovative ideas, Piet and Daan returned to the Netherlands after a smooth journey home. This visit to the NADA Show once again confirms the value of international collaboration and innovation within the automotive industry. Furthermore, it once again demonstrates the dedication of our VWE-top men to go through winter weather and wind to always stay ahead with new insights and technologies. In the meantime, Piet and Daan have returned to the warm office. Here they evaluate how the new insights can further help VWE and its customers move forward.
