CEO’S MESSAGE
Are You Ready? By Danny Langfield NMEDA CEO
T
his missive comes to you, dear
education sessions I wanted to
reader, as I jet through the
attend at the conference this year,
atmosphere on a mission of
and I couldn’t get to everything!” I
supreme importance, deadly secrecy
nod sympathetically, waiting to see
and of course, grave personal
if the next comment will be the one I
danger. But, as they say, buy the
am hoping for (and the one that fits
ticket, take the ride…and so much
the master plan!)…”I’m just going to
for that gibberish. Any fool knows
have to bring more people next year;
when you accept a gig like exec of a
there’s no way I want to miss this stuff
high-powered trade association run
again.”
by Serious Businesspeople, there is bound to be an element of danger— but so what? Indeed, it comes with the territory, and I for one would have it no other way.
Blam! More dealer attendance! Win – win – win. NMEDA gets a better event, our exhibitors get more traffic and new faces, and the dealers get— well, each other. The opportunity to
As mentioned, the deadly secret
network with the best operators in the
nature of this mission precludes
business is arguably the single biggest
me from revealing my ultimate
benefit of the annual conference, and
destination, but I will be happy to
the more folks we bring, the more
share the purpose. I am meeting
brains there are to pick. Win – win –
ADED’s own intrepid leader, Liz
win.
Green, for a reconnaissance mission to select a location for the muchballyhooed event of the decade: The co-location of the 2021 NMEDA and ADED conferences. So, with apologies for the cliff-hanger ending, I must get this column back on track
And speaking of education, we are loaded this year. I realize I am paid to say that, but the fact that a statement may be blatantly selfserving doesn’t make it false. You can see for yourself on pg. 35. Let’s
Innovation & Technology track. What’s a dealer to do? None of those are to be missed, right? What’s that you say? Bring more people? Excellent answer; could not have said it better myself. Looking for another huge reason to attend? I’m certain you are, and if so, you have come to the right column. Due to the agreement between the associations to co-locate in 2021, we will not have our next NMEDA conference until the Fall of 2021. I am given to understand that certain people believe the deployment of words in all caps renders those words more important than proper punctuation, so please allow me to restate (emphatically): IF YOU MISS THE 2020 CONFERENCE, IT WILL BE OVER 18 MONTHS UNTIL YOU SEE YOUR FRIENDS (AND CUSTOMERS) AGAIN! THAT’S A LONG TIME WITH NO FACE TIME…SO DO NOT MISS THE 2020 EVENT!
take a look at the concurrent sessions
That’s exhausting; I don’t see how
in just one of the four time slots on
people do all caps with any regularity.
the Learning Tracks. You’ve got our
BUT—hopefully, point made. We will
top-rated presenter, Aaron Gardner,
see you in Daytona Beach in March…
Most member complaints make me
on the Sales & Marketing track; a
where maybe, just maybe, we will
scowl and vow to make changes
panel discussion featuring some of
reveal the location of the 2021 co-
to do better. But there is one
NMEDA’s top independent operators
location…are you ready?
complaint that actually brings a
on the Dealership Management track;
smile to my face: “Danny, what the
and an all-new, online wholesale
---
heck? There were too many good
vehicle auction presentation on the
and focused on my assigned topic: the 2020 NMEDA Annual Conference & Expo.
18
NMEDA Circuit Breaker
