Reimagining Automotive Events: How Digital Dealer Is Transforming for Today's Dealerships

Digital Dealer is evolving with significant changes for their October 14-15 event at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, responding directly to dealer and exhibitor feedback. The show has been condensed from three days to two, creating de-conflicted content and expo hours so attendees never have to choose between education sessions and exploring solutions.

• Show shortened to two days to respect dealers' valuable time away from their businesses
• Content and expo hall hours now de-conflicted so attendees don't miss opportunities
• Day one features 25-minute bite-sized sessions on dealer challenges
• Day two offers 90-minute workshops where attendees solve real problems to implement immediately
• AI Hackathon returns by popular demand with teams competing for a championship-style belt
• Content focuses on practical implementation of AI in CRMs, fixed ops, and other dealership areas
• Limited exhibitor spaces still available near the Pit Stop and Dealer Tech Live Stage
• Event covers all dealership departments while maintaining its digital marketing roots

Register now for Digital Dealer this October 14-15 in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing Digital Dealer October Event
• 1:01 Key Changes to Show Format
• 2:42 Content Style and AI Hackathon
• 4:59 Solutions for Every Dealership Department
• 7:16 Vendor Opportunities and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Announcer: 0:04

This is Driving Solutions exclusively on cbtnews. com.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 0:10

Hey everyone, Jim Fitzpatrick, welcome into another edition of Driving Solutions right here at cbtnews. com. Digital Dealer is coming soon, October 14th and 15th in Las Vegas. It is an incredible show every year. Today we're joined by , who's the Digital Dealer Show Director, to discuss some of the changes we can expect to see at the show this year. So, Jaymie, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule there to join us on the show to talk about some of these changes. So tell us, what say you about these changes at Digital Dealer this year?

Jaymie Nielsen: 0:43

Yes, well, it's very nice to connect with you. I appreciate your time. We do have some great changes in place. As you mentioned, the show will take place mid-October in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay. A couple of changes we've put in place purposefully, based on surveys from exhibitor feedback and from attendee feedback. We've shortened the show from three days down to two days, to be very sensitive towards dealers time right they could be in their dealerships making money selling cars producing revenue, so we want to be very sensitive to their time.

Jaymie Nielsen: 1:14

We've also de-conflicted our content and our expo hall hours. We have a lot of education that takes place at digital Dealer. That's a lot of the purpose of the show and so we have found that our attendees want to be in two places at once and that's not quite physically possible. So when content is going on in our education sessions, then the expo floor is closed, and vice versa, to allow for the solution providers that are exhibiting there to meet with the attendees and then also allow the attendees to spend time on the expo floor and not feel like they're missing out on any of the great content at the show.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 1:51

Okay, wow, those are two great changes and I will tell you just from going to them it's been a phenomenal show. Obviously it's kind of a staple out there for sure, but I think those are two good moves that you made there. And I would agree with you, you know, get people in and get them out, get, you know, get busy doing what they got to do and then back to the dealership, right.

Jaymie Nielsen: 2:12

Exactly. We've also listened to our audience. One of the things our audience said loud and clear is they do not want panels. They do not want to be talked at from large groups of people. This is an educated crowd. They want active solutions in place. So our content style has completely changed. So on day one, all of the content are short, 25 minute bite-sized sessions so that we can start to delve into the content, what the problems are that dealers face. And then day two is entirely different on purpose. Those sessions are 90 minute workshop sessions. People open their laptops, a presenter presents a real life problem that a dealer or a marketer might face, and then they are able to work on that problem as a team.

Jaymie Nielsen: 2:59

Take it back to their dealership and implement it in real life.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 3:02

That's fantastic. So that's another great change. So also, the AI hackathon is backed by popular demand. Talk to me about that.

Jaymie Nielsen: 3:11

Yeah, so this is the second year we'll be hosting the AI hackathon. It's wonderful. It's very well received. In fact, it is almost completely sold out. We will have a waiting list and RSVP capabilities, so if someone isn't able to make it when the list is full, we will reach out to our waiting list, but we do anticipate that it will completely sell out. That is where teams get together. There's a gentleman named Brent Weiss who hosts it and he's an AI expert, brings all of our attendees together who sign up for the event. They compete, solving an AI problem. I do not know what the AI problem is yet. It will be revealed to us at the show, but it's all the problem. And then they receive an award, and my understanding is that the award is a nice thick, almost like a WWE, WWF type belt. So they receive a nice award that we will present at the end of the show, at show close to the, to the team that wins the AI hackathon.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 4:04

That's fantastic, that's great and it's at a great venue to boot. So, you know, digital dealer, as I said, for so many years has been kind of a staple out there that dealers go to and count on each year for all new innovations. And, of course, AI is something that every dealer is talked about or talking about, I should say, and focused on how it's gonna help run their dealership more efficiently and more effective, and maybe even AI will come up with the program itself that I mean we turn to AI for everything now, don't we?

Jaymie Nielsen: 4:38

No, you're right, we will have several panels that are not panels, excuse me, we're not doing panels. We'll have several um of our content. Pieces of our content will involve ai, right? So we have a couple of solution providers, uh, that are going to talk about ai. How do you implement it in your CRMs if you your fixed ops, that type of thing? So how can you implement AI? Make it useful, which will lead to more revenue in the long run, which is the ultimate goal for our dealerships.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 5:06

Yeah, that is fantastic. And you guys have something for everybody in the dealership. I mean, whether it be fixed ops or variable ops or used cars or F&I, I mean all the solutions are under one roof. It's kind of like a mini NADA, right?

Jaymie Nielsen: 5:21

Well, that's very nice of you to say thank you, and I agree, Digital Dealer has been around for quite a while. It is a staple event and while we're really, really a digital marketing show right, those are our roots is focusing on the digital marketing capabilities which, as we all know, is how most of us shop for cars now, right? And when you think of all the solutions that are in place to help that person purchase a car, which is the ultimate goal. We do have F&I, we do have fixed ops, we do have bits and pieces, so that all of our attendees can participate and learn something and take it back to their portion of the dealership and implement it in real life.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 6:01

That's right, and every dealer now is trying to find new ways, even new revenue streams, to come into the dealership and, most importantly, how to run your dealership, you know, much more efficiently. It's all about trying to maximize every dollar that comes into the store, whether it comes in the front door or in the service department or in the collision center, wherever it is. Every dealer is trying to hold on to every dealer that they every dollar that they can, and it's events like Digital Dealer that helps them to do just that.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 6:27

This is an event that I'd highly recommend. If you're listening and you work inside of a car dealership, this is an event that you don't want to miss. You want to get out to it. Put it on your short list of events to go to. There's a lot of events, as you know, in retail automotive to choose from, but this one is always a crowd pleaser. Everybody that I've spoken to that has gone to these events over the years is always like yep, it's something that I got to go to each year, and sometimes it's just to stay abreast of what's out there and see what different innovations are coming to the marketplace, and it's also a great place to network, for sure, with either other dealers or vendors that are out there. For

Jim Fitzpatrick: 7:06

vendors vendors- talk to me about that. Is it already sold out or are there still opportunities for vendors if they wish to display out there?

Jaymie Nielsen: 7:16

Yeah, that's a great question. We have a little bit of room left. Our floor plan is almost completely sold out. We have a great new AE that's working on the show that I've worked with for a while, named Joe Valentino, and we have a few spaces left on the floor plan.

Jaymie Nielsen: 7:32

A few are near our pit stop which is our eating area on the expo floor and we have a couple over by our Dealer Tech Live Stage that is on the expo floor as well. We've made some improvements and adjustments to the expo floor. So, absolutely, if you're a solution provider and you're on the fence, why should I be there? We would love to talk to you. We feel it's important for you to be there. Exactly what you said there's quality networking that takes place, that you really can't get other places, and we would love to connect with you.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 8:00

Yeah, that's fantastic. I highly recommend it for those dealers that are watching right now. Whether you're working inside of a dealership or, as I mentioned earlier, you're a vendor, maybe you're an OEM executive, this is something that you want to put on your short list of events to go to, on your short list of events to go to, and we can't wait to see everybody out there. And any final words on this, any suggestions to dealers that are watching?

Jaymie Nielsen: 8:25

Well, I look forward to meeting everybody. I will be very honest and say that I am new to this particular show. I'm very excited about it. I'm not new to the event space I've been around about 15 years so I look forward to coming out there and meeting everybody in person, whether you're an attendee or a solution provider, so we can meet each other, understand the needs of our customers and continue to deliver a quality product.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 8:48

That's great. That's great, Jaymie Nielsen, who's the Digital Dealer Show Director. Thank you so much for stopping by CBT News and sharing all of this information with us. For those of you that are interested in going, we're showing all of the information on the screen right now to do just that. Right beneath this video that you're watching will be a link to take you over to register, which I highly recommend you do, and I'll see you out there.

Jaymie Nielsen: 9:10

Absolutely. I look forward to seeing everyone. Thank you for your time.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 9:13

Thanks so much.

Announcer: 9:18

Thanks for watching Driving Solutions exclusively on cbtnews. com.