Raise your hand if you've attended an automotive conference focused on AI within the past few years ✋Yeah, that's what we thought.

In this episode of Dealer Confidential, host Ilana Shabtay chats with Kayla Kody, VP of Richmond Ford Auto Group, about the relevance of automotive conferences today. Are the themes still on point, or have they become repetitive? Is it up to attendees to extract value and relevance from these experiences?

Here's what one anonymous dealer had to say:

Dear Ilana,

While I used to find tremendous value in automotive conferences, lately it feels like the same tired topics are regurgitated year after year. All of the content is repetitive and there's just too much of the same stuff to justify going. While I genuinely want to stay informed and inspired, the sky-high ticket prices and lack of new content make it hard to justify attending. I hope you can help push for some fresh ideas and discussions that actually move the needle.

Sincerely,

An Underwhelmed Dealer

Ilana and Kayla dive into:

• How attendees can maximize their experiences at automotive conferences.

• Reasons why current conferences may not be resonating.

• The value of panel discussions and informal conversations with peers compared to main presentations.

• Alternatives to the rising costs of automotive conference tickets.

• How to evaluate whether a conference, podcast, or any activity was worth the investment of your time and resources.

Resources mentioned:

• Ilana Shabtay

• Kayla Kody

• Richmond Ford Auto Group

• ASOTU

• NADA