October 2013 SDADA Column

The can has officially been "kicked down the road". While headlines read Crisis Over Shutdown and Debt Limit Ends, if you read between those headlines, they have funding until Jan. 15, 2014. The debt ceiling has been raised until February 7, 2014. So the debt ceiling discussion will happen again next year, when 2014 primaries will be in swing.

But the deal also includes an agreement to appoint members to a bipartisan group of members of Congress to negotiate future spending levels. The hope is they will come to a consensus by early December, so theoretically they will hammer out their differences without the threat of economic disaster hanging over everyone’s head - because that’s always worked so well in the past. Call me a cynic.

Take the most recent debate and add in the stakes of a campaign and you have the formula for another fiasco. I've heard it said that our government spends money like a drunken sailor. Not true. The drunken sailor is spending his own money!!

Winter's Early Call

Earlier in October, I was stranded in my cabin in the Black Hills for four days. While the 50+ inches of snow inconvenienced me, it had a far more devastating effect on residents and businesses of the northern Black Hills and the ranchers in the northwest part of our state.

Had this type of tragedy happen in other parts of our country, the cry for federal help would have come from all corners. Instead, we have local organizations and other business groups starting relief funds to help. Businesses and ranchers got back to business within days. Though it was a terrible disaster, these people prevailed.

Forrest McConnell Elected NADA Chairman for 2014

As I sat in my cabin without television and water (I was fortunate to have electricity for most of the time), I missed my first NADA board of directors meeting. While I awaited the snowcat and skid loaders to dig me out, I thought it might be nice to be at the NADA meeting in Santa Barbara rather than up to my a** in snow the first week in October.

At the California meeting, the NADA board elected Forrest McConnell, III, chairman for 2014. Forrest is a smart guy and he will be a great chairman. I look forward to working with him. Bill Fox (New York) was elected NADA vice chairman. They take office at the 2014 NADA Convention & Expo in New Orleans.

NADA Convention Ranked as One of the Most Innovative Meetings for 2013

BizBash, an industry magazine and online resource for event planners, listed the past NADA Convention & Expo as one of the most innovative meetings for 2013—ranking 10th out of 15 conferences held by corporations and trade associations this year in North America.

BizBash says the strategy and design of conferences and conventions continues to evolve as hosts embrace new models for engagement to create an experience that provides value for attendees by addressing their needs and interests.

There’s plenty to get jazzed about with the upcoming 97th annual NADA Convention & Expo in New Orleans next January. For one thing, the city has invested billions of dollars in major restoration projects, and the convention center was updated just this year. Plus, there’s been a 55 percent increase in the number of restaurants over the past seven years, nearly $800 million in hotel upgrades and $77 million in street improvements, including a new streetcar line.

The NADA convention runs Friday, Jan. 24, to Monday, Jan. 27. This will be the 10th time the convention has been held in the Big Easy since 1973. Considered the “Automotive Industry Event of the Year,” the convention includes dealer-manufacturer franchise meetings, educational workshops, hundreds of exhibits on the expo floor and numerous networking events. Dealers and their managers who register in advance by Jan. 16 will receive a $75 discount from the on-site rate. For more information or to register, visit www.nadaconvention.org.