NADA, J.D. Power Team Up for a New Automotive Conference in Los Angeles

The 2012 Western Automotive Conference, hosted by the Los Angeles Auto Show, will be held at the Biltmore Hotel on November 27.

LOS ANGELES, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Automotive industry executives planning to attend press days at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November now have a good reason to arrive a day earlier.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120104/DC30041LOGO)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a)

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) in partnership with J.D. Power and Associates announced today the creation of the Western Automotive Conference, which will be held at the Biltmore Hotel on Nov. 27, 2012. Press days at the auto show run from November 28-29.

"Southern California is home to several international auto manufacturers and NADA represents thousands of new-car dealerships on the West Coast, so it makes a lot of sense to have our industry event in their backyard," said Forrest McConnell, chairman of NADA's Industry Affairs Committee and president of McConnell Honda in Montgomery, Ala.

"We are very pleased to be teaming with NADA once again, following the overwhelming success of our International Automotive Roundtable in February," said John Humphrey, J.D. Power's senior vice president of global automotive. "Combining our unique set of consumer insights, retail transaction data and forecasting information, J.D. Power will be able to provide attendees with an unparalleled view of the California market."

Highlights of the half-day conference, hosted by the Los Angeles Auto Show in association with the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association (GLANCDA), include: keynote remarks and presentations from top-level executives on the state of the industry and U.S. economy; panel discussions with automakers, innovative new-car dealers and allied professionals; and a networking lunch and reception.

"Conference attendees will gain valuable insight into the new developments in global auto manufacturing and U.S. retailing and hear from industry experts," McConnell said. "Many dealers are what I call 'students of our business.' This event will provide dealers with timely information to stay on top of future trends and gain a competitive advantage. Media attendees and manufacturers will have an opportunity as well to learn more about the dealership side of the auto industry," McConnell added.

John Symes, who represents Southern California on NADA's board of directors, said holding an automotive industry conference on the West Coast is long overdue.

"Dealers, as well as industry executives, should attend this conference to see what is happening in California. It's one of the largest and most vibrant markets in the world," added Symes, president of the Symes Automotive Group in Pasadena, Calif., and a member of the GLANCDA.

The NADA Story
The NADA story began in 1917 when 30 auto dealers traveled to the nation's capital to convince Congress not to impose a luxury tax on the automobile. They successfully argued that the automobile is a necessity of American life, not a luxury. From that experience was born the National Automobile Dealers Association. Today, NADA represents nearly 16,000 new-car and -truck dealers, with 32,500 franchises, both domestic and international. For more information, visit www.nada.org or follow NADA on Facebook.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings and more, visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About the Los Angeles Auto Show
As the first major North American auto show of the season, the 2012 L.A. Auto Show will host some of the industry's most important new-vehicle debuts and set the tone for the rest of the year. The dates are November 28-29 for press and November 30 to December 9 for the public. Media registration opens in September. Following press days, the event is one of the best attended public auto shows in the world. To receive the latest show news and information, follow the L.A. Auto Show on Twitter, visit the Facebook page and sign up for alerts at LAAutoShow.com.

SOURCE National Automobile Dealers Association

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED