LOS ANGELES – The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), in partnership with J.D. Power and Associates, announced the creation of the Western Automotive Conference, which will be held the day before the Los Angeles Auto Show opens to press on Nov. 27 at the Biltmore Hotel.

“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.

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, 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.”