McLEAN, Va. — The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) will offer 63 workshops presented by 100 speakers in 171 sessions at the 2014 NADA-ATD Convention & Exposition, scheduled for Jan 24-27 in New Orleans. Nearly half of the speakers will be new to the convention workshop program. 

Organized and sponsored by NADA University Online, the education and training arm of NADA, these sessions are designed to give new-car and light-truck dealers the information and training they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing retail market. 

“The workshop program is one of the great attractions of the NADA convention, and this year’s program is the most comprehensive and information-packed ever offered,” said Kenneth C. Vance, chairperson of the NADA’s Dealership Operations Committee and a new-car dealer in Eau Claire, Wis. “There is no other ‘one-stop-learning’ opportunity like this anywhere for dealers and managers to gain the insights and ideas they need to drive up performance and profitability as soon as they get back to their stores.”

The 2014 convention will feature seven workshop tracks, including:

• Dealer/Executive: Education solutions designed exclusively for the executive suite, with workshops ranging from legal and regulatory matters, managing multiple locations, tax and succession planning, fraud prevention and more.

• Human Resources: Training on recruiting, hiring, retirement plans and “soft skills.”

• Legal and Regulatory: Sessions on legal and regulatory issues, such as cash reporting, OSHA compliance, Red Flags, UNICAP, HAPs and FMLA.

• Internet and Marketing: Training on Internet marketing for both variable and fixed operations, including online auctions, social media and video search marketing, as well as computer policies and selecting IT vendors, and controller issues.

• Sales, Business Office/F&I: Education on legal matters, advertising and marketing, new and used sales (including trade appraisals, CPO programs, leasing and auctions), F&I, inventory management and automotive CRM.

Parts: Training for parts managers and employees, including such topics as inventory control, Hazmat transportation regulations, accessories sales, and service and parts communication.

Service and Body Shop: Sessions for service managers, service advisors, technicians, and collision center/body shop staff on such topics as technician retention, ROI analysis, performance analysis and absorption.

Workshops that may be of particular interest include: “Hard Sell: How to Hire Females and Gen Y,” and “Strategies for Retaining the Best Employees,” which will draw on insights from the newly released 2013 Dealership Workforce Study. “Healthcare Reform Update: 2014 and Beyond” and “Healthcare 2014: Thrive in the Obamacare Era” are two sessions designed to help dealers evaluate options and determine the best course of action for complying with the Affordable Care Act. 

To access the complete workshop schedule, visit www.nadaconvention.org and click on “Workshops.”