All Eyes Set on Dallas

We had a very successful Total Access Spring Meeting in Las Vegas, and I would like to thank everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to be with us for what was a productive and informative event.

We inducted Cox Family Office CEO Sandy Schwartz into the NAAA Hall of Fame, we honored retired Cox Automotive CPO Janet Barnard as an Industry Pioneer, and we celebrated the life of our dear friend Tom Caruso, who served as NAAA president in 2006.

We heard from Glenn Mercer about the impact of the chip shortage, the growth of EVs, and what the future could hold for inventory levels. We had an engaging panel with industry experts about solutions to improve recruitment processes and to gain a clear understanding of the current job market. We also had productive committee meetings to discuss the latest issues and ways our industry can collaborate on auction standards, legislation, safety, and education and training. We celebrated with an NAAA Appreciation Concert featuring Kool and the Gang and auctioned off a signed Kool and the Gang guitar to benefit the Tom Caruso Memorial Scholarship Fund.

As we move into spring, we are pleased to be continuing our auction and industry partner visits, and we look forward to a busy spring and summer season. While we continue the important work of the association, all eyes are set on Dallas for our 2022 Annual Convention, which will be held September 6-9, 2022 at the Dallas Sheraton. We are planning an exciting event for you that will build off items we learned at our Spring Meeting that will help advance our industry.

At the convention, we will cover important issues such as security at our auctions and the latest with legislation and auction standards. We will offer a variety of education opportunities about diversity and inclusion and leadership training, and we will hear from renowned speaker Scott Stratten about “The Age of Disruption.” And of course, we will find time to have some country music fun with a concert by ACM Award winner Jake Owen.

These are just some of the offerings that are being planned for our convention. This is an exciting time for our industry. After we had such a productive meeting in Las Vegas, I look forward to seeing all of you later this year in Dallas to continue the important work that we have started. We will continue to keep you informed with more details about the convention leading up to September. In the meantime, thank you for all that you do for our industry, and keep up the great work!