This article was written by Brian Pasch, Founder of Pasch Group and a guest contributor to the AutoSuccess 2026 Digital Marketing Edition, powered by Wikimotive.
Excitement is building for the NADA convention in Las Vegas. Dealers are fielding dozens of vendor calls asking for commitments to parties, private demos and a visit to the vendor’s exhibit hall booth.
Keeping a schedule at NADA is difficult, and it’s not because of the many distractions in Las Vegas. It’s hard walking through the exhibit hall without being stopped by friends, pulled into a conversation, being slowed by sales associates or taking a pit stop to grab an espresso to power through your day.
Dealership leaders who are looking for assistance on where to go and which vendors to visit will benefit from reading through this article. If you are not attending NADA this year, then my suggestions may help you plan your vendor vetting calls in 2026.
AI Communications: Proceed With Caution
Artificial Intelligence will be the big theme for NADA 2026, overtaking the Customer Data Platform (CDP) buzz from NADA 2025.
Dealers seeking to locate the BEST AI tools for their dealership need to ask specific questions from vendors at the show, including:
Which datasets does your AI use to learn about customers and understand how to communicate with them properly?
How will your AI limit communications to consumers if the customer has opted out of email, SMS or phone calls in the CRM?
If a consumer asks to be put on a do-not-contact list, how will the AI agent update the dealer’s CRM and DMS?
Which companies has the AI company partnered with to make sure that the data pulled from the DMS is still accurate?
These questions will help dealers understand that many AI solutions are technology silos. They are also very new, so bi-directional API connections to popular software applications are very limited. AI that uses “dirty” data for customer outreach, or that has no connection to a centralized opt-in/opt-out system, will likely generate more lawsuits than successful sales outcomes.
Companies to visit include Impel, Dealer Funnel, Fullpath, Gubagoo Curator, Podium and the digital voice assistant (DVA) companies listed in the next section.
Digital Voice Assistants: Get Some Demos
The NADA exhibit hall will showcase at least a dozen new companies that have created AI voice platforms that can handle inbound and outbound phone calls. Dealers are likely familiar with STELLA, Cari and Brooke, who were some of the first AI agents for automotive phone systems.
The DVAs that are on the market today are faster and have a greater natural language capability. The newest platforms also have wide support for multiple languages and enhancements that allow for dealer-specific AI training to align with the brand promises of each dealership.
I recommend that dealers visit a few of these DVA companies because their potential is amazing, and we are getting closer to solving the greatest gap in the sales process: phone call handling. One caveat: dealers need to understand their state and local laws concerning the use of outbound AI calling platforms.
Companies to visit include Numa, Spyne, Toma, CarWars, Mia, Pam, BLiNK and ID Privacy.
Customer Data Platforms Are on the Rise
The growth of CDPs in automotive retail has not slowed; it has just been happening more quietly. Progressive dealers are making headway in managing and activating their first-party data, despite the heavy learning curve. While the valid case studies on the impact of CDPs are limited, I know that dealers who are making the right investments will be well rewarded over time.
Dealers need to take their first-party data seriously, which includes addressing and fixing ongoing data hygiene needs. Dealers who see the LIFT in marketing and communication performance after a data update need to be more vocal in educating their peers.
Since I’ve been keeping up with the CDP vendors calling on dealers, I would encourage dealers to revisit companies with which they have not spoken to for over a year. The speed at which integrations and insights are being added to CDP frameworks is blindingly fast.
Companies to visit this year include Client Command, Liminal, Fullpath, PureCars, automotiveMastermind, Foureyes, Tealium, Team Velocity and Force Marketing.
General NADA Shopping Suggestions
There are many articles offering suggestions on how to best prepare for NADA, but let me give you a few of my own.
- If you can, record the demos you have at each vendor booth. This will help you communicate the features and promises made at the show more effectively. It’s common to confuse features and promises between vendors, as you will be speaking with numerous sales associates at the show.
- Create a Calendly account and QR Code link, which will allow vendors to schedule a follow-up call with you. This simple step will reduce the nasty phone tag games that happen after the show, as sales associates ask to book a follow-up call. Do not promise a follow-up call unless you really like the product or service.
- Ask for details on show pricing and discounts, and get them in writing BEFORE any follow-up call.
- Give honest feedback. If the product demo is weak or the product feature set is immature, do not hold back. Vendors need clear, actionable insights from dealers.