Government regulations and franchise system top agenda at annual dealer association conference

Government regulations and franchise system top agenda at annual dealer association conference

Dealer associations producing auto show confer separately

Last weeks Summer Meeting of the Automotive Trade Associations (ATAE) in Newport, RI drew dealer association CEOs and senior staff from across the U.S. and Canada representing metro, state and national organizations where mammoth, but mercurial, regulatory issues were front and center, no less than new and ongoing challenges to the franchise system.

WANADA staff representatives were on deck at the ATAE conference with colleagues from MADA, VADA, AIADA and NAMAD grappling with troubling issues such as the regulatory over reach of the newly established Consumer Finance Protection Bureau for its unwarranted venture into the retail automobile business. Another hot button regulatory topic of discussion was the ever elusive, ever changing Affordable Care Act and the disconcerting prospects it is imposing on employers. Then there is the latest challenge to the dealer franchise system, that being Tesla CEO Elon Musks quest to remain dealerless in the retailing of his high end, electronic sports cars, the wisdom of which continues to be bandied about in the press, state legislatures and motor vehicle agencies around the U.S.

Time at the ATAE conference was also allocated to those members of the ATAE dealer association network which form up the Auto Shows of North America group (ASNA) to discuss programs and best practices with OEM exhibitors and various exposition service providers that were on hand. ASNAs mission is to make auto show member organizations all they can be for new car shoppers and dealer associations which produce them. As with ATAE, ASNA covers most major automobile dealer markets across the U.S. and Canada. Besides WANADA, which produces The Washington Auto Show, there are about 40 dealer associations producing auto shows that comprise ASNAs ranks. The ASNA organization, now in its tenth year, is administered by ATAE which is headquartered with NADA in McLean, Virginia.