Changes are Coming

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season and enjoyed much deserved time with family and friends. I would also like to wish a Happy New Year to everyone, and we all have much to look forward to in 2022.

Over the last 18 months, change has been the operative word. As the market has changed rapidly, our member auctions have been quick to adjust and adapt. I’m proud to say that as we start the new year, our industry is alive and well, and the same goes for NAAA.

We have embraced the new formula of both a digital and brick and mortar sales component where both can succeed. While many of our member auctions have found success with digital sales, physical auction sites will also continue to be in demand and thrive. Technology and hard work made the marketplace in 2021 thanks in large part to NAAA auctions.

I would like to thank our NAAA committees, which have remained active with continuing the business of the association, and I thank all committee members for their service. Most recently, the NAAA Auction Standards Committee met together in person for a productive 2021 Auction Standards Summit. I thank each committee member for their dedication and hard work in support of our industry.

As we begin 2022, there are many exciting changes to look forward to as we continue to build on lessons learned and apply them to thinking creatively and being innovative wherever possible to meet the needs of our membership and customers.

For starters, we are most excited to announce a new opportunity we are bringing to our members. What has been traditionally known as the annual Spring Business Meeting now has a new name, Total Access. The meeting will be held this year during the NADA Show in Las Vegas, offering NAAA members a chance to network with NADA Show attendees. With the new name comes exciting new content that we are offering, which you will learn about in the pages ahead. For now, please reserve March 10-13, 2022, on your calendars and stay tuned for more information to come!

For another exciting change, NAAA is unveiling new branding. Our association has been The Gold Standard since 1948, as represented by our updated logo. You will learn more in the pages ahead about why NAAA auctions represent the very best of our industry and what it means to do business with our member auctions. There will be plenty of opportunities for your auction to demonstrate your Gold Standard pride.

We are working on several new training offerings including recruitment and social media. We successfully completed diversity and inclusion training and offered economic outlook webinars last fall, and we are always looking to provide educational opportunities of value for our members.

The NAAA Workforce Initiative officially launched at the end of last year. The initiative has a dual purpose: to help people interested in pursuing careers in the auto auction industry find jobs and to help NAAA members in their recruitment of skilled and talented employees. We will be promoting this heavily and sharing more information with you soon.

We are also thinking of ways to improve our convention to provide the best possible value to you, our members. Stay tuned for more information about our 2022 Convention, which will be held September 7-9, 2022, in Dallas.

We have just begun the hard work. With all the exciting changes ahead in 2022, take pride in the fact that you are The Gold Standard of our industry, and keep up the great work!