If you have been to NADA before, you already know this truth, it is not a normal trade show.

NADA is the Super Bowl of automotive. It is where the best companies in our industry show up with their strongest teams, newest innovations, and biggest plans for the year ahead. It is also where dealership decision makers go to find real solutions, not just brochures and buzzwords.

But here is the problem.

Most people attend NADA and leave money on the table.

Not because they did not walk the floor, but because they did not walk it with a plan.

This article is designed to help you make your time at NADA more productive, more profitable, and a lot less exhausting. I am also going to highlight several booths I strongly recommend you visit, because these are the companies bringing real value to the industry, and they are the ones dealers and vendors should be paying attention to.

If you are attending NADA, put these on your schedule.
If you are not attending, or you are sending another team member, share this article with them so they do not miss out.

Step 1: Decide what a “win” looks like before you arrive

The biggest mistake I see at NADA is people showing up without defining success.

Before you land, decide what you want to leave with:

• 3–5 new vendor relationships worth following up on
• 1–2 new strategies you can implement in Q1
• A clear plan for what you will improve in 2026
• A shortlist of solutions you are seriously evaluating

If you do not define your outcomes, you will spend three days collecting business cards and forgetting why you picked them up.

Step 2: Book meetings early, but leave room for discovery

NADA rewards preparation, but it also rewards flexibility.

My recommendation is simple:

• Schedule your top priority meetings in advance
• Leave open blocks for walking the floor and surprise opportunities
• Do not fill every hour, because the best conversations often happen in the gaps

If you are going with a team, split coverage:

• One person focuses on fixed ops
• One person focuses on marketing and data
• One person focuses on operations and technology

Then regroup each evening and compare notes.

Step 3: Work the show like a professional, not a tourist

NADA is not the place to “browse.”

When you step into a booth, ask questions that force clarity:

• What problem do you solve that is costing me money right now?
• What results are you producing, and for what type of dealers?
• What does implementation look like, and how long does it take?
• What do you need from my team to be successful?
• What does success look like in the first 30, 60, 90 days?

The goal is not to be impressed, the goal is to leave with confidence.

Step 4: Prioritize booths that can move the needle in 2026

You cannot see everything. So focus on solutions that hit the biggest levers:

Fixed Ops growth and retention

That is where most dealers can generate faster profit, with less overhead, and less market volatility.

Data quality and smarter marketing execution

Because most dealerships are still wasting money due to dirty data, poor targeting, and inconsistent follow up.

Trust, reputation, and conversion

Because buyers are more skeptical than ever, and trust is now a competitive advantage.

The Best Booths to Visit at NADA 2026

These are companies I recommend because they are bringing real solutions, real innovation, and real outcomes to dealerships.

ProfitKeeperPro | Booth #6560N

If you care about fixed ops profitability, this is a must see booth.

ProfitKeeperPro is a Fixed Ops Risk Management Platform designed to help dealerships identify missed labor, shop supply issues, parts problems, and unauthorized discounts in real time. It gives you daily visibility into exceptions that quietly drain gross profit.

Why it matters:
Most dealers are leaking profit every single day and do not know where it is happening. This is how you find it fast.

NUMA | Booth #3401W

Your service drive loses revenue every time a call goes unanswered. NUMA is solving that problem with AI.

NUMA’s AI Smart Inbox captures calls, texts, and messages, helps book appointments, sends proactive updates, and escalates issues in real time, with DMS integration.

Why it matters:
Speed to response and communication wins in fixed ops, and this is a direct path to more appointments and better customer experience.

Dealer Merchant Services | Booth #6112N

Payments are a bigger part of customer experience than most dealers realize.

Dealer Merchant Services helps dealerships streamline payment workflows, reduce friction, and modernize transactions with dealer focused support.

Dealerwing | Booth #3309W

If retention and smarter service marketing matter to you, go here.

Dealerwing starts with data cleanup and validation, then uses AI to identify the highest profit service opportunities in your PMA. They execute multi-channel marketing, including direct mail, email, text, social, and BDC outreach, with reporting that ties back to results.

They are also hosting an after party and culinary event at Nobu at Caesars Palace, and you can visit their booth to get your pass.

BG Products | Booth #4201W

BG is one of the strongest brands in the service lane, and they continue to push innovation.

They are featuring SmartVMA®, which helps dealerships present maintenance needs using VIN specific recommendations and visual presentations that customers understand.

Why it matters:
Higher service penetration, higher RO value, better retention, and more customer confidence, without slowing down the lane.

Savvy Dealer | Booth #6760N

If you are tired of marketing dashboards that look good but do not sell cars, this is a smart stop.

Savvy Dealer is introducing what they call the “Anti Dashboard Dashboard,” designed to answer the real questions dealers should be asking, what is driving appointments, what is selling units, and where money is being wasted.

Dr. ColorChip | Booth #6741N

Dealers spend a fortune outsourcing paint chip and scratch repairs. This is how you bring that work in house.

Dr. ColorChip helps dealerships handle cosmetic repairs internally, reduce recon costs, improve turnaround time, and improve inventory presentation.

Why it matters:
Speed and presentation sell cars, and recon delays cost money.

Reputation Sensei | Booth #2001W

I have been saying it for years, trust is not branding anymore, it is lead generation.

Reputation Sensei helps dealers turn customer experiences into stronger review volume, better SEO, and more qualified leads that convert.

They are also presenting “Beyond Google Reviews: NextLevel TRUST Marketing” at Booth #2001W.

C-4 Analytics | Booth #4851W

If you want to stop guessing and start making smarter marketing decisions, do not miss this booth.

C-4 Analytics is offering a free market analysis to show dealers their digital performance, competitive gaps, and next steps to improve efficiency and gain market share.

They also have multiple sessions happening at their booth.

My Best Practices for Getting Maximum ROI from NADA

Here is the simple playbook I recommend.

1) Start each morning with a “must see” list

Pick 5 booths, not 50.

Go deep, ask questions, and take notes.

2) Take photos of what matters

Not the giveaways, the screens, the messaging, the proof points, the pricing structures, the offers, the value props.

3) Do not leave a booth without a next step

The best question you can ask is:

“What is the best next step after NADA if we want to explore this seriously?”

If there is no next step, it was just a conversation.

4) Attend the sessions that align with your priorities

The floor is busy. Sessions give you signal.

For example, C-4 Analytics and PREMION are hosting sessions tied to ad performance and CTV, and Reputation Sensei is addressing next level trust marketing, these topics matter in 2026.

5) Debrief every night

If you are there with a team, spend 20 minutes each evening answering:

• What did we see that we did not expect?
• What is worth following up on?
• What can we implement immediately?
• What is the one thing we should not ignore?

That is how you turn a show into a strategy.

Share This With Your Team So They Do Not Miss These Booths

If you are attending NADA, make these booths part of your plan.

If you are not attending, but you have a dealership team member going, send them this article and tell them to visit these companies. These are the vendors who are showing up with real solutions, real innovation, and real value.

And if you are not attending NADA at all, I will say it anyway.

Do not overlook these companies.

They are the best of the best at NADA, and they can help you make 2026 your strongest year yet.