With Day 1 of Digital Dealer Conference & Expo 2025 in the books, let’s take a look at the exciting sights from the jam packed first day of the event!
Before any networking or learning could be done, first attendees had to head to badge pick-up to make sure they were prepared to talk Digital Dealer 2025 in earnest.
Next attendees were able to stop by our networking breakfast to get ready for the rest of the day and talk shop with other dealers and industry experts.
#DDCE2025 officially kicked off with our stellar keynote from Car Guy Coffee, Acceleration by Adaptation: Upgrade Your Thinking. Advance Your Future! Change is constant. Growth is optional. In this session, attendees discovered how adaptation isn’t the enemy of stability, it is the very accelerator of success.
Next was the Expo Hall Grand Opening, as attendees were able to explore our expanded expo hall for product demos, networking and more!
It wasn’t just booths out on the expo floor though, there were also the high value talks that were given at the DealerTech Live Stage and the Car Wars Booth!
Over at Car Wars Booth #625, Kevin Frye, Marketing & eCommerce Director at Jeff Wyler Automotive Family gave his insightful talk “Your Marketing is Working, But Your Phones Are Breaking the Funnel.” Frye shared how to close the loop between marketing and phones, and what dealerships need to do to ensure their phone handling keeps up with their advertising efforts.
One more big highlight on the DealerTech Live Stage was the Solutions Showcase where attendees got an early look at the latest and greatest offerings from a variety of vendors before they hit the market.
After lunch, attendees were able to head over to their choice of our brand-new expert-led talks. There they learned valuable insights on everything from AI to dealership marketing and built the core of what they’ll be diving into deeper on Day 2.
Noah Lee gave another great talk, this time up on the Keynote Stage, titled: “Driving Change: Trends Shaping Tomorrow’s Dealership.” From shifting generational expectations to the rise of AI-powered shopping journeys, the session unpacked the trends driving consumer behavior and dealership transformation. Lee explored how to rethink and improve customer experience, streamline operations, and embrace digital retailing—not as a tech upgrade, but as a mindset shift.
After Lee, Christina Cuatto, Senior Director, Product at DealerOn and Kelli Liddane, Senior Director of UX at DealerOn took to the Keynote Stage for their talk “The Future of Automotive Ecommerce: Optimizing Your Inventory Experience.” The session challenged automotive dealers to rethink how they showcase inventory, simplify the browsing experience, and increase engagement along with leads and sales.
Over at Islander D, Matthew Davis, CMO of TradePending had his session all about video marketing titled: “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Video, But Were Afraid to Ask.” The session covered the data that made the case for video in both sales and service, the various alternatives you can choose from, everything from your own phone to purpose-built software. It also explored tons of best practices, everything from how to get started, which videos to prioritize first, and how to advance beyond the basics.
While most of the attendees were at sessions, the AI Hackathon was also in full swing with teams battling it out to create innovative AI-driven marketing solutions for the automotive industry. We’ll learn more about the outcomes of the Hackathon on Day 2 during Brent Wees talk, “AI Hacks: Best Practices & Takeaways from AI Hackathon.”
Finally, the day ended with the Expo Hall Mixer as well as the Women’s Meetup over at the Pit Stop. Stay tuned for more great photos and insights from Day 2 of DDCE2025!