SEATTLE — Founded in 1948, the National Auto Auction Association (NAAA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the needs of the wholesale auto auction industry. The association is made up of around 340 regular auction members, as well as 140 associate members that are part of different vehicle remarketing segments — including suppliers and publishers. Every year, the NAAA hosts a convention that reinforces its commitment to the industry and provides a high-quality experience that members cannot get anywhere else.
“The NAAA World Remarketing Convention is a gathering point for industry partners, auction representatives and our ancillary businesses to share best practices, make connections within the industry and really hear about trends and opportunities that exist,” NAAA President Eddie Lafferty said. “It’s the premier gathering for getting all of us together.”
This year, NAAA members will gather at The Westin Seattle on Sept. 28-Oct. 1. The event, which typically attracts 250 to 400 professionals annually, has seen more attendees coming in primarily because of the quality education it offers.
For example, in recent years, attendees have been extremely concerned about AI and the impact it will have on the future of their business.
“It’s a brand-new technology that’s driving change throughout the industry on every level. It’s also creating risks for some of our associates and members, so we’re definitely trying to stay on top of that to give our membership tools to help them protect themselves and leverage it properly,” Lafferty explained. “I think it’s all about the content that’s continuing to evolve that keeps the interest and momentum of the convention going.”
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This momentum is built through the NAAA’s marketing, which includes its presence on social media, especially LinkedIn, and direct email campaigns. In addition, the association gets a great deal of traction from the heavy advertising it does in trade magazines, and outreach efforts from each of its chapters.
Quality Content Curated with Care
The 2026 NAAA World Remarketing Convention will include sessions that address issues like evaluating electric vehicles before a sale, listening to a buyer’s needs, transportation fraud and how to navigate the direction of an auction for future success. Topics like these are curated based on input from the organization’s four chapters, the board of directors and the executive committee.
“It’s a long process. We begin immediately after the show ends and start working on the very next agenda,” Lafferty explained. “It takes a year to plan it all out and get the sessions done. There’s a wealth of inputs that come in from many different resources.”
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Thanks to these knowledgeable resources, the word of mouth for NAAA World Remarketing Convention is strong and constant, with attendees always keeping the quality of the content top of mind when considering the event’s ROI.
“The content is what really drives the value from the membership because it helps them make decisions about their business,” said Lafferty. “It’s always evolving, but we tend to be well ahead of the curve and timely with the content that we’re providing.”
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