AADA Convention and Expo
MCEC Melbourne | 21-22 July 2027
Sponsor advertisement
AADA Convention and Expo
MCEC Melbourne | 21-22 July 2027
Sponsor advertisement
Australia’s franchised new car dealers are operating in one of the most complex and fast-moving automotive markets in recent memory.
Margins remain under pressure. Brand competition is increasing. Consumer expectations are changing. Electrification, technology, taxation, regulation, Australian Consumer Law, franchising reform and dealer-manufacturer relations are all shaping the way dealerships operate.
For dealers, this is not a theoretical policy environment.
It affects the day-to-day reality of running a dealership, investing in people, supporting customers, negotiating with manufacturers and planning for the future.
That is why Your AADA at Work is such an important part of the AADA 2026 Main Stage program.
Presented by James Voortman, AADA CEO, this focused 25-minute session will give delegates a clear update on how AADA is advocating for dealers in a challenging and volatile automotive market.
Taking place on Wednesday 29 July at 3:30pm on the Main Stage, Your AADA at Work will form part of the AADA Commonwealth Bank Keynote Session.
The session is designed to give delegates a concise, practical view of AADA’s work over the past 12 months and the issues now shaping the year ahead.
James Voortman will provide an update on AADA’s advocacy priorities, key industry announcements, recent studies and the growing benefits of the AADA Dealer Academy.
He will also recap the 2026 AADA Lifetime Achievement Award winners, first recognised at the Chairman’s Dinner the previous evening, before looking ahead to the opportunities, risks and initiatives now on the horizon.
For dealer principals, executives, general managers and industry partners, this is a chance to hear directly from AADA about the work being done to support and represent Australia’s franchised new car dealer network.
The scale of Australia’s franchised dealer network is significant.
AADA’s DealerNomics 2026 highlights the economic contribution of Australia’s new car and truck dealers, including billions in economic activity, tens of thousands of dealer employees, thousands of apprentices and millions of workshop jobs each year.
That scale matters because dealer businesses are not just retail outlets.
They are local employers, training providers, customer service centres, compliance points, finance and mobility partners, and essential infrastructure for motorists across metropolitan and regional Australia.
When policy settings change, dealers feel it.
When manufacturers alter distribution models, dealer agreements or commercial terms, dealers feel it.
When consumer law expectations, EV transition pressures or taxation settings shift, dealers feel it.
AADA’s role is to make sure the dealer voice is heard in those discussions.
AADA’s national advocacy work covers some of the most important issues affecting franchised new car dealers.
This includes franchising reform, unfair trading practices, unfair contract terms, Australian Consumer Law, supplier indemnification, vehicle emissions policy, taxation, EV transition, and the wider regulatory settings affecting dealer businesses.
Many of these issues come down to a simple question: how can Australia maintain a strong, competitive and sustainable franchised dealer network while the industry continues to change?
For dealers, the answer requires more than adaptation at dealership level.
It also requires policy settings that recognise the role dealers play, the risks they carry, and the imbalance that can exist between local dealer businesses and large multinational manufacturers.
Your AADA at Work will give delegates an opportunity to understand where that advocacy is focused, what progress has been made and what still needs attention.
Advocacy is only one part of AADA’s work.
The session will also cover the growing benefits of the AADA Dealer Academy, which has been developed to support practical, automotive-specific training for dealership teams.
As dealerships face increasing complexity across compliance, sales, service, management, customer experience and operations, workforce capability is becoming more important than ever.
The AADA Dealer Academy is designed to help dealers strengthen that capability with practical learning built around real dealership roles and needs.
For business owners and managers, the Academy represents an important addition to AADA’s member support: not just advocating for better conditions, but helping dealer businesses build stronger teams from within.
Your AADA at Work will also include a recap of the 2026 AADA Lifetime Achievement Award winners, first recognised at the Chairman’s Dinner.
These awards are an important reminder that Australia’s dealer network has been built by people and families who have invested deeply in their businesses, their staff, their customers and their communities.
At a time when the industry is focused heavily on transformation and future disruption, it is worth recognising the leaders who have shaped the dealer network over many decades.
Their stories also connect directly to the broader theme of AADA 2026: Leading the Way.
The final part of the session will look to the future.
For dealers, the next 12 months will bring continued change across regulation, technology, vehicle supply, consumer behaviour, EV adoption, competition and commercial relationships with manufacturers.
Your AADA at Work will give delegates a clear sense of the issues AADA is watching, the priorities it is pursuing and the areas where dealers should stay engaged.
It is a short session, but an important one.
In 25 minutes, delegates will hear how AADA is working on behalf of dealers, where the policy and advocacy focus sits, how member initiatives are developing, and what lies ahead for the industry.
The 2026 AADA Convention & Expo will take place on 29-30 July at ICC Sydney, bringing together Australia’s franchised new car dealer network for two days of industry insight, practical discussion and connection.
Your AADA at Work will be presented by James Voortman, AADA CEO, on Wednesday 29 July at 3:30pm on the Main Stage as part of the AADA Commonwealth Bank Keynote Session.
Get up to date on how AADA is advocating for dealers in a challenging and volatile automotive market.
