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PR & News Digital Dealer - Is it Back?

craigh

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What's our take on Digital Dealer in 2026?

We have been going on and off again, but the last few years the ratio of vendors to dealers was quite heavy on the vendor side and we found it fairly unproductive.
This year I noticed the vendor pricing has increased substantially so we are once again trying to decide how to handle this.

They're also in Detroit this year which is new.
Anyone planning on being there?
 
What's our take on Digital Dealer in 2026?

We have been going on and off again, but the last few years the ratio of vendors to dealers was quite heavy on the vendor side and we found it fairly unproductive.
This year I noticed the vendor pricing has increased substantially so we are once again trying to decide how to handle this.

They're also in Detroit this year which is new.
Anyone planning on being there?
I personally wouldn’t expect dealer attendance to increase in Detroit unless they get a big influx of local Metro Detroit dealerships attendees because of the novelty of it being in their own backyard for the first time. It’s just not a great city for hosting a conference.

The exhibitor floor plan still looks a little empty too, so I would definitely be negotiating for a discount if you do choose to attend!
 

✨ AI Highlights

A dealer is questioning whether Digital Dealer 2026 is worth attending after years of skipping due to a vendor-heavy attendee ratio and low ROI for dealership staff. The thread asks the community whether the conference has improved, noting significantly higher vendor pricing this year and a new Detroit location. No strong consensus or replies are yet visible, but the core concern is whether the dealer-to-vendor balance has shifted enough to make attendance worthwhile again.

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