Latest / Auto Collabs / Why the LA Auto Show Is About More Than Just New Cars with Andy Steinhauser

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Why the LA Auto Show Is About More Than Just New Cars with Andy Steinhauser · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  Greet and smile, own the problem, look the part, deliver the wow.
• 0:03
  I may be having a terrible day, but then when I go out behind that crew door and I'm into the public areas, these people that pay thousands of dollars, they don't care.
• 0:11
  You gotta check that at the door, and you gotta come out here and, "Hi." That's what they paid for. Give it to 'em. [upbeat music] This is Auto Collabs.
• 0:25
  We're, like, the most West Coast, non-West Coast people in auto right now. [laughs] What is that even supposed to mean? It's unbelievable. What does that mean? I mean, I did grow up on the West Coast.
• 0:33
  I'm n- I'm never a West Coast person, but we're just talking about the West Coast so much, you know? Yeah. Because we've never really... Like, auto doesn't do a great job at serving the West Coast.
• 0:43
  Hey, we better not be the reason there's, like, a West Coast, East Coast rivalry like the MTV awards- No, we're, we're bringing them together... of 1998. No, we're the unifiers. Yes. We're the unifiers.
• 0:54
  We're, we're here to make sure that never happens. [laughs] My, my kids, because, you know, the '90s are the old days, they're like, "You lived through the Tupac, Biggie fiasco?" [laughs] Yeah, but here's the thing.
• 1:07
  There was no social media, so we only saw it on, like, Entertainment Tonight- Yeah, MTV-... which I wasn't allowed to watch... ET. Yeah. Yeah, I wasn't allowed to watch either. No, I couldn't watch that.
• 1:14
  I heard it from my friends at school. [laughs] I heard it from... So we j- so we just have the T-shirt, I guess. Yeah, we're not doing that. We're creating community. Correct. Community.
• 1:20
  We're connecting the, we're connecting the East to the West. Hey, today's guest, Andy Steinhauser, has become a, a great friend.
• 1:26
  Last year we went to, uh, LA Automobility, which is, uh, kind of the press and media day before the big LA Auto Show, and had a, such a blast that we're going back next year.
• 1:35
  We have a partnership, uh, with, uh, Sodikon West to make sure our Sodikon West dealers go to this event the very next day and hang out as well.
• 1:42
  So, uh, we hope you enjoy this conversation we have with the always lively Andy Steinhauser. [upbeat music] Andy, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for joining us today. I feel like I have, um...
• 1:57
  It's like, uh, when, when you're, you know, this is something I watch all the time. [laughs] So to like, first time, you know, first time caller, long time listener. Like, I'm in. I watch the show. Yeah.
• 2:05
  [laughs] Like I've, I've made it in. [laughs] And I, I'm so excited- Okay, so what's-... 'cause like I watch this, a lot of- What's your question for the show today, Andy? No. [laughs] Yeah, right. Yeah.
• 2:11
  [laughs] It's amazing. Like, I watch this and I kn- like I know people who've been on this show, [laughs] and I'm like, "Oh, look, they're the..." You know, it's like- This is what it feels like. It's so underwhelming.
• 2:19
  [laughs] Maybe. Yeah, I, I'm, I'm a little- You know- Yeah... it, it's so, it's so funny because, like, I, I, I know that feeling because, you know, we do podcasts and shows and we have our own live events. Right.
• 2:28
  But, uh, suddenly you, like, go to speak at someone else's show or be on someone else's podcast, and you're like, "I hope I serve this well," you know? It's like, I- [laughs] You know. You actually have...
• 2:37
  Y- you, you let us know beforehand, you actually have quite a history in the show business, right? [laughs] It's not just, like, the auto show business. Which... The auto show business?
• 2:45
  [laughs] Like, walk us back a little bit because I think that that's, it's a super interesting journey to, to find yourself- Yeah...
• 2:52
  like, deeply rooted in one of the largest auto shows in the country, but now, like- Yeah... but you've come from a very, kind of diff- a different background. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's, it's funny, you know?
• 3:02
  Like, so I'm from, I'm from a small town in Georgia originally. I'm from Columbus, Georgia. Growing up I thought there was two jobs in automotive, build, sell. That was it, you know? Yeah.
• 3:12
  So I never thought about this industry as, like, something for me, even though w- I do think I would have crushed in car sales. I do believe that. [laughs] For sure. You know? Oh, are you kidding me? Yeah, right?
• 3:22
  [laughs] I know you well enough to know that's true. Yeah. So- Yeah, you would've... I, I did never do it, but...
• 3:28
  So I have this, you know, I, I graduate college in, I won't do the age, age myself too much, but in the, in the early 2000s.
• 3:36
  Um, and, uh, at the time, you know, there was, like, really kind of a rough job market, and so, 'cause it was post 9/11, and I went to go work on cruise ships.
• 3:44
  And that was like, "I'm gonna do this for five months, and then I'm gonna move to LA." So that was, oh, you know, I went to Alaska, then I got to go here, and then, oh, now I can go to the Caribbean, and then it...
• 3:55
  Eight and a half- That's a while... almost nine years later, [laughs] um, I- How, how often were you out on the cruise ship? Like, what's the- So- How many weeks a year? Yeah.
• 4:03
  I would go, so when I started, I was like a staff member, and I would work, like, five and a ha- five, two to six months, and then I'll have six weeks to max two months off.
• 4:12
  And then I got promoted in about two years, a little more than two years in the game, and then I was on a manager's contract, which is four months on, two months off. Okay. Oh, wow.
• 4:23
  And then I was an assistant cruise director for two and a half years, and then I got, um, had this really great opportunity to go basically, as we often do, right, to another cru- to a rival cruise line.
• 4:34
  I worked- As a director? Yes. And I got the promotion and the step up. And so- I wanna be on the cruise that you're the director of. For sure. That's all I'm gonna say. [laughs] It was... Okay.
• 4:41
  Guys, like, 2008, okay, cruise director, 28 years old, like- Top of the world. Yeah. [laughs] I mean, I thought I was- Just international waters.
• 4:53
  [laughs] I, I, you could, you could not have told me that I was not, like, world famous and so important at that time. [laughs] Because...
• 5:03
  And meanwhile, nobody, not a single person knew me beyond that, um, you know, beyond the 2,000 people that would be on the cruise ship at the time that I was talking to them.
• 5:12
  But it was interesting experience because it was like, my job was to make sure that everybody, you know, enjoyed the entertainment, had a good time. I was like the chief communications officer of the ship. Mm-hmm.
• 5:22
  It was like, "Hey, there's a safety drill. Everybody has to go [laughs] to where you're supposed to go." So I had all these different little hats that I would wear.
• 5:30
  I managed a team of 85 people, and it was a really robust job for a young person at the time. Yeah.
• 5:36
  But I loved it, and I was like, my boss at the time was like, when I left, he was like, "Hey, you were a thoroughbred," like, you know? "You just, like, you went out there and you just, like, ran."
• 5:45
  I think, I think what's so- And I sprinted for, like-... interesting to me, Andy- Yeah... is, like, that origin story is so... To,
• 5:53
  what I find is some of the people that are the most influential or maybe not even, like, fully influential, but at the center of some of the broader scope things in our industry, they have a deep-rooted history in hospitality.
• 6:05
  And actually- Yes... I think- Yeah... that hospitality thing- Yeah... is so much cruise ship, right? You know- Taking and carrying that I'm so, I'm so grateful for that experience.
• 6:15
  Like, when I worked for Royal Caribbean, the standards were so strict. I mean, like, I can still recite them, you know, gold standards. You know, greet and smile, own the problem, look the part, deliver the wow.
• 6:25
  Like- [laughs] Wow... and those core philosophies, like, ingrained in you, like, four times a year. Like, [laughs] you know- Yeah...
• 6:31
  just, like, you have to go through that training again and again and again and teach it to other people. It really did set a standard- Slow down, though. Slow down, though- Yeah...
• 6:38
  because I think we can just, like, give a learning moment to everyone real quick. Yeah. Because, uh- Oh, yeah...
• 6:43
  you just, like, spouted off gold standards, but I think that anybody in any business can probably take that and know the- Oh, okay... know the Royal Caribbean brand- Oh my God... know what it means, right?
• 6:52
  Especially automotive retail. Can you imagine- Yeah... if you, if everybody in automotive retail, you walk in and they thought like this? Greet and smile. Everybody you see, "Hi, how are you?" Like, I... It's okay.
• 7:02
  You know what?
• 7:03
  I may be having a terrible day, but then when I go out behind that crew door and I'm into the public areas, these people that pay thousands of dollars, and it might be their only vacation they ever go on in their life or that year or whatever it is, they don't care.
• 7:18
  And you know what? You gotta check that at the door and you gotta come out here and, "Hi." That's what they paid for. Give it to them, you know? That's right. "Hi."
• 7:25
  You know, and then when you flip it, like, from a perspective of, like, a retailer, it's like, "I sell," and, like, "I may make money off of this transaction." [laughs] Like, you're definitely incentivized to hi. Right.
• 7:33
  That you didn't already pay. You... I need you to pay, right? Yeah. I think, I think this is... When you f- when you, we boil down retail and hospitality- Mm-hmm... and customer service- Mm...
• 7:43
  and we try to, like, get the, get the gold- Yeah... what's at the bottom? That distilled little bit, and you just ripped off those four things. Yeah. It's distilled, right? A l- Yeah...
• 7:52
  that, a lot of other actions can be encompassed in doing that, but if we could just get a few things right- Mm-hmm... it's, it's, I will say it's simple, but it's not easy, right?
• 8:05
  Yeah, it's- That's why you had to even- Yeah... be drilled it four times a year. Yeah, yeah. Right? Always. 'Cause it's simple, but it's not easy to do.
• 8:12
  It is, and yet I think that's really important, and especially you gotta remember, like, when I started, I was 23. I thought I knew everything in the world. Like, you know, you couldn't tell me- [laughs]... anything.
• 8:21
  Like, there, everybody is in, at some point, in that type of phase. Like, [laughs] they're not just walking on board like- Oh, yeah... "Teach me, coach. I'm ready"...
• 8:27
  dealerships across the country are full of that phase. Yep. Right. [laughs] So, you know, like, I was a good student, and I would... I was happy to do it. Uh, I was a good student on the cruise ships.
• 8:35
  I wasn't the best student in college, just transparently. [laughs] But, um- [laughs] But I- That's fair. Look- Uh, transparently- That's fair. It only took time for all of us... you didn't need to be bright.
• 8:42
  You're- You know? You're just fine. Yeah. [laughs] I was, I d- I was busy. I was the captain of the swim team. I had a fraternity. I had a lot of things, [laughs] social life to run.
• 8:50
  I w- actually, that's probably prepped you better for your career- Than all the learning parts... as a cruise director- Yeah... than any of the math classes, right? Fraternity and the swim team.
• 8:58
  Yeah, I won the O'Donnell... and the swim classes. Same, same. Literally, it, it maps exactly to what you were doing. [laughs] Rallying the team. Making sure the- I can't wait to map-... the team was hyped...
• 9:05
  all these lines to your current role, too, because I'm sure they're coming. [laughs] You know what I'm saying? Well, let's talk about the current role. So we, we were very fortunate- Yeah...
• 9:12
  to connect with you all and- Yeah... visit our first LA- Yes... Auto Mobility show last year and, and see a little bit- I was so glad you did that... of the, the bigger show.
• 9:20
  And this year we're, we're going, we're coming back because we had such- We're coming back... a great time. We're going bigger. And we're tying it in to our- We're auto week... Auto Show Con West all week. Yeah.
• 9:27
  We're trying to get all of our people to say, "Hey, like, come over. Check out what's going on over at Auto Mobility, and if you're, like, really like the show, like, stay for the show."
• 9:35
  A lot of dealers and GMs, they love cars, and th- that preview day. Yes.
• 9:39
  But let's talk about the relationship between the LA Auto Show and Auto Mobility, because they're together, but there's some unique identity- Yeah... in the Auto Mobility day. We felt comfortable- Totally...
• 9:48
  there because it was, like, a press day. Yeah. It was, like, a behind-the-scenes kind of day. Yeah. But why don't you give us a little bit of the origin and what, what- Yeah... Auto Mobility actually is. Yeah, totally.
• 9:56
  So auto shows in general have always kind of b- the majors, the global shows, like the LA, the New York, the- The true big ones... you know, Paris, the Frankfurt.
• 10:04
  They, they've always kind of operated on this concept of, uh, a m- mainly a media day to kick things off, where it's like, "Now we show the new car first. Everybody, you can't see it till then. Then you see it."
• 10:15
  That has evolved over the years, and then we open up to consumers, and we let the consumers, you know, kinda come and enjoy the experience, and ideally, like, the, the media moment fuels the consumer interest in the show, and they- Mm-hmm...
• 10:25
  they work hand-in-hand. Yeah. Over the years, we at the LA Auto Show, we're kind of unique.
• 10:31
  We really listen to the audience, and we really look at who's attending and, you know, who's showing up and who wants to come and who wants to connect.
• 10:39
  And so we've kind of evolved the day from just, like, media day, because brands are doing that d- a little differently now. Mm-hmm.
• 10:46
  And what we're really focused on is bringing the industry together and the media together all in one place, and this is everyone in the industry, right? This is automotive retail.
• 10:55
  This is, you know, the senior C-level suite brass. This is suppliers. This is, you know, educators that serve the space, and of course, the media, and that now means creators, right? Mm-hmm. That's not just NBC.
• 11:07
  You know, [laughs] the, we have creator. Everybody kinda comes. A- all the marketing engines, the agencies that, you know, produce, the, the event producers. Everybody plays a part in this.
• 11:16
  And over the years, it's just kind of, the necessity of it has evolved, and it is now kinda distilled into one great day where we see all the new product first and foremost.
• 11:26
  The consumers c- now, if you're just like, "I love cars. I wanna come to the first day," no. You will come on Friday. You gotta wait. Yeah. Yeah. [laughs] Like, you're, sorry. Like, you're not, you can't come.
• 11:35
  You gotta be in the business, um, or related to the business. Um, and then, and/or media, right? So we, we bring everybody together. We show that we, you know, the, the automakers will do their press events.
• 11:45
  They will show us what's new and/or maybe give us a tease about the focus.
• 11:49
  And what we found also is that even if a, a brand is not, like, you know, pulling a curtain off a car, you'll walk in the booth and you'll say, "I've never seen that one. I've never seen [laughs] that one.
• 11:58
  This is, I've only seen that one online." That's right. Yeah. So I think from a perspective of, like, a, an automotive retailer, this is an incredible experience on a number of reasons. Number one- Yeah...
• 12:10
  is the networking, right? You wanna platform yourself as somebody who is a part of the business, not just, like, who works at the dealership over there and, you know, that's the end of it. Like- Mm...
• 12:19
  if you have a, a serious interest in being a career automotive, you know, in, in this industry- Yeah... this, you have to come. Like, you must come.
• 12:27
  But also, maybe if you just kind of really focused on your, your automotive retail job and you just wanna be really good at it, you've gotta come because this is your chance.
• 12:36
  In one day- You know, you work at, you work at, uh, Nissan, let's say, right? You get to go walk in every Hyundai- Mm-hmm... every Honda, every competition. That's, that for me, I remember when, when we- Yeah...
• 12:48
  so here in Nashville- Oh, yeah... we would always staff, uh, the, the stores that I ran. Mm-hmm. We, we helped staff the, the OEM booth. Yeah.
• 12:55
  But I told all my people, and I would every single time go around to every- Every competition... single exhibition because it allowed me to have a much broader scope for the newest technology.
• 13:05
  You might see the three-year-old- 100%... used car sitting on your lot. Yeah. But you're not seeing what everybody else- You don't know what's current... is coming out with, right? That's right. I learned that firsthand.
• 13:12
  So much fun. Right? It is, and it is fun, right? And w- and this day especially is fun. We have, like, a bunch of networking events.
• 13:18
  We have a networking breakfast that everyone that's, you know, an attendee is invited to. Um, that's, and it's good. Like, we bring out food truck, but they're gourmet food trucks. You guys got to eat.
• 13:27
  And, uh- That is good... coffee, complimentary coffee. We have networking lunch. We were happy. We'll have a happy hour. We've got a couple of surprises. Like, uh- [laughs]...
• 13:35
  there's gonna be a lot of really cool stuff happening throughout the day, and then a huge thought leadership forum, um, that's happening in the kinda second half of the day.
• 13:42
  So we have a main stage with really excellent content. We have great partners and sponsors this year. So there's gonna be a lot of just prime networking.
• 13:49
  It is, you know, my advice is if you come on the day is, like, even if you're not, you gotta, you gotta, [laughs] you gotta turn on your gold standards, and you gotta turn on your extrovert because it's an extrovert's day.
• 14:00
  It's like, even if it will, you're an introvert and it will drain your battery to zero, you gotta go out there because this is the, this is the day to shake hands, establish relationships, meet people, y- explore product, understand what's happening.
• 14:12
  And it will be, it'll be, could be tremendous for, for somebody in their career.
• 14:17
  So, so last year, you know, it's, it's always fun, like, whenever we bring a new person onto a team or they come to a thing for the first time, I always am like, you have this magic, like, moment in the timeline of objectivity because you haven't perceived any of it before.
• 14:33
  Now you're getting... And so you have a fresh eyes. And you know, when we do our event, you do your event, right? Like, we cannot see the event objectively at all. You can try- Mm-hmm, mm-hmm...
• 14:42
  but there's all these decisions that you've already made in your mind. There's all these things you've accepted as, like, the way, and you maybe don't even see or perceive it. So last year was our first time in there.
• 14:50
  Yep.
• 14:51
  And we spend so much time as, uh, Kyle and I as a media company and, um, around the industry reading industry, industry emails and newsletters and watching programs, and we ourselves talk about all of these things happening in and around the industry.
• 15:07
  And when we got there last year, I was like, "Oh, it's so cool," because all the things we talk about- So right here... so many of the things we talk about- Yeah...
• 15:15
  and are in the articles, and we see pictures of, and we give commentary on, and we, you know, jab at each other back and forth. Yeah. It's like, oh, no, like, there is, like, Scout. [laughs] Yeah. Right?
• 15:25
  Uh- Yeah, like, oh, we thought maybe we did. Oh. There it is. Let, let's see the, let's talk to some of the people. There's Tensor, right? This vehicle, this autonomous vehicle- Yeah...
• 15:33
  that is gonna be, like, their target is ownership. They built it from the ground. Like, let's go, like, look at the car. And you just walk over and, oh- Talk to the staff... that's the CMO. You know?
• 15:41
  It's not like- [laughs] Exactly. Like, last year we watched partnerships come together, like- Yeah... between OEMs and some entrepreneurs. And- Yes...
• 15:48
  literally, those are, I always think about what, what's the value of the room you're in. And- Right, right... even though we were outside most of the time 'cause it was gorgeous.
• 15:55
  Um, like, what's the value of the room and those things that come up because the types of people who are there are the types of people who are- Mm-hmm... ready to talk. Mm-hmm.
• 16:04
  You know, you have access to people you typically wouldn't have access to. Yep. Like, for us, it's like, oh, like we had conversations with people from OEMs and people at Scout- Right...
• 16:12
  and people at Tensor that it would've taken how many emails and correspondence- Oh, to try to get them in a, one of these-... to try to get through to get A, B, C relationships- Okay...
• 16:19
  because auto, auto is a relationship business and, and no matter, like- 100%. Speed of trust... what company you're at, what your title is, it has always been that. And so days like this- Yep...
• 16:27
  especially, you know, uh, for, for me, like, we go to a lot of events that are- Mm-hmm... like, very retail focused- Mm-hmm... um, where a lot of the OEMs or the, the alt mobility type, uh- Right... people aren't there.
• 16:39
  Mm-hmm. And this is one where you kinda get that, that broad scope, right? Yeah, you're kind of only getting, like, one slice of the OEM at your, at the retail one, right? Where then you get the wider- Yep...
• 16:46
  offering the next day. That's right. Yeah. That's right. And so what, what- When I think about with you guys- What layers of, like- Go ahead...
• 16:52
  that hospitality that, that you've kind of brought a- as you're now, you know, obviously- Mm...
• 16:56
  your, your sponsorship's business development, uh, as a part of this, but you play a big role in, like, what does the show actually look like as well- Yeah... because the sponsors and the, and the biz dev stuff- Yeah...
• 17:07
  m- you know, bring a part of that.
• 17:09
  What unique things have you started to work on and, and that might be coming to the show this year that you've s- tried to, like, bring forward maybe o- over the years that, that allow people to feel that hospilati- hospitality, to feel the, like, larger than life, the Royal Caribbean type feel within an auto event?
• 17:27
  Yeah. We think a lot about here how the show flows, you know?
• 17:30
  Like, like w- where things are positioned, how things are, you know, coming together, how a consumer or attendee, like, moves through the building, the flow of the day, how we position all of that together.
• 17:41
  And then another thing I think about a lot is, like, with sponsorships especially, is because nobody wants, like, just a, "Here's my logo. See you later," you know? Like, [laughs] hope to catch it, right?
• 17:50
  Like, everybody wants to be kind of integrated into the platform, so we're always looking for ways to bring our sponsors kind of more into the show and more a part of the show. For instance, like Chevron with Techron.
• 18:01
  This is kinda crazy. We have a presenting sponsorship. We think it's the first ever that we've seen that for a global auto show to be the LA Auto Show presented by Chevron with Techron. Wow.
• 18:12
  So this is a really interesting one.
• 18:14
  Um, you know, like, Chevron is going to have this in- insane [laughs] interactive display in the south atrium, like, right when you walk in one of the main entrances or if you catch it from the other side.
• 18:24
  You'll, you won't miss it. Um, it's humongous. And it's super interactive, and it really tells the story of, like, why Techron is important, how this makes your engine cleaner, drives better, fuels better.
• 18:35
  This is good knowledge, like, you know, for a consumer. It's great knowledge [laughs] for someone who works in automotive retail to kind of understand this.
• 18:43
  And this allows a brand partner who's like, you know, could just put their name on the building and say, "See you later," to kind of really be a part of the show and just bring consumers through, and attendees through that journey themselves, and get to kind of put their hands on it, and understand it, and speak to the representatives.
• 19:00
  And then, like, the experience that you're gonna get at Automobility LA is the Chevron executives are gonna be there versus, [laughs] you know, in an industry, I mean, on a regular consumer day, you're gonna be meeting the brand ambassadors only.
• 19:09
  Mm-hmm. So- Yep We, we think about bringing people in and through and a part of the show, and then even just for simple stuff, too. Like, if I have a brand who, you know, maybe can only bandwidth do...
• 19:21
  You know, they can't do much of a physical presence. Like, a great partner, we have a lot of energy partners this year actually, it's interesting.
• 19:27
  Um, LEDWP is, is, uh, the, the title sponsor of our test track, which is kind of a, a organized lap around the building- Mm-hmm... instead of, like, a city test drive. There's two sides with a lot of test drives.
• 19:39
  Oh, that's fun. So, the LEDWP- That's awesome... test track. And it's mostly, you know, hybrids and EVs on that side. It can be, uh, it's open to, you know, all fuel types now.
• 19:48
  Um, but [laughs] that is really- Well, I think, yeah, that's... Okay, so to, to that, you know, I think- Yeah... last year we just saw, like, EV own the show, a little bit of hybrid. Yeah. And now we see- Yeah...
• 19:59
  I mean, even just with Chevron, with Tekron being willing. But what's- Yeah... also interesting about Chevron is we've covered them a couple times, where they've been- Yeah...
• 20:06
  really interested in partnerships with companies like EVgo to provide charging- Yeah... at their gas pump stations. They're providing- Yeah... fuel efficiency. Then you've got EV hybrid on, on these test tracks. Mm-hmm.
• 20:17
  Like, it is a wide range, consumer-friendly- Yeah... dealer-friendly show. 100%. So, it's not just, like, you know, I think, uh, i- in the last four years we've had a, a big trend toward, like- Yeah...
• 20:27
  if you're not, if, if you're not thinking about EV- You're not full EV- Yeah... you're, you're behind. Yeah. Which is- Yeah. It, I think we've seen kind of, like, a leveling.
• 20:34
  You know, I think we could k- like, pontificate on this, like, all day long, right? [laughs] But the- Oh, I'm sure we have...
• 20:38
  I think, I think just the reality is that we've seen, like, this, like, you know, aggressive sprint to EV, and then there, like, a kind of a big pullback of the reins there.
• 20:47
  And where we've kind of landed now is, like, yeah, you, you gotta make EVs globally, right? You have to. Globally, that's just kind of a reality.
• 20:54
  And then also in the US there's a strong demand for it, especially in California, espec- especially in Los Angeles.
• 20:59
  So, you'll always see a lot of EV presence at our show because it's one of the most important networks for that. Mm-hmm. Um, and then we've also seen a real growth in hybrid.
• 21:09
  So, we've kind of, like, come to the middle, right? Where we've seen this, like, [laughs] you know, extreme off-road, outdoor- Yeah... adventure, gas it up. But now we've seen this kind of, like,
• 21:19
  good e- evolution, I think, of hybrid. I do. And so you see them all almost equally now, you know? And it's interesting, you'll see brands that bring out, like- Balance is the right word. You used it. Yeah. Yeah.
• 21:29
  You used it in the beginning, and I think- Yeah... you're right. I think we're getting to a place of balance. Yeah. Yeah.
• 21:33
  And- And, and, and look, we're gonna show you everything, and that's the beauty of coming to the show, is you can see it all, you can talk to people.
• 21:39
  The difference at our show is that, versus, like, a Nashville show, is that, and this is not, you know, an, a knock on the dealers. We still serve the same...
• 21:46
  L- let me be clear, you know, the, and this is another reason why [laughs] is if you're in the, in the automotive retail, you gotta come.
• 21:51
  Because our goal, let's be clear, is to bring consumers to the product, let them touch and feel it, and push them to your dealership to come and buy that car. That is the express goal of this event.
• 22:05
  Like, let's be honest- Mm... right? That's the big deal, yeah.
• 22:08
  And so, at our show it's a little different because it's a corporate manufactured show that usually mo- so, some displays you might find some dealer presence, but most are brand representatives.
• 22:18
  So, these are product specialists. They are, they, we call them tell, not sell. So, they're, [laughs] they're not really, they're allowed to tell you everything about the car, they cannot transact.
• 22:27
  But what they do is they take the information, that information gets, uh, brought in and then sent right out to dealers.
• 22:33
  And [laughs] you know what's really crazy, is, like, s- I swear to you, last year I submitted information on, um, I can't remember what car it was, maybe it's, like, a GMC or a Cadillac, and I got a call [laughs] like
• 22:46
  five hours later. "Hey, we're very interested." [laughs] That's great. It's, I mean, some of them- That's what's supposed to happen, right? Yeah. Like, some of them are that synced, right?
• 22:54
  'Cause you give them your phone number. Some brands you do, some of these, some you don't have to. But yeah, so it, it's very much designed to serve the sale, right? Amazing.
• 23:03
  Andy, we are gonna be making sure that people that, uh, come to our SoDoCon West have an opportunity to come to Automobility- Yes... LA day. So- Yes... uh, SoDoCon West on the 18th, you gotta make it- Perfect...
• 23:12
  out there. Automobility- Perfect... LA on the- The next day... 19th. The next day. Right. It's easy. You can go see LA. There's so much fun to do out there. If people- Two days...
• 23:21
  uh, aren't coming to, to SoDoCon West, how can they get involved? How can they, how can they, uh, get to the show? Yeah. So listen, even if you're, you know...
• 23:28
  I mean, obviously I highly recommend if, uh, this is relevant to your business that you [laughs] go to a SoDoCon West, because I think about it like this.
• 23:34
  Like, imagine they go and en- enjoy that day, make new friends, you know, new connections. Then you get to go together the next day to Automobility LA and kinda even- Perfect... just have a, a better experience.
• 23:45
  Um, but if for whatever reason you can't make it, you can always come and join us on the 19th. Um, you just register. You can go to our website, laautoshow.com, and it will funnel you, you know, to the right place.
• 23:54
  And we'll, obviously, I'm sure you'll have it in the links, in the notes. Yeah, we will. Um, and then we can send you right there. And then I believe you guys have a s- special offer? Do you have a good rate? We do.
• 24:05
  We do, and- With the preferred rate? Yeah. Okay. [laughs] Yeah, no. You guys have been very great to help us get our dealers who are participating in a SoDoCon West out to the show. So, when you go to- Perfect...
• 24:13
  SoDoCon West and you get your ticket, we'll tell you all the details on that. There you go. Um, our hope- So there you go... is that we can bring a bunch of the community- It'll be so fun...
• 24:20
  continue the conversation we have on the 18th, on the 19th- Yeah... at the sh- oh, in beautiful Los Angeles- Yeah... in N- November. Outside is gorgeous. It's gonna be so fun. The sun's gonna be shining.
• 24:30
  We have the palm trees and the cars. Yeah. What could be better? Andy, thank you so much- Content... always for sharing your passion with us. The cruise director thing is, I mean, that shoe fits.
• 24:40
  Uh, thank you as always for sharing- What a ride... rocking with us, and it's great to have you today on Auto- Oh, you guys, we could go for an hour. This was awesome. Thank you so much. I'll come back anytime.
• 24:48
  [upbeat music] Here's the thing. If you don't think that there is a match made in heaven between cruise sheep, cruise ship and retail auto, like, those two things are kind of almost the same.
• 25:05
  It's like you get on the retail auto boat and you just are on a cruise ship for the rest of your career. And you're stuck with those people for the rest of your life.
• 25:11
  [laughs] Yeah, I was like, "Where's he going with this?" Is he- Yeah. 'Cause, like, once you're on the cruise you can't leave. Is he tying this to, like, how long transaction times at a dealership are?
• 25:19
  [laughs] That's messed up, bro. At least there's good food and a waiting area. There's good, unlimited supply of good food, right? You know? Are you talking about the cruise ship or the dealerships?
• 25:29
  Well, maybe not the dealerships, unless you go to Beaver Toyota. That, that's facts. It's kind of like a sea. That is, that is facts. But- Or you go, or you go down to, to, to anyone that has a F- Ford's Garage, right?
• 25:38
  Like- Oh, so good... we got some of these good ones out there. So, we do. We do. All right, I take it back. I take it back. Hey, listen, um, without a doubt, you, you've just met Andy a little bit.
• 25:47
  You get to meet him in person if you come to a SoDoCon West and to the LA Automobility the very next day. Without a doubt, we're gonna have an amazing time. And make sure you follow him on the socials, too.
• 25:56
  He's, he's a, he's a riot, as you can probably tell already. On behalf of Michael Cirillo, Kyle Mountsier, and myself, thank you as always for joining us on Auto Collabs. [upbeat music] Welcome to Auto Collabs.
• 26:12
  Welcome to Auto Collabs. [laughs] Why are we recording? Are we rolling yet? Not yet.