The 7th Annual Dave Cantin Group NADA Event Was Much More Than a Party
Cool hotel, world famous nightclub and A-list talent grabbed the headlines, but the week’s highest profile guest list and the event’s flawless execution stole the show.
February 10, 2026 — Yes, the Dave Cantin Group knows how to throw a party, and in an industry where relationships are everything, that’s a big deal. The event itself is being called the best NADA event ever by many of the attendees (not belonging to the Dave Cantin Group). Nelly, Rev Run, and Fat Joe performed incredible sets while dealers relished the atmosphere, hospitality, bottle service…and the other guests.
What started as a party turned into something very different, it became a giant house party, hosted by the industry, for the industry. If you weren’t someone of influence (or with someone of influence), you weren’t inside LIV. As the event wore on, the magic of the night became the casual, guard down mingling that happened all over the venue. There were executives representing nearly 200 automotive groups, attorneys and accountants from over 30 firms, the industry’s most powerful bankers, presidents of manufacturers, cutting edge service providers…you get the idea. The “list” was unprecedented making the event not just fun, but meaningful.
This was no accident and it wasn’t luck. Every element was intentional and the guest list curated. The attention to detail was impeccable and the atmosphere and vibe matched the ethos of the industry. It was perfect planning and perfect execution.
The takeaway isn’t that Dave Cantin Group knows how to throw a party. The takeaway is that DCG understands the retail automotive world better than anyone else and is better connected than anyone else; that DCG prides itself on flawless execution that lives up to the hype…whether it’s an event, a strategic growth strategy or a $500m exit tied to a succession plan.
Every dealer needs someone in their corner they can trust to work harder than anyone else and to deliver on what they say they can do…better than anyone else. That’s the team from the Dave Cantin Group.
About Dave Cantin Group
Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory firm specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, platform management, business evaluations, and other corporate development services. The new retail reality requires automotive dealers to seek DCG’s collective best thinking, deep experience and extensive industry relationships to effectively leverage M&A as a core business strategy.
Clients choose DCG because we are a trusted advisor focusing on long-term relationships, investing in data and research, and engaging our entire team on every client project. Clients benefit from our industry-leading market intelligence – our Market Outlook Report – and JumpIQ, our proprietary AI-enabled platform delivering unprecedented visibility into automotive retail.
Our nonprofit initiative, DCG Giving, funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment across the United States and supports other charitable causes important to the automotive retail community. To learn more, visit davecantingroup.com.
