AADA kicked off its 2026 regional meetings on April 28 in Bentonville with a total of six meetings in two weeks across the state. The communities we visited during this whirlwind tour included Bentonville (April 28), Fort Smith (April 29), North Little Rock (May 1), Monticello (May 2), Hot Springs (May 3) and Jonesboro (May 4). We saw an incredible 100% growth in attendance for these meetings compared to 2025.

After reviving these meetings in the fall of 2024, it is clear that Arkansas dealers appreciate these opportunities to engage and stay informed.

For this year’s meetings, we focused on a number of key items:

1. Statistical sales data from 2025, which showed new vehicle registrations were up 8.3% in 2025 over 2024
2. Update on the AADAPAC Capital Campaign that started in Q4 of 2025
3. Full briefing on the complaint AADA filed against Tesla for a facility they opened in North Little Rock
4. State-by-state update on manufacturer direct sales actions
5. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advertising crackdown
6. Electronic Registration and Titling rollout in the upcoming months
7. Federal right to repair legislation
8. Preview of the 2027 Arkansas legislative session and the vehicle service and handling fee

These meetings have rapidly become a critical part of our AADA calendar, and we have some big things planned for the 2027 meetings.