By Tod Trousdell
May 14, 2025
Promising. Productive. And – according to many – even provocative.
When I asked a cross section of this year’s NAFA conference attendees to give me their thoughts on this year’s I&E held April 28-30 at the Long Beach Convention Center, just about all of the feedback I received was focused on how the 2025 version of NAFA felt like a good old fashioned, get down to work kind of event.
Nothing flashy. Nothing over the top. Just a lot of pragmatic, plain speaking interactions sprinkled with meaningful conversations, insightful presentations and the aroma of business getting done everywhere.
To many – including me, attending my 14th NAFA in a row – this year’s event felt more like the NAFA’s of 10, 15 years ago. This was a far cry from the first few post-pandemic conferences that made one wonder if the show would even make it to the following year.
Whether it was an influx of new blood (and believe me, there was plenty), a re-commitment from those who at times have viewed the show as too government focused, or perhaps just the fact that there is so much going on in fleet these days, this year’s I&E had a sustained buzz and an air of productivity that was palpable from the opening keynote to the time the doors closed on the second and final day of the show floor.
Not just for the productive breakout sessions and panel discussions, of which there were plenty, or for the often too late social events – most of which seemed well attended – this year’s NAFA I&E delivered. This was something several of my fellow attendees, both new and experienced, attested to.
Conference goers like brand new fleet manager Connor Sterneckert of the Amenity Collective – a leading provider of single source solutions for aquatics, fitness, and recreation services – who was attending his first NAFA with his boss Eric Rowell, got a lot out of the experience.
“Our team’s goal is to provide our customers with the highest level of service and satisfaction, and that extends to fleet. It’s really exciting to be a part of this for the first time, and to feel the energy,” said Sterneckert, who said he was impressed with the wide array of services offered to him as a fleet manager and who was also anxious to find a mentor to help him learn the ropes.
This year’s show floor featured a dizzying array of offerings, several of which at first seemed to have a scant attachment to fleet but were most certainly harbingers of the way things will be done in fleet’s future, not just the way they always have been done in the past. More than 275 exhibitors were on hand in total, many offering the kinds of products and solutions that could hardly have been imagined a few years ago. In fact, there were so many software vendors exhibiting that depending on where one was traversing the show floor, this year’s I&E felt more like a tech – than a fleet – convention at times (no Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore!).
It was enough to make anyone who’s been around fleet for longer than a minute realize that the industry has changed precipitously since – but not necessarily solely because of – Covid. Gone are the days when fleet was a straightforward process. Today’s fleets require an army of support, and this year’s NAFA certainly showcased a healthy array of what’s out there for them to leverage.
As it does every year, I&E kicked off with a keynote address. The subject this year was on one of the hottest topics in years – AI. Featuring expert Timothy Papandreou, it was an event that was highly anticipated and well attended. Papandreou’s keynote, “AI: The Most Powerful Technology That Is Changing Your World Forever,” explored the revolutionary role of AI in fleet management. A second keynote featuring leadership expert Jack Becker discussed the key to “Supersonic Success,” providing actionable leadership strategies to optimize performance and drive improvement.
David Hayward, Director of Fleet for ABM and both a NAFA board member and conference panelist, said he was particularly interested in the keynote address because AI is such a hot topic – one he believes is helping him do more in his role every day.
“It’s always a pleasure reconnecting with peers and industry friends at NAFA … I walked away with valuable insights, especially around AI, and I’m inspired by the innovation ahead and the impact it will have on the future of fleet,” said Hayward, who also sighted the upfitting panel as particularly “insightful.”
OEMs were also on hand. Though without the large exhibits and huge contingents each featured at this year’s Work Truck Week, which has clearly become the marquee event for many fleets. Executives from FordPro, GM Envolve and Stellantis took the stage to discuss their fleet strategies for 2025 as well as the topic that was top of mind for everyone at the I&E.
Tariffs.
And while there seemed to be little consensus on the tariff situation, there was – refreshingly – universal agreement that trying to predict how things will flesh out is nearly futile at this point. Especially given the near daily – and in some cases, hourly – plot twists. According to the attendees I spoke with, it sounds like most of the industry is going to try its best to ignore the noise and wait for a final decision. Something that wasn’t even on the horizon during the I&E, but that actually may be around the corner if the current 90-day trial run between the US and China announced earlier this week holds.
FMCs were also out in force, with Wheels and Merchants hosting popular coffee bars, and Holman featuring a large booth and solid contingency of staffers. The Enterprise team also hosted and moderated a panel on the final day of the conference.
Rick Deeck, VP of Sales Enablement at Holman, noted that while this year’s I&E came at a pivotal time, it also offered an opportunity to gain actionable, real-world insights from the very people experiencing it in real time.
“For sure, this year’s event came at a very interesting time as our industry faces a number of truly unique challenges amidst shifting economic conditions and policy changes that are fueling a great deal of uncertainty,” said Deeck. “The interactive education sessions, panel discussions, and networking events throughout the week provided a tremendous opportunity to learn how others are navigating these and other challenges – which was invaluable for our team.”
In addition to the exhibit floor, which was open for two days, the show also featured its annual 100 Top Fleets, the Technician Training Program, and its Media Day, where 12 companies presented breaking news in a series of back-to-back press conferences. The three-day event (although stretched to four by many who came in on Sunday) also featured some 45 panel discussions and breakout sessions on timely topics of interest such as emerging technologies, sustainability, safety, legislative advocacy, and operations management. This year’s I&E also included its popular “Ride and Drive” event, as well as an all-new Indoor EV Test Track inside the Long Beach Convention Center.
As there is every year, NAFA proved a popular spot for new product releases, including WEX’s new EV Depot, a feature that enables simple, secure, and frictionless charging at private chargers when using the WEX Fleet Card. According to Jay Collins, SVP and GM, EV and Mobility, the solution was developed because with all the barriers fleets face today, “it should never be the tools they use that stop fleets from moving forward.”
“Our goal with releasing EV Depot is to create continuity in what can be a disruptive process,” said Collins. “We want to make charging EVs as easy as possible for fleet managers who are already facing enough hurdles. Our goal is to put that control, put the power back in their hands.”
Besides the legion of new attendees – close to 30% of all attendees were first-timers according to NAFA – and exhibitors, many long time fleet service providers were on hand, with several agreeing that this year’s I&E had the feel of NAFA conferences of days gone by.
Teri Ross, a 25-year plus industry veteran and VP of Account Service at transportation provider PARS who has attended close to 20 I&Es, said that this year’s conference’s ability to hit on important issues like “innovation, sustainability and fleet’s evolving landscape” was “not only timely – but essential” given the current climate. She also took note of the fact that the industry has evolved to the point where fleet professionals are having to make decisions faster than ever before.
“Our customers are facing some tough issues, and I think the energy on the exhibit floor reflected just how engaged and forward thinking the industry has become and how focused we all are on helping fleets solve these issues,” said Ross.
For their part NAFA organizers were encouraged by attendance of 2100 – the most since 2018 – and what conference Bill Schankel, CEO of NAFA, called the industry’s “continued ability to stay focused on moving forward.”
“It’s so encouraging to see how our members have reacted to industry challenges the past few years,” said Schankel. “Fleet is just unflappable, nothing shakes this industry, and I think we saw throughout the conference why the fleet industry keeps our country moving no matter how tough things get. We’re so proud to bring this industry together, but even more so for the fact that our members are just so open to helping each other, which is really important at a time when everything is changing so quickly.”
Next year’s NAFA I&E will take place in Cleveland, OH, April 13-15. To learn more about NAFA, visit: https://www.nafa.org/
About the author
Tod Trousdell and his business partner Kathi Roberts form RobertsTrousdell Communications, an award-winning marketing organization, who have worked for companies like Coca Cola, Delta, UPS, and Wyndham Worldwide for over 25 years. The team has also handled over 1000 fleet industry related projects for FMCs and service providers of all kinds. He can be reached at [email protected].
