21 Car dealership event ideas you can use all year long

New customers are challenging to attract, and this is particularly true within the automotive industry. So, how do you increase your customer base on a budget? Look towards generating car dealership event ideas that you can integrate into your business calendar. 

Another important factor is automation. 

Using automotive industry-specific integrations allows you to streamline and optimize your marketing efforts. In addition to managing your leads’ data as they come in, automation helps you prioritize high-quality leads and boost your conversions.

This article explores 21 prospective car dealership event ideas you can implement starting from now. In addition, we’ll discuss some of the most popular integrations to streamline your workflows, such as:

What is automotive event marketing?

Automotive event marketing is about the creation and execution of unforgettable events. By connecting with potential buyers, this form of marketing offers a more meaningful and interactive experience.

Events can range from trade shows and conferences to product launches and experiential marketing activations. The ultimate objective of a car dealership event is to curate an immersive encounter that captivates attendees, leaving them with a great impression of the business.

Developing engaging, creative car sales events can positively contribute to your business’s growth. It can: 

• Increase footfall to your dealership
• Maintain a satisfied existing customer base
• Increase brand awareness 
• Help acquire new customers

Competition in car dealership advertising is high. So generating the most suitable and effective car dealership event ideas for your business requires a robust strategy. Below, you can find our top automotive event marketing ideas that will help you set your dealership apart from the rest.

1.  Start a free car wash

Auto dealer event marketing ideas such as this one are a hit with customers. People will always be interested in something that makes their life easier, and a free cleaning for their car is no exception. 

A free car wash for every customer who brings their vehicle in for a service is a worthy idea to consider to incentivize new clients. This type of event can be easily worked into the calendar for the spring period, to better target customers with vehicles in need of a clean after the winter.

Once the customer has experienced the service, they will be more inclined to return to your business for their next clean. And when they need it, they may return for other (and more significant) servicing needs. 

For instance, take a look at how Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram incorporates this type of marketing into their business.

2.  Sponsor and host local events

Sponsoring a local event is a car dealership event idea that can create greater brand awareness and visibility. It will also allow you to foster a relationship within the community through fundraising and other charitable efforts. 

This relationship can lead to greater traffic being driven toward the dealership due to the positive association in the minds of the customers. 

Similarly, hosting events is an alternative route. Turning your dealership into the host location of a free event can draw in a multitude of prospective customers. If done well, this can create a positive impression of your brand.

Then, all you need to do is nurture those interested visitors and convert them into loyal customers.

Don’t be afraid to get creative. Take a look at this Trunk-or-Treat event in 2024 by Newton Nissan of Gallatin.

3. Run a tax return promotion

The tax season is a promising time for car dealer sales events, as people have a greater disposable income thanks to receiving tax returns. One way to draw them toward your dealership is to run a special tax return promotion.

This promotion will encourage them to place a down payment on the car of their choice, according to your set conditions. There will be customers who made a loss with their returns or did not receive as much as hoped for. However, this is not a market to be neglected.

You can attract these clients by offering reduced-priced oil changes or giving clients the chance to enter competitions to win free tire changes for a year. This showcases that your business caters to every customer. Not only the clients who can spend big.

Additionally, tax return season is a great opportunity to target business owners. It may be worthwhile to consider having a tax expert at your dealership for a specific period to discuss the benefits of purchasing a new company vehicle. This will allow you to build an email database of business owners to target when it comes time the following year.

4. Offer a test-driven incentive

Test-drive incentives are a creative car sales idea that can skyrocket your sales. You can use this by offering incentives to prospective customers who test drive a specific make or model at your dealership, or for those who bring a friend along with them to test a potential purchase.  

You can reward people with gift cards, sweepstake entries, or sponsored prize packs. This promotion can be advertised online through your social platforms as a lead-generation campaign, followed by an email campaign targeted toward interested prospects.

Check out these articles and discover:

• How to successfully advertise your car dealership on Facebook
• Top automotive lead generation ideas

LeadsBridge integrations can help to better automate this flow by connecting your advertising platforms with your favorite email marketing tools. In addition to cutting back on manual workload, these integrations make the conversion process simpler and more effective.

5. Referral incentives

Another effective car dealership event idea are word-of-mouth referrals.It’s an economic option and highly effective since it is often recommended by a peer or family member. 

Advertise the promotion that anyone who sends a referral to your dealership that results in a purchase will receive prizes such as event tickets, gift cards, or free services. 

Share a virtual business card featuring dealership contact details, event tickets, and prizes via your website and social media for customer convenience.Tesla has made a great example of using this creative car sales idea.

They ran a campaign that rewarded customers whose referrals resulted in a purchase, as well as new customers. Each new referred customer was gifted $1,000 toward their purchase. This program generated 40x ROI for Tesla.

6. Offer free car seat safety clinic

Free car seat safety clinics is another high-performing car dealership event idea to draw families to your business. Within a community, there will always be new parents who are learning how to best keep their baby safe. Auto safety plays a huge role in this. 

Hosting an event to teach parents how to correctly install car seats for children is a great opportunity for you to showcase both your product and your commitment to clients’ security. Installation can be demonstrated in a range of different vehicles, targeted toward new and growing families.

Events like this will positively position your business in the customers’ minds, meaning you will likely be their first choice of dealership when it comes time for a new purchase. 

7. Offer free gas

Offering free gas to customers who purchase a vehicle during a specific time period is a subtle, but effective auto dealer event marketing idea. Having this incentive can encourage customers toward a decision to purchase.

You can also offer customers free gas if they agree to paste your advertisement on their vehicle.

The advertisement must be placed somewhere visible, and the car must be traveling over a specific amount of miles per month in order to be eligible. Marketing tactics such as this maximize brand visibility. 

8. Offer year-end promotion

Many people wait for the end of the year to secure a deal on a new car. So, you should decide what kind of car dealership event ideas you can plan to help boost sales using Black Friday advertising or holiday season campaigns. 

For instance, a holiday-themed Wheel of Fortune. This event will be exclusively available to customers who made a purchase at the dealership throughout the year.

Each customer would get the opportunity to play the Wheel of Fortune, with the chance of winning small spot prizes, or the major prize giveaway. Main prize ideas include discounts on a new purchase, free gas, or services for one year, etc.

This creative car sales idea is also social media worthy, which can considerably boost brand awareness within the community. Event incentives such as this can lead to higher volumes of new customers for the next year.

9. Themed promotion

Not only are themed events creative, but they are also a successful way to capture people’s interest. This type of car dealership event idea can be easily worked into your calendar, hosting a different theme every couple of months to suit the season.

Summer barbeques and winter wonderland themes are innovative ways to get the community involved in your business. Offering food and beverages, live music, games, and prizes can attract both existing and prospective customers.

10. Pick up/drop off promotion

Offering a pick-up/drop-off promotion is a great car dealership event idea to generate positive impressions of your business.

This will entail picking up someone’s car, bringing it to the dealership for a service, and dropping it off to the owner when completed. This event can run for a set period of time, targeting either random customers within the area or specific groups within the automotive industry. 

Strategies for auto dealer event marketing tactics such as this allow people within the community to view your dealership as more than a business trying to sell. The positive perception generated from these activities will incline customers to deal with your dealership before others.  

Take a look at this idea in action by Bommarito Volkswagen of St. Peters. 

11. Service appointment rental cars

Take any opportunity you can to make your customer’s life easier when dealing with your business. That’s why another substantial idea is to run a premium rental car offer during service appointments for a limited time.

Running this type of event showcases to your customers your understanding of their busy lifestyles, which is facilitated by their vehicle. They choose your dealership for their servicing needs. And in return, you are offering them a premium rental car to use while this service is being carried out.

When it comes time to make a trade-in, this experience at your dealership will spring to mind first. By having this pre-segmented audience interested in premium car rental in your CRM, you can easily retarget them with an advertising campaign when it comes to the time. 

LeadsBridge integrations can help optimize this process by connecting your CRM with your automotive audiences on Facebook or other advertising platforms. This allows you to run highly-targeted communication and effective lead nurturing.

12. Dealership anniversary celebration

Another successful year in business is more than enough reason to celebrate. You can also create an entire car dealership event idea around it to maximize the sales opportunity. 

Hosting this celebration at your dealership and inviting customers will allow you to illustrate all you have accomplished as a company. You can also showcase your product range and communicate with clients. 

This creates a positive brand image and visibility. You can attract attendees by offering food and drinks, special promotions, and information about why your dealership is different from others. 

Here’s how Forrester Lincoln in Chambersburg celebrated its 55th year anniversary.

13. Billboard exposure

Billboard marketing and a creative car dealer sales event is a lucrative pairing when carried out correctly. Billboards placed in high-traffic areas do wonders for brand recognition. Statistics show that billboards offer an impressive 497% of return on investment.

Promotions could include a price-match guarantee if you’re in the position to do so. Or, “Free Gas Fridays” for a month, where a car that is bought from your dealership is spotted and awarded free gas. Running a billboard campaign that details a special in-store promotion for a limited time will only draw footfall to the dealership.

14. Uber & Lyft targeting

A unique car dealership event idea to set yourself apart from others is to target Uber and Lyft drivers. 

If your dealership is based in a busy location, it would be worth your while to begin marketing to Uber and Lyft drivers who may be searching for an upgrade.

Holding an event that offers specific deals and promotions for these drivers is sure to gain interest and convert to sales. Although this is a specific group of customers, the pool of potential is huge as many people are now taking up Uber driving as a source of income.

Having your dealership brand featured on the license plates of numerous Uber/Lyft vehicles around your city is fantastic free advertising.

15. Maintenance giveaways 

A maintenance package giveaway is an event idea that can raise sales by encouraging customers to finally make a purchasing decision before they lose out on a great offer.

Including a maintenance giveaway with the purchase of a new car can entice customers who have not been able to commit to making a purchase. This included offer can push their decision over the line and into your dealership. 

The giveaway could include free tire rotations, oil changes, or lifetime detailing to keep their car looking new for longer. No matter what you offer, maintenance promotions are a strong incentive for customers. This kind of car dealership event idea can be completely tailored to your budget.

16. Offer safe driving courses

An automotive event marketing strategy can be offering free safe driving courses to potential new car buyers and current dealership customers. This gives customers the opportunity to learn important life-saving skills, while offering them the chance to test drive. 

When weather conditions are difficult, driving can be especially dangerous if drivers aren’t properly equipped. By offering safe driving courses during these conditions, customers can learn how to react and handle their vehicles in a controlled environment.

Furthermore, these courses allow you to position your car dealerships as a brand that cares about the safety of their customers and their families. Ultimately, this can lead to increased customer loyalty and brand trust, which is crucial in the competitive automotive market.

17. Car dealership VIP events

Transform your relationship with customers by hosting exclusive VIP events that exceed their expectations for service and prestige. Roll out the red carpet with special perks such as generous discounts, delightful gifts, and exclusive events. 

Offer VIPs first access to test drives of new models with expert demonstrations and promote these events through social media campaigns and email invitations. In order to create a successful VIP program, every marketing activity must be to the level of a VIP. 

18. Online car dealership event ideas

Online events are continuing to evolve for car dealerships, and these are a few tips to keep in mind for your next virtual experience.

• Use visually engaging platforms like TikTok, Meta, and YouTube to resonate with a younger audience. Besides, car dealerships can run lead-generation campaigns on these platforms and leverage automation for lead sync and immediate follow-up.

• Engage through creative brand storytelling, user-generated content, and online contests that encourage participation and sharing. Fostering a sense of community makes your customers more likely to become loyal and repeat customers in the future.
• Offer virtual attendance options for special events, product/service reveals, or special announcements. This enables customers to never miss out on an event regardless of location. 
• Leverage LinkedIn Event Ads. LinkedIn Event Ads allow dealerships to create professional events and make it easier to find communities, network, and learn new skills. LinkedIn also offers an innovative ad format to run event lead-generation campaigns called LinkedIn registration forms. When coupled with LeadsBridge, it helps streamline the lead-acquisition process from start to finish.

Discover how to set up a LeadsBridge integration for LinkedIn registration forms with this guide.

19. Car dealership January sales events

Kick off the new year with a bang by hosting a January sales event at your car dealership. As customers look to start fresh with new resolutions, entice them with exclusive New Year offers and deep discounts on last year’s models.

Highlight the event with promotional campaigns that emphasize limited-time savings, special financing rates, and trade-in bonuses. Incorporate a festive atmosphere in your showroom with New Year-themed decorations and refreshments. 

Additionally, leveraging digital marketing strategies like email campaigns and social media ads can drive traffic and boost sales.

20. Car dealership charity events

Hosting charity events at your car dealership is an excellent way to give back to the community while driving foot traffic to your showroom. Organize fundraisers, donation drives, or charity auctions to support local causes and non-profit organizations. 

Partner with well-known charities to enhance credibility and outreach. Charity events can boost your dealership’s reputation but also foster a sense of goodwill among potential customers.

Here’s how Chicago Auto Show uses similar events:

Promote these events through social media, local press, and community boards to maximize participation and visibility. By aligning your brand with charitable activities, you can create lasting positive impressions and build strong community relationships.

21. Spring car dealership events

Spring car events are a fantastic idea for auto dealers looking to give their sales a seasonal boost. These events capitalize on the fresh energy of spring, when people are eager to get out and experience something new. 

Organizing spring-themed promotions or events can help you attract customers who are ready to shake off the winter blues and maybe consider a new vehicle.

Dealers can host events like a “Spring Fling Test Drive Weekend” where each test drive enters the customer into a raffle to win prizes, or offer special spring cleaning deals where buyers can trade in their old car for a special price on a newer model. 

These spring promotions provide an opportunity for dealers to clear out older inventory, showcase new models, and engage with a wide audience. 

Final thoughts 

A great car dealership event idea and integrating it into your business is a surefire way to stand out from the crowd. Once you have drawn more eyes to your brand, you can generate quality leads.

But how can you nurture and convert these leads without letting them slip through the cracks?

LeadsBridge is the first-choice tool for automotive businesses’ lead management strategies. This connection between your automotive CRM and advertising tools allows you to define your target audience more precisely, giving way to better-optimized campaigns.