TYSONS, Va. -

Online registration and hotel selection for the 2017 NADA Convention and Expo in New Orleans is now open.

The four-day convention, which runs from Jan. 26-29, will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Considered the auto industry event of the year, the NADA convention includes dealer franchise meetings, workshops, an exhibitor showcase and numerous networking events.

NADA Convention speakers include comedian Jim Gaffigan and NADA chairman Jeff Carlson on Jan. 27; and inspirational speaker Amy Purdy and NADA vice chairman Mark Scarpelli on Jan. 29. A fifth speaker will be announced in the coming weeks.

Kicking off the convention will be the NADA 100 Carnival, one of many events being held in honor of NADA’s 100th anniversary.

The exclusive event for NADA members, international affiliates and guests will be held at Mardi Gras World from 7 to 10 p.m. on Jan. 26. The carnival will feature cuisine from top New Orleans restaurants, as well as entertainment from the headlining band Foreigner, Cowboy Mouth and local jazz musicians. The NADA member and manager registration fee includes admission to the NADA 100 Carnival.

NADA members and their managers who register for the convention by Sept. 9 will receive a $100 discount from the onsite rate. The member dealer and manager registration fee includes admission to the NADA 100 Carnival, and convention badges must be presented at entry. A limited number of carnival tickets will be available for purchase by non-member dealers and managers; allied industry attendees are not eligible to purchase carnival tickets. Shuttle buses will be provided to and from Mardi Gras World and the official NADA hotels.   

For more information and to register, click here. 

A closer look at the convention speakers

Jim Gaffigan: Gaffigan, an entertainer and father of five children, has achieved major accomplishments in stand-up comedy, acting and writing, including two New York Times best-selling books, Dad Is Fat and Food: A Love Story. His semi-fictitious television show, “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” which TV Land picked up, is in its second season. Gaffigan has also guest starred on many television comedies, dramas and movies. With multiple projects in motion, Gaffigan is currently traveling the world with his stand-up tour, “Fully Dressed.” He is one of only 10 comics in history to sell out Madison Square Garden.

Jeff Carlson: Carlson is president of Glenwood Springs Ford and Glenwood Springs Subaru in Glenwood Springs, Colo., and co-owner of Summit Ford in Silverthorne, Colo. As NADA’s 2016 chairman, Carlson is leading franchised new-car dealers through some of the most pressing legislative and regulatory challenges they have faced in years, including attacks on indirect auto financing and the dealer franchise system. Carlson started in the auto business in 1973, working for Ford Motor Co. In 1979, he joined Glenwood Springs Ford-Lincoln-Mercury as a sales manager. He purchased a stake in the dealership in 1982 and became president in 1986 and expanded the business to three dealerships. He represents Colorado’s new-car dealers on NADA’s board of directors. Carlson is a past TIME Dealer of the Year nominee representing Colorado.

Amy Purdy: Through poignant and inspirational stories, Purdy informs audiences on how to use their challenges to push past their limits and live life without barriers. She lost her legs, kidneys and spleen to bacterial meningitis at age 19. Today, she is a top-ranked adaptive snowboarder, author of the New York Times best-seller On My Own Two Feet, actress, model and clothing designer. Purdy competed on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and was the show’s first double-amputee contestant.

Mark Scarpelli :Scarpelli is NADA's 2016 vice chairman, as well as president of Raymond Chevrolet and Kia in Antioch, Ill. His keynote address will highlight the association’s key priorities for 2017. Scarpelli, a second-generation dealer, worked his way up learning all areas of the dealership. In 1986, he was hired by General Motors as the district sales manager for the Boston zone, and three years later returned to the family-run dealership. He represents Metropolitan Chicago’s new-car dealers on NADA’s board of directors.