Car Shows: Your Road to New Collector Business

Not a week goes by across the United States without a cool car event. From smaller, laid-back meetups to high-ticket, high-fashion Concours, there’s a gathering out there for every car and every car lover. Ready to get out there and build your book of collector business? Try these helpful tips for meeting enthusiasts at car shows near you.

Three ways to work your local auto events

Hagerty data shows us about 69 million car enthusiasts are out there today. Not surprisingly, a whopping 85% of them attend local car shows.

Finding and engaging with these enthusiasts takes less effort than you might think. In fact, here are three proven ways to prospect for new collector business at events throughout the year:

1. On foot. New to the scene? Taking a few laps around the event will give you the perfect opportunity to talk cars with owners and admirers alike.
2. In a booth. Set up an inviting space at your next event. You can connect with your local Hagerty representative for help or visit the Hagerty Marketing Storefront (click here – login required) to get all the materials you’ll need. Pro-tip: Don’t just stand around behind a table. Make your booth a home base but be sure to walk around and explore the show.
3. In your own lot. Draw prospects to you and create loyalty with existing clients by inviting them (and their cars) to your parking lot for a cars & coffee meetup. Seal the deal with free donuts and coffee and you’ll have no shortage of attendees.

Not sure where to find a gathering? Visiting Hagerty Experiences is a good start. Leveraging social media is another way to find events closer to home.

If you’re interested in owners of a particular make, model, or segment, consider joining a car club or an online forum. Another pro-tip: do your research before popping in. For example, Porsche enthusiasts are very particular about the brand’s pronunciation (it’s Por-shuhh).

Brushing up on your collector car knowledge in advance gives you the best chance to make a solid first impression.

We’re here to help with fine-tuning

There’s nothing more fulfilling – and no better way to build a sales pipeline – than connecting with enthusiasts. Collector car lovers are more likely to own commercial businesses, boats, second homes, and other high-value assets that need additional specialty coverage.

Once you establish yourself as an expert, it’s much easier to move beyond the garage and protect other valuable assets. As we like to say, the garage is the front door to the rest of the home.

As your expert partner in all things automotive, Hagerty is here to help. Visit the Hagerty Agent Business Center to find resources on quoting, earning, and keeping collector vehicle insurance business. You can also call us at 800-747-5348 or live chat at hagertyagent.com.