8/5/2025 | Hurley News
Growing Together: 2025 NAA Conference & Show
Our team had the pleasure of attending the 76th International Auctioneers Conference & Show, hosted by the National Auction Association (NAA) in Schaumburg, Illinois, from July 15–19. With this year’s theme—“A Garden of Opportunity, Cultivated by Community”—the event brought together auction professionals from across the country to grow, learn, connect, and celebrate the industry we love.
Representing Hurley Real Estate & Auctions were Matt Hurley (Owner/Founder/Auctioneer and Broker), accompanied by his wife Shannon and daughters Bailey and Tatum; Kaleb Hurley (Auctioneer and Realtor), along with his wife Kara and children Hal and Sadie; Mike Michalsky (Director of Operations) and his wife Laura; and Trista Hurst (Creative Director). It’s always a privilege to be part of such a passionate, innovative community—and even better to share that experience with colleagues and family.
Award-Winning Marketing
One of the highlights of the Conference is the annual NAA Marketing Competition, which celebrates excellence in auction marketing. This year the competition had 30 categories, which were evaluated on design, call to action, engagement, modern marketing tactics, and branding.
We were honored to bring home four awards, including:
- Video – Business Promo (“Why Choose Us”)
- Email – Real Estate
- Email – Personal Property
- Photography – Auctioneer in Action
We were also proud finalists in 6 additional categories, including Campaign of the Year.
While it’s exciting to receive recognition, we know that these wins represent the effort of our entire team—from those behind the camera and keyboard to those out in the field securing contracts, communicating with clients, writing sale bills, reviewing listings, processing payments, and so much more. It truly takes every person at Hurley Real Estate & Auctions to bring our marketing—and our service—to life.
Contributing to the Community
In keeping with the conference theme of cultivating community, two of our own had the opportunity to help facilitate learning and idea-sharing at this year’s event.
- Kaleb Hurley co-facilitated the Real Estate Mastermind session, bringing valuable insights from his experience in residential and land sales.
- Trista Hurst helped lead both a small Marketing Community Conversation and the Marketing Mastermind session.
It’s an honor to contribute to the professional development of our industry while continuing to learn ourselves.
Growing Through Education
As always, the NAA Conference delivered high-impact education from some of the best minds in and beyond the auction world. We’ve already begun the process of debriefing and implementing new strategies as a result of what we learned. Our first team meeting since returning has focused on refining our customer management processes, enhancing our text marketing, and sharpening how we communicate with Sellers. More discussions and improvements are on the way.
Attending this annual event helps us stay sharp, connected, and inspired. We’re grateful to the NAA for creating such a rich environment for professional growth—and to our clients and supporters who make everything we do possible. Here’s to continued growth, collaboration, and excellence in all we do.
