THURSDAY, NOV. 14
Track: Business Innovation (Sales & F&I)
Harnessing Purchasing Power with Showroom Technology
Speakers from Kenect - Trevor Allred, Business Development, Markle Janner, Operations Manager, and Nicole Armstrong, VP Corporate Initiatives
Description - Technology is impacting your sales process. Customers shop everywhere with purchasing power at their fingertips. They expect digital interactions and quick, mobile processes. How can you empower the customer to transition from shopping to buying? In this session, see how to leverage showroom technology to integrate sales and F&I and commit the customer to delivery. Bring your questions to some of the brightest and most accomplished minds in the RV industry, including an expert on text message marketing, an electronic menu-building professional, and an F&I operations manager.
Learning Objectives:
- How to identify legal boundaries that protect dealer and customer information.
- How to leverage showroom technology to: interact with customers in the mobile environment that they primarily use.
Insights 360: Leveraging Consumer Data for Market Success
Speakers from: RV Trader and Statistical Surveys Inc. - Erin Ruane, Chief Marketing Officer, Gillian Luce, AVP of Recreational Brand Marketing, and Anna Stoica-Zhand, Director of Dealer Products
Description - As the COVID boom tapers off, now is the ideal time to analyze market data. By understanding current trends and dynamics, dealers can strategically position their business to capture market share and generate more leads. In the competitive RV market, leveraging data insights is essential for gaining an edge and effectively engaging buyers at every stage of the sales funnel.
Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into the RV market from some of the industry's top experts. Moderated by Erin Ruane, Chief Sales Officer at Trader Interactive, this panel will feature Gillian Luce, AVP of Recreational Marketing, Sasha Pyshkov, Director of Data Analytics and Insights, and Anna Stoica-Zhang, Director of Product, of Trader Interactive and John Ryneska, Senior Sales Manager, of Statistical Surveys, Inc (SSI). Together, they will dive deep into the latest consumer data, revealing key trends in marketplace behavior, the consumer purchase journey, nationwide consumer registration data from SSI, and more. Whether you're aiming to optimize your dealership's inventory, refine your marketing strategies, or better understand consumer preferences, this panel will equip you with the knowledge you need to drive success in the RV industry.
Learning Objectives:
- The current trends and consumer behaviors in the RV market using insights from RV Trader’s marketplace, consumer research, registration data from Statistical Surveys, Inc., and more to strategically position their dealership for success.
- Techniques for refining inventory and engaging their buyers based on consumer preferences, marketplace behavior, and the consumer purchase journey.
Leveraging Data Intelligence
Speaker: Jennifer Green-Neff, AVP, Industry Marketing,Trader Interactive
Description - To differentiate yourself from competitors, there are several strategies worth considering. You might focus on improving customer service, developing compelling marketing campaigns, or implementing attractive incentives and warranties. Another effective approach is to strategically utilize data to gain a competitive edge behind the scenes. Dealers have a wealth of data at their fingertips, but knowing where to focus and how to invest can be overwhelming. In the presentation, 'Leveraging Data Intelligence: A Blueprint for RV Dealership Success,' Jennifer Green-Neff, AVP of Specialty Marketing, will guide dealers in understanding which data holds the most impact based on their competitive goals. Jen will also explore overlooked data intelligence that can provide a strategic advantage before competitors catch on. By effectively interpreting data, RV dealerships can unlock invaluable insights into customer preferences, market trends, and purchasing behaviors. This knowledge empowers dealerships to tailor their offerings, marketing strategies, and customer experiences to precisely match the evolving needs of their target audience. Join Jen as she'll explore practical strategies and tools for leveraging data intelligence to differentiate your dealership in a crowded market and emerge as a leader in the RV industry.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the significance of data interpretation for gaining a competitive edge in the RV dealership industry.
- Acquire actionable strategies for integrating data intelligence into various dealership operations.
Lippert ABS
Speaker: Adam Buchanan, Technical Specialist, Electronic Braking Systems, Lippert
Description - Lippert has released a new braking platform for towables featuring an anti-lock braking system (ABS) for electric brakes. This training will explain ABS functionality and overall system performance.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand proper messaging to consumers about benefits of the technology.
- Understand future feature concepts and ideas building on ABS.
- Understand the system components, architecture and installation.
Rev Up Your Sales with Go RVing's Demographic Deep Dive
Speakers from RV Industry Association/Go RVing: Jeremy Greene, Sr. Director, Events & Marketing and Monika Geraci, Director, PR & Communications
Description - Uncover the secrets of today's RV buyer with Go RVing’s all-new RV Owner Demographic Profile. The groundbreaking research that will revolutionize how you understand and engage with your customers.
Learning Objectives:
- The Changing Face of RVing: Get the latest on demographic trends shaping the industry, including insights into the hearts and minds of first-time and seasoned RVers.
- Drive Engagement & Conversions: Learn how Go RVing is turning data into dynamic campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences across various marketing channels.
- Localize Your Success: Walk away with actionable strategies for RV dealers to apply this research directly to their businesses, boosting sales and building lasting customer relationships.
- Join Go RVing’s Jeremy Greene, Senior Director of Marketing Communications and Monika Geraci, Director of Public Relations and Communications as well as Ipsos Vice President Tim Reimer for an in-depth look. Don't miss this opportunity to gain a competitive edge in the evolving RV market!
Track: Dealer/GM
RVRA Meeting: Best Practices, Rental Year in Review, Legal and Insurance Updates
Speakers: Scott Krenek, President, Krenek RV Center and Leslie Pujo, Partner, Plave Koch PLC
Description - RVRA Chairman Scott Krenek of Krenek RV, Coloma, MI, will provide RVRA members with a review of the 2024 rental season and outline the Top 5 Best Practices RV rental companies need to follow.
Additionally, MBA Insurance President Carlos Avila will provide updates on issues related to insurance, and attorney Leslie Pujo of Reston, VA-based law firm Plave Koch LLC will bring RVRA members up to date on recent court cases and pending legislation affecting rental company operators.
The New RVDA-RVIA Service Management Best Practices
Speaker(s) from: Oehler Mediation - Harold Oehler, Certified Mediator and RV Industry Trainer, David Thomas, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and Tobi Conroy, Thor Consumer Affairs Liaison.
Description - After five years, the RVDA-RVIA Service Management Best Practices have been revised by the RVIA Lawyer’s Committee and top RV trial lawyers around the country and the new Best Practices will be revealed for the first time at RVDA! A panel of veteran RV manufacturer and dealer litigation experts will provide RV dealers a 360-degree view of how to partner with your manufacturer with (1) obtain protection from the manufacturer against lawsuits, and (2) recover your customer who has persistent service issues. This training covers practical techniques that the dealer’s service employees can use every day and compliments the high-level litigation strategies discussed during the Super Lawyer’s Mock Trial.
Learning Objectives:
- How to work together with your manufacturer so that the manufacturer pays for your legal defense and protects you from judgment.
- How to partner with their manufacturers to prevent consumer lawsuits.
Track: Fixed Operations
10 Key Habits Of Top Performers in Fixed Operations
Speaker: Ken Barnes, Director of Sales, DealerPRO RV Training
Description - This workshop is aimed at exceeding your expectations. It will cover key processes that, when followed, increase gross profits and gives you a checklist of items to ensure your success. There will be in-depth discussions, ""how to's"" along with Key Performance Indicators (""KPIs"") and best practices.
Learning Objectives:
- Specific courses of action
- How to identify opportunities for improvement.
- How to build an action plan that gets results.
4 Simple Changes for a Record Year in Fixed Operations
Speaker: Ken Barnes, Director of Sales, DealerPRO RV Training
Description - This workshop will provide the outline for RV Service and Parts departments to dramatically increase gross profits through proven processes to include compensation plans, training outlines, measuring results, and making adjustments plus ways to reduce RECT (repair event cycle time). Dealers who have implemented these 4 changes have seen as much as a 100% increase in gross profit year over year. You will walk away with an easy-to-follow action plan that dealers have successfully used year after year.
Learning Objectives:
- Compensation plans that increase technician productivity by 50% or more <br>
- How to measure performance
- How to reduce RECT (repair event cycle time) to achieve a record year in Fixed Operations Gross Profits
- How to reduce RECT (repair event cycle time) to achieve a record year in Fixed Operations Gross Profits.
- How to measure performance.
Championship Performances: The Congruence Between Sales & Football
Speaker: Jered Sobel, President, Sobel University
Description
Many professional athletes find what made them successful on the field are the same fundamentals that make them successful in a dealership setting. Jered Sobel will be telling their stories and showing the professional development in the RV Industry that comes with properly performed plays, flawless execution of the fundamentals, utilizing coaches on the field, no huddle offense , how to get the ball into the hands of play makers, and why certain players have more decisive wins than anyone else. While Sobel is well known for helping RV dealerships progress their culture of winning through advanced techniques and technical expertise. In this lighthearted, yet informative session, Sobel will show how the only goal in your dealership is to win championships.
Learning Objectives:
- Why top sales, fixed operations, and F&I performers can make plays that no one else can.
- How the best performers practice, train, and mentally attack professional development.
Creating a Safety Culture - Your New Competitive Advantage
Speaker: Joe Souza, Director of EHS Operations-West, KPA
Description - Does your RV Dealership invest in a culture of safety, or see it as a necessary evil? The distinction matters. Research shows that RV dealerships that invest in maintaining a strong culture of safety, reap the rewards in the form of lower rates of absenteeism, injuries, safety violations and turnover. Alternatively, RV dealerships that lack infrastructure and rely on manual systems are underperforming. The key to shifting performance lies in the hands of leadership. Training and engaging management and employees is crucial to instilling a culture of safety from the top down. Join Souza as he dives into what top performing RV dealerships are doing differently to create a culture of safety and retain top talent.
Learning Objectives:
- Navigating complacency, compliance & culture
- Key steps to building a culture of safety
- Innovative training practices to engage management & employees
- How to measure safety performance
- Why and how to build a culture of safety and how to engage management and employees.
- How to measure safety performance.
De-Escalation Interactive Workshop: A Deep Dive
Speaker: Sara Jeckovich, Program Director, Pollack Peacebuilding Systems
Description - The best way to prevent a tense situation from boiling over into a confrontation is to de-escalate early and often through body language, nonverbal communication, and respecting personal space.
In the context of an RV dealership, these are some ways that de-escalation training can help your organization and its employees succeed:
- With improved customer retention
- Fewer formal complaints from customers about employees’ actions
- Fewer complaints to human resources about interpersonal conflict, harassment, and discrimination among coworkers
- Less stress for employees and better worker morale
- Better workplace communication and more efficient and responsive management
- Improved employee retention
- Higher productivity
During this interactive, super session, you'll earn important de-escalation skills that can help you deal with stressful situations or a crisis in frontline settings. You will learn the power of your words and the subtlety of your tone and how mastering verbal de-escalation techniques can transform a potential conflict into a peaceful dialogue. Whether you’re facing a heated argument at work or a tense situation in public, the right approach can defuse tension and foster understanding.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how to self-regulate and respond with empathy in stressful situations.
- Increase awareness of escalation and identify the underlying root cause.
- To establish positive communication with customers/clients/vendors
Elevate Your Fixed Ops Customer Experience with Automation
Speaker: Allison Miller, Sales Engineer, IDS - Integrated Dealer Systems
Description - Customer experience is something every dealership should be focusing on, especially in fixed ops departments. Because unit sales and profit margins are impacted by interest rates and market forces, more dealerships are focusing on maximizing profit in fixed ops. That means your customer experience needs to be a cut above your competitors—more frequent, more personalized, and more helpful. In this presentation, you will learn how to leverage automation to build trust and create stronger customer relationships through communication, without burning out your team.
Learning Objectives:
- Improve cross-departmental collaboration and communication to elevate your customer experience.
- Identify communication gaps in your fixed ops department.
Level Up Your Technician Training with RVTI
Speakers from: RV Technical Institute - Sharonne Lee, VP of Operation, Justin Rickett, Senior Manager, Recruitment,
Description - Take your RV technician training program to the next level with the RV Technical Training Institute (RVTI). Join the RVTI team for this special session and get up to date on the latest industry-approved training and certification programs available for new and experienced technicians. Take a deep dive into the levels of RVTI certification available, find out about recertification options, and how to re-engage technicians whose industry certification may have lapsed.
Learning Objectives:
- How to implement a technician training program through RVTI.
- How to enhance an existing RVTI technician training program.
Peaceful Leaders & Retaining Employees
Speaker:Sara Jeckovich, Program Director, Pollack Peacebuilding Systems
Description - What does it mean to be a Peaceful Leader and how does this help retain employees? Having concerns about retaining employees? In this presentation, Sara will introduce a new approach to leadership, which emphasizes fostering productive and cohesive teams. The Peaceful Leadership model is built around recognizing that if we as leaders want to retain our employees, it’s important for everyone to feel appreciated, included, encouraged and safe. You’ll not only be introduced to this new style of leadership, but you’ll also walk away with practical application techniques to help your team members feel seen, heard, and valued.
Learning Objectives:
- Techniques to help your team members feel seen, heard, and valued.
- What does it mean to be a Peaceful Leader and how does this help retain employees?
Pulse Check: Current RECT Trends and What's Driving Them
Speaker: Don Miller, Senior Data Innovation Manager Customer Care, IDS - Integrated Dealer Systems
Description - In this presentation, we will look at the key insights of the latest RECT trends and where we see them heading in 2025. This presentation is designed to help you benchmark your dealership’s performance against the rest of the industry, and to provide practical guidance on how you can improve the efficiency and profitability of your service department. With the right data and insights, your service department can be transformed into a high-performing, revenue-generating machine. By tracking and monitoring data at every point in a work order, dealerships can identify areas for improvement, leading to faster and more efficient service delivery. Your dealership’s data is gold, and you should mine it often.
Learning Objectives:
- Which critical service metrics you should be tracking, including RECT (Repair Event Cycle Time), and how to use this data to compare your dealership's performance to others in your region.
- Areas of your dealership to take a harder look at, so you can improve processes and allot your resources where they will have the biggest impact.
Re-calibrate Your Selling Mindset
Speaker: Valerie Ziebron, President, VRZ Consulting
Description - When you think about your sales goals for 2025, are you positioning yourself for success or for survival? Successful sales years (and careers) start with mastering your thoughts. This is easier said than done if you are not actively monitoring and shaping your mindset to maximize your sales opportunities. This interactive workshop will explore where your sales mindset is currently and what you can do to actively recalibrate it for better success. Your thoughts are the roots that create the fruits of improved leads, sales confidence, organization and follow through. Raise your awareness and your results in this session designed for front line sales professionals and their leaders. Whether you're a seasoned sales pro or new to selling RVs, this session will give you what you need to build more trust, confidence and loyalty with each prospect and customer you interact with.
Learning Objectives:
- Practice ways to develop and maintain your positive thoughts - even through tough patches.
- Assess your current sales mindset.
RV Solar & Off-Grid Innovation
Speaker: David Copeland, President, Van Dyke Enterprises, Go Power!
Description - Join industry leader Go Power! to learn what's new in mobile power systems, including new products, advances in existing technology, and easy ways to add solar to every sale that goes off your lot.
Learning Objectives:
- How Go Power! and Dometic Mobile Power Solutions is innovating off-grid living.
Technician Recruitment: Best Practices for Hiring & Retaining Top Talent
Speaker(s): Don Reed, CEO, DealerPRO RV Training and Peter Martin, President, Cactus Sky Digital
Description - Join us for an insightful workshop on "Technician Recruitment: Best Practices for Hiring & Retaining Top Talent," led by industry veterans Don Reed and Peter Martin.
During the workshop, attendees will gain invaluable insights into the most effective strategies for recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining top technicians for their dealership. Don and Peter will share proven best practices for identifying and attracting top talent, leveraging digital platforms such as social media advertising and search engine marketing to reach potential candidates. Additionally, attendees will learn about the importance of employer branding and how to showcase their dealership's culture, benefits, and career development opportunities to attract skilled technicians.
Don and Peter will delve into innovative techniques for employee retention, including the implementation of re-targeting campaigns and effective communication strategies.
Learning Objectives:
- Actionable plans and strategies to improve technician retention rates and build a high-performing team, based on real-world case studies and best practices.
- Practical insights into the process of identifying, attracting, and hiring top talent for their dealership's fixed operations, with a focus on optimizing recruitment efforts to meet the unique needs of the RV industry.
The RV Journey - Ensuring a Smooth Path with Your OEM from Delivery to Service
Speakers from Forest River, Inc.: Kelly Mosher, Customer Service Training Manager and Mike Pedue, Dealer Relations Manager
Description - Want a smooth RV journey from delivery to service? Do you understand the responsibilities of both the Dealer and the OEM at each stop along the way? Want to avoid potholes that deter a smooth journey? We want that too! Join Forest River's Kelly Mosher and Mike Pedue as they break down each of the stops (stages) of an RV along its journey through retail sale. They will discuss what needs to happen at each of these stops to have great experiences between the Dealer and the OEM and how to avoid the potholes that can prevent those experiences along the way.
Learning Objectives:
- The potholes that can cause havoc along the way.
- The responsibilities of the Dealer and OEM at each stop for a smooth RV journey.
Tune Up Your Shop for Maximum Performance
Speaker: Valerie Ziebron, President, VRZ Consulting
Description - Is your service department running as well as it could be? Are you consistently delivering profitable, proactive results? Current market conditions have challenged many RV dealerships to lean on service and parts more than ever to keep cashflow churning. This interactive session will dig into your shops specifics, we’ll look at your strengths and how to use them for even greater results and we’ll uncover key components that need to be tuned up to keep your shop running its best. No matter what role you fill at the dealership, you’ve got a lot invested in and riding on your service department. Take a little time to understand how you can support the shop and keep it churning cashflow and customer loyalty.
Learning Objectives:
- How to get more out of your shop without adding more staff.
- We’ll explore no-cost tools that can drastically improve the bottom line for not only the shop, but every department.
Upper Management's Role in Service Success
Speaker: Valerie Ziebron, President, VRZ Consulting
Description - Is upper management providing the shop what it needs to succeed? Are we setting the dealership up to work as a team? This content-rich session is the CliffsNotes version of the most important take-aways from the popular Service Management workshop.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn the key differences between Sales and Service workers – and how to adjust your leadership style to better communicate with and motivate them
- Uncover some of the biggest opportunities for upper management to strengthen shop efficiency and employee satisfaction
- Explore the most vital shop metrics – and why they matter
You’ll leave with some valuable golden nugget take-aways including:
- Ways to jumpstart your shops performance
- An effective employee survey
- How to track efficiency and implement incentive-based pay
- Tips for effective shop meetings and much more…
A well-run shop is vital for customer retention and dealership growth. Get the information you need to lead your shop into a more profitable and proactive 2025.
- Uncover some of the biggest opportunities for upper management to strengthen shop efficiency and employee satisfaction.
- Explore the most vital shop metrics – and why they matter.
World Class Slide-Out Sealing Solutions
Speaker: Luc McCarty, Aftermarket Specialist, Jaeger-UniTek Sealing Solutions, Inc.
Description - Join us for an engaging seminar presented by Jaeger-Unitek at the upcoming RV Dealers Association (RVDA) convention, focusing on our patented slide-out sealing solutions tailored specifically for the recreational vehicle industry. This session is ideal for RV manufacturers and dealers interested in the latest advancements in sealing technology that promise enhanced durability and superior environmental protection. Our experts will provide an in-depth look at the unique properties and benefits of our slide-out seals, including their ability to withstand diverse weather conditions and extend the lifespan of RV components.
Learning Objectives:
- Polymer Technology.
- Slide-Out Seal Repair.
- Slide-Out Seal Full Package Accessories
Available Now On-Demand
The Pathway to Fixed Absorption
Speaker: Matt Richards, Sales Executive, IDS - Integrated Dealer Systems
Description - If you aren't actively working towards achieving fixed absorption at your dealership, it's time to start. It's the best way to develop a bulletproof, economic-proof business. Fixed absorption has been the benchmark in the auto industry for a long time, and the RV industry needs to catch up. Margins are being compressed, and dealers will have to deliver better service to accommodate this.
Join us for a webinar with Matt Richards, dealership software expert and former dealership owner, partner, and GM.
Learning Objectives:
- What fixed absorption is and why it’s important.
- Areas you need to excel in to achieve fixed absorption, including special order management, the number of repair events created per work order, and minimizing technician walk-and-talk.