RVBusiness, September/October 2019

of education several on very timely issues Its really invaluable and we always encourage members to attend Known too as a networking show for the industry at large the Con Expo will also feature a product and services Expo with 159 supplier and manufacturer exhibits There are so many new products services programs and new ways of doing things that the Expo floor is really a highlight of the convention noted RVDA President Phil Ingrassia The 2019 program will be the first held at Caesars Palace following a long stay at Ballys on the Strip and last year Paris Las Vegas Caesars offers us a world class meeting space right on the Las Vegas Strip Ingrassia said Its comparable to what we had at Paris and Ballys before that but its multilevel which is ideal for running workshops and exhibits It also provides several meeting areas where dealers can network with peers Its an impressive layout Also on tap U S and Canadian RV dealerships will be honored during the 12th running of the RVBusiness Top 50 Dealer Awards that recognizes dealers business practices professionalism in customer service civic minded outreach technician training and an array of other RV retailing benchmarks Format Designed to Cover All Aspects of Retail In addition to the slate of targeted educational workshops RVDA will again offer Partners in Progress meetings providing dealers a forum to discuss brand specific issues with top management from participating manufacturers along with an expanded Vendor Training Plus VTP program More than 30 workshops are planned under the VTP banner allowing suppliers and OEMs to demonstrate and communicate the benefits of their product directly to dealers One of the things vendors have done a good job with in Vendor Training Plus is providing really good information on the benefits of the product and how to sell it versus just going through a sales pitch Ingrassia said The programs are part of RVDAs commitment to produce a show that is wide ranging while resolutely staying in step with the times We have always positioned the convention as being for dealers by dealers said Ingrassia The way we put the format together is that our staff works together with dedicated volunteers including principal dealers and also association members to create an educational program that is of the moment for attendees All tracks have evolved and the slate of industry events all have their specific purpose he related As in the past we put an emphasis on dealer management and education The goal of the convention is to show dealers where the industry is at and also some insight into where its headed and what they need to do to prepare for the next cycle Chris Andro general manager for Hemlock Hills RV in Southington Conn who 110 RVBusiness S E P T E M B E R O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 took over as committee chairman last year from Ron Shepherd offered Since signing on as chairman my focus has been on injecting more energy on the show floor while providing content with an emphasis on modernization and relevant content Our world keeps changing especially with the advent of new technology and the explosion of social media My top priority has been to bring in new vendors new speakers and a dynamic keynote he added This year Josh Linkner a New York Times best selling author and entrepreneur who founded built and sold five companies for a combined exit value of over 200 million Im expecting a very high energy session During the CRVDA member meeting digital marketer Dan Fricker head of business operations for Shopify will deliver the keynote Other activities include the associations annual Canadian Night offering dealers a prime chance to network with peers Hamm noted It really has become the highlight for our members during the convention Early Bird Registrations Point to Strong Attendance Ingrassia reported in early August that RVDA was anticipating an uptick in attendance as preregistrations were on track to exceed last years total which was the best in a decade Were up right now from last year which is encouraging Ingrassia said Last year we ended up with just more than 1600 attendees which represented an increase of 16 We certainly want to build on that success this year We try to communicate with dealers to make sure they know everything that we have going on Id say that 95 of the convention content is available on our website so members are able to get a quick rundown of the different programs and sessions that are available Hamm concurred that numbers among Canadian dealers were tracking well from the previous year Its still early but we are ahead of last year she related I think part of the reason is that we have introduced simultaneous translation for several of the workshops where dealers wear headphones during the workshop and the speakers presentation is translated into French Its a huge advantage for our French speaking dealers in Quebec along with New Brunswick and Ontario Andro stressed that RVDA is encouraging dealerships to bring multiple personnel to ensure that they can take in the full breadth of the conventions educational format When I took over as chairman last The Expo floor has seen a noticeable jump in exhibitors over the last few years with 159 set for this years event Chris Andro