Less than two weeks remain for RV dealers who have not registered for the RVDA Convention/Expo to make plans to be in Las Vegas.
RVDA Convention/Expo Committee Chairman Chris Andro said the event’s return on investment (ROI) is immeasurable for dealership personnel. He encouraged businesses undecided about attending to give the convention a second thought.
“If you are hesitant about spending the money because you may have not had a great year,” he said, “I think that this is the most important time to spend that money. I really feel like it is money well spent for the value you are going to receive.”
Andro said attendees should take advantage of networking opportunities and attend the educational sessions. He said talking with dealers from around the U.S. and Canada can provide insight into how dealers found success with a program that might not have worked for others.
“That is where the ROI is not measurable,” Andro said. “It is invaluable to talk with other dealers and find out what products were hot and which ones were not for them, what works for them and what does not.”
In an untraditional move for RVDA, Ryan Estis is back to present the keynote speech. He was the keynote speaker in 2016 and is the first person to be asked to return in that role. He will discuss how category-leading companies have cracked the code to meet evolving customer expectations.
Andro said, “The committee felt really strongly that his message is relevant to the current industry and economic situation.”
For the second straight year, RVDA has designated a day and instituted a discounted registration fee for fixed operations personnel. Fixed Operations Day registrations enable attendees to attend the Nov. 12 evening reception and all Nov. 13 sessions. Five educational sessions are in the Fixed Operations Track, while many more address fixed-operations topics.
“It really became a hit last year,” Andro said. “We brought it back this year and improved it even more. We have more speakers. The emphasis is really on technician recruitment and best practices for hiring and retaining top talent but also using AI in the department. There are also speakers who will talk about transforming your fixed operations department through leadership and teaching communication skills.”
Andro said registrations are on par with recent years. He said the sold-out Exhibit Hall will be an attraction.
“We have a lot of new vendors that are coming into the Exhibit Hall,” Andro said. “We have some F&I people that are coming in, and we are loaded with AI content.”
Andro said the Exhibit Hall will provide more networking opportunities this year. The Exhibit Hall Happy Hour begins at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 11 after Estis’ keynote address. The hall is open from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Nov. 11.
A prayer and coffee event will kick off the Nov. 12 schedule at 7 a.m. Attendees will gather for breakfast at 8:15 a.m. before the RVDA and RVDA of Canada annual meetings. Evening receptions are scheduled Nov. 11 and Nov. 12.
