Plans Well Underway for RVIA Leadership Conference in March

JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

The upcoming RV Industry Association (RVIA) Leadership Conference is shaping up to be one of the more rewarding events on the industry’s event calendar for 2023. Set for March 15-18 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Ariz., the Leadership Conference will bring together top-level management as well as next-generation leaders across all segments of the RV industry.

In a conference call with trade media Wednesday (Jan. 11), organizers said the conference will feature impactful networking, leadership development and motivational speakers. The conference is designed to help nurture talent, provide a space to develop a deeper understanding of critical industry issues, and connect with the next generation of leaders in the RV industry.

Ryan Elias

“We’re really excited about the launch of this Leadership Conference that pulls together the best and brightest minds from across the industry for a couple days of networking, speakers and discussion around various different leadership topics,” said Ryan Elias, president of Triple E Vans and Leisure Travel Vans.

Elias also serves as the treasurer on the RVIA Board of Directors and the chairman of the Emerging Leaders Coalition, a group of 30 or so people with the stated purpose of  next generation of industry leadership.

“I can tell you from sitting on the board that this became a critical element of our discussions moving forward,” Elias said. “We must make sure we’re engaged in the current and future leaders of the industry to ensure that we can continue, and maintain that unity that’s been built over the many years of this industry, has been a fundamental part of the success of the RV industry.”

The conference agenda is loaded with leadership:

• CEO Roundtable: Perspectives on Leadership – Moderated by President & CEO of the RV Industry Association, Craig Kirby, this session will seek leadership advice from some of the top CEOs and leaders in the RV industry.
• Sterling Hawkins: No Matter What Personal Growth Mindset – From a multi-billion-dollar startup to collapse and coming back to launch, invest in and grow over 50 companies, Sterling Hawkins’ experience has led to work with C-level teams from some of the largest organizations on the planet and stages around the world. Through thousands of hours of research backed with the latest psychology, brain science and applicable tools, as well as his own personal journey, Hawkins will help Leadership Conference attendees not only understand how to grow themselves, but how to be compelled to grow #NoMatterWhat they’re facing.
• Combat Leadership Workshop: Build High Performance, Winning Teams – Presented by former U.S. Navy SEAL, JP Dinnell, Echelon Front Chief Training Officer. Although combat is different from any other environment in the world, the traits and qualities needed to succeed are the same. This workshop will focus on leading in dynamic situations. Simple and direct, yet simultaneously strategic and diplomatic, these leadership concepts are designed to get your team executing at the highest level possible.
• Kyle Scheele: Believe in Crazy Ideas – If there’s one belief that is holding you back from getting the most out of your team, it’s this one: some people are creative, and some people aren’t. In the same way that we teach employees how to track expenses, process invoices, and jiggle the lock just right to get into the supply closet, we can teach them how to be more creative, how to have better ideas, and how to build a culture where innovation is a natural byproduct. Kyle Scheele’s finely-tuned blend of humor and heart will inspire your willingness to tap into your team’s innate creativity and chase your own crazy ideas.

Jeremy Greene

In addition to the speakers and other agenda items and activities, RVIA Senior Director of Events & Marketing Jeremy Greene said one of the more valuable opportunities of the Leadership Conference is how it is geared toward anyone from the industry – including OEMs, suppliers, dealers, campground managers, etc. – who is looking to grow in their professional career.

“We’re looking at all segments to attend this conference,” he said “Now, in terms of kind of who from companies within those segments, it’s really an individual perspective. Obviously, we’re trying to get the current generation of leaders – those CEOs, COOs, etc. – as well as that next level down, or even a couple levels down, the folks who are currently or could be in the future influencing where the industry moves.”

Samantha Rocci

Adding to that was Samantha Rocci, RVIA’s senior manager of government affairs, who said the Emerging Leaders was created to help identify and groom the next generation of industry leaders.

“When Craig Kirby, our president, proposed this group, he really was focused on that idea of industry unity – what the current generation of leaders has been able to accomplish by building connections and working together – and how do we make sure that that continues into the next generation of leaders,” she said. “So, it’s who is that next up-and-coming person at your company? Who’s somebody who you see as a rising star? Who is that next-gen incoming leader that you want to get in the room with their peers – who also are going to be at that level and leading the industry in the next decade or so?”

Click here to register for the conference.

Attendees will stay at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa for two days of impactful networking, leadership development and motivational speakers. Immersed in the vibrant serenity of the Sonoran Desert, the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is a destination resort offering awe-inspiring vistas, bespoke service, state-of-the-art facilities and extraordinary amenities. Conference content will be designed to help nurture talent from across the industry, provide a space to develop a deeper understanding of critical industry issues, and connect the next generation of leaders in the RV industry.

Registration is $1,495 and includes 3 nights resort, resort fees, all keynote and leadership sessions, group outdoor activity, meals and networking.

Questions about the event can be directed to Jeremy Greene, Sr. Director, Events & Marketing by email or phone at 571-665-5871.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/excitement-building-for-rvia-leadership-conference-in-march/