FRVTA State Convention Kicks Off Sept. 7 in Ft. Lauderdale – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) members will gather Sept. 7-10 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Ft. Lauderdale for the 43rd State Convention, according to a press release from the organization.

The theme for this year’s convention is “Ride the RV Pipeline to Success!” The theme goes with the tropical setting of the hotel and with the need to stay ahead of your competition in these tough times. In addition to a lot of information, the FRVTA Convention allows for plenty of fun activities like deep sea fishing and a visit to Top Golf. The “Shake Your Coconuts” Dinner Party Friday night will feature beautiful Hawaiian shirts and dresses and a great dinner buffet. Also a lot of fun is the “Big Kuhuna” Game Show luncheon featuring games, prizes, cash and loads of surprises.

Here are the featured speakers for this year’s convention and their topics:

Harold Oehler, Oehler Mediation

The Trial of the Century – The FRVTA, and emcee Harold Oehler, will take this year’s convention attendees into the courtroom during the trial of a consumer’s lawsuit against an RV dealer and manufacturer. The audience to this “Trial of the Century” will serve as jurors and decide the case. This mock trial will train RV dealers on industry best practices that will allow dealers to:

Prevent customer complaints from turning into lawsuits
Recover their customers and
Encourage the manufacturer to pay for the dealer’s defense and protect the dealer from judgment.

Phil Ingrassia, RVDA President

RV Inudstry Update – Fixed Operations Training Opportunities – RV Dealers Association President Phil Ingrassia will provide a quick overview of the status of the RV market based on monthly dealer surveys. He will also cover the association’s strategic priorities, including legislation, industry efforts to reduce Repair Event Cycle Time (RECT), and fixed operations training opportunities for service, parts, and warranty management professionals available through the Mike Molino RV Learning Center.

Michael Ochs, RVIA Director of Government Affairs

Michael Ochs will talk about some recent RV industry trends and economic indicators, including a better relationship with the campground industry, and will highlight some recent research and GoRVing demographic information.

Curtis Hemmler, RVTI Executive Director

Curt will be giving an update on the RV Technical Institute including the recent launch of Level 3 in the RV Technician Career Path. He has been with the RV Industry Association for over four years, serving as the Executive Director of the RV Technical Institute, the gold standard of RV Service Technician training in North America.

Break-Out Sessions – Saturday Morning include:

Harold Oehler, Oehler Mediation – How to Conduct the Perfect Vehicle Inspection and Mediation to Defend a Consumer Claim and Retain Your Customer

Orlando Room – 8:45 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.

The key to eliminating consumer lawsuits early and inexpensively, and retaining your customer, is to have solid procedures in place to resolve customer issues efficiently and inexpensively. This one-hour session will provide dealers with the tools they need to conduct the perfect vehicle inspection and mediation to eliminate lawsuits quickly and provide the dealer the best opportunity to retain their customer. Harold Oehler, who is a DeMars RV Program Mediator and the former General Counsel of Lazydays, will share more than 30 years of experience as an attorney defending RV and automobile dealerships. The tips Harold will share may be used immediately by your dealership to prevent litigation and improve customer satisfaction.

Ejola Cook, Cook Consulting – Consumer Demand Letters, How To Handle The Gauntlet Of Customer Complaints

Tallahassee Room – 8:45 a.m. & 10 a.m.

You receive a letter from a lawyer, now what? Learn your rights, obligations, and best practices for responding to consumer demands and complaints. Putting some simple steps in place, can save you time and money on the long run. We will review the Florida Chapter 501 Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices, Implied Warranties in Florida, and new consumer complaints currently circulating.

French Brown, Dean Mean & Dunbar – The Nuts And Bolts Of Florida Tax

Jacksonville Room – 10 a.m & 11:15 a.m. –

Protect your bottom line by minimizing taxes and reducing risks associated with a Department of Revenue audit. Come learn about unique tax provisions that apply to recreational vehicles and exemptions for RV parks. Don’t worry, French will explain these high-level tax concepts and detailed considerations in an easy-to-understand manner. We are certain that each attendee will learn something to take back to your business, let’s just hope that you don’t learn that that you already have tax exposure. Bring your questions.

Garry Enyart, Rv Industry Consultant – A Dealers Guide To Repair Event Cycle Time (RECT)

Orlando Room – 10 a.m. & Clearwater Room – 11:15 a.m.

Following several years of record RV sales, getting service customers back on the road quickly is one of the industry’s top priorities. Join Past RVIA Chairman Garry Enyart and other industry experts for a special workshop focusing on important Repair Event Cycle Time (RECT) initiatives spearheaded by RVDA and RVIA’s RV Industry Service Support Coalition. In this interactive presentation, Garry and guest panelists will discuss:

Current and future manufacturer and supplier service support programs for dealers.
Repair order writing and other best practices in the service and parts departments that dealers and fixed operations professionals can use immediately to improve their internal RECT.
Dealer management software RECT reporting and how these reports can improve service efficiency.

Brad Stanek, Morgan Stanley – Passing the keys: Why Early Succession Planning is Critical for RV Dealers

Tallahassee Room – 11:15AM

Did you know that 66% of family businesses failed to make it out of the second generation? This is because many dealers only go through a sale or succession planning one time and are not entirely clear on the process and how to prepare so the next generation has the resources to be successful. Join Brad Stanek of Morgan Stanley who’s helped over 100 RV dealers navigate succession issues, for this special workshop that will cover:

How to avoid the most common challenges in ownership succession
Steps owners can take immediately if this is a pending issue for the dealership
A case study on how a family dealership transitioned successfully from one generation to the next

Traeanne Reynolds, Greentree Business Consulting – Riding The Waves Of Social Media

Jacksonville Room – 8:45 a.m.

Ecommerce sales continue to grow and mobile price checking threatens profit margins for retailers. Many brick-and-mortar stores are struggling to grow their customer base and remain competitive in the digital marketplace. In this presentation, you will learn how to navigate the waves of digital and social media to find the ideal platforms for your business as well as critical social strategies to make sure that your business survives and thrives.

Adrian Pascual, Guidepoint Security – Cyber Security For Businesses

Clearwater Room – 8:45 a.m. & 10 a.m.

Endpoint security is of paramount importance in today’s interconnected digital landscape, as it focuses on safeguarding the entry points to a network, such as devices, computers, and servers. These endpoints serve as the frontline defense against a multitude of cyber threats, including malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and unauthorized access attempts. By implementing robust endpoint security measures, organizations can ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their sensitive data, prevent data breaches, and maintain the trust of their customers and stakeholders. As remote work and the proliferation of IoT devices continue to expand the attack surface, a comprehensive endpoint security strategy becomes not only crucial for preventing cyber incidents but also for maintaining the overall resilience and operational continuity of modern digital environments.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/frvta-state-convention-kicks-off-sept-7-in-ft-lauderdale/