The VIPAR Heavy Duty IMPACT Conference is returning to its traditional fully in-person format Oct. 16-21, 2022, at the JW Marriott Marco Island in Marco Island, Fla.
The conference will take place as planned, as the city of Marco Island and the JW Marriott Marco Island property are making a rapid recovery after the recent hurricane.
“We’re grateful to be moving forward with the IMPACT Conference in Marco Island to bring our network together for a productive week, featuring new and refreshed programming as well as the return of several of our traditional conference elements,” says Jeff Paul, vice president of marketing, VIPAR Heavy Duty. “The JW Marriott Marco Island and surrounding area has made great progress with the clean up and recovery efforts and are ready to welcome our attendees. We hope our event can aid the many local businesses and people that rely on events like ours to support their businesses and local community, while hosting our industry-leading event.”
VIPAR Heavy Duty’s move to a new format for certain aspects of the show was based on stockholder feedback and to facilitate valuable interaction among conference attendees. Several elements that will take on a more interactive format include the general session, supplier meeting, and the Young Leaders Roundtable Lunch geared toward open conversation for attendees rather than a designated speaker.
Also new this year to the conference is the Women in Business Reception, bringing together female leaders within the network to spark dialogue and support the critical role of women in the heavy duty industry, VIPAR Heavy Duty says.
The traditional stockholder meeting, GenNext Young Leaders Reception and highly popular tradeshow and one-on-one meetings also will be making a comeback at the 2022 IMPACT Conference.
Networking activities will take place throughout the conference including the IMPACT Memorial Golf Tournament which memorializes industry friends lost and their contributions to the VIPAR Heavy Duty network and aftermarket industry. Sponsorships and donations generated through the tournament will help support those in need including members of the VIPAR Heavy Duty network that were impacted by recent hurricanes as well as Wyakin Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing wounded veterans for post-military careers.