The lineup of business sessions at the Aftermarket Distribution Summit span topics focused on building business strategies and developing new areas of opportunities. The sessions, which include roundtable discussions, will be conducted by industry experts that include distributors and suppliers, as well as professionals and consultants for other industries.
“The educational panels for this year’s Aftermarket Distribution Summit will once again hone in on areas that are of specific importance to aftermarket professionals, particularly through ways of strengthening business practices and successfully capturing new market opportunities,” says Derek Smith, editor of Truck Parts & Service magazine. “These sessions will very much complement the theme of the meeting, ‘Strategies for Success.’”
Truck Parts & Service hosts the business sessions at the Aftermarket Distribution Summit which serves as the annual fall meeting of the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network. The Summit, which is expected to draw hundreds of aftermarket professionals, is scheduled for Sept. 12-15 at The Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis. Additional details for distributors and suppliers, including registration information, is available at either www.AftermarketDistributionSummit.org or www.cvsn.org.
The business sessions include:
Maximizing Margins & Profits: This in-depth review of pricing strategies will look at best practices for calculating margins, determining optimum timing for price changes and balancing the need to generate revenue versus profit. Four speakers will each discuss a unique aspect of this critical topic and provide proven, implementable actions to make the most of margins and bolster the bottom line. This session will be followed by a roundtable-style discussion.
Build Your Business Online: The myriad options to market and promote a business online can be confusing. Putting the right amount of resources into the most effective online tools is the key to success. Expert panelists will help attendees make sense of creating a sales-ready Web storefront, marketing and promoting with eTools and using social networking to strengthen and build a customer base. This session will be followed by a roundtable-style discussion.
Grow With A Purpose: When a business plateaus, determining how to grow it is both essential and risky. Is the potential being maximized in its current markets? How does it identify potential in new markets? Should a company expand the depth and breadth of its product and service offerings? Is it time to add a new location? These are a few of the issues that will be addressed, followed by a general session discussion.
In addition to the business sessions the Summit will include a lineup of speakers that includes:
Bill Lasky: Lasky, president and CEO of Accuride Corporation, will provide his assessment of the heavy-duty aftermarket, where it is now and what the future will bring. Lasky will also touch on how planning the strategies for future success have become more difficult when survival takes center stage.
Brent Grover: Grover is a managing partner with Evergreen Consulting, LLC and an NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence distinguished fellow. He serves as an advisor to the distribution channel on strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions. He is the author of six books including the best-selling “Strategic Pricing for Distributors,” published last year.
Rick Farrell: Farrell is president of Tangent Knowledge Systems, a Chicago-based sales training and development firm. He has more than 25 years of sales experience, 10-plus as a sales trainer. He is the author of an upcoming book, “Selling has Nothing to do with Selling.” He will show attendees how to retool their sales organization to meet the realities of the new economy.
Scott DeGiorgio: DeGiorgio is general manager of the Automotive Repair Solutions Group at Mitchell1, a leading provider of information to the transportation industry since 1918. DeGiorgio oversees product and business management for the repair information product line consisting of the OnDemand and ShopKey branded repair and transmission products, as well as the commercial vehicle division which provides technical information for vehicle maintenance, service and repair for the commercial truck and trailer markets.
Other Summit sessions include a CEO-level focused technology presentation hosted by Datalliance/HDX and a service shop presentation hosted by HDDA (Heavy Duty Distributor Association) featuring Scott DeGiorgio of the automotive repair solutions group at Mitchell1.
Additionally, the Aftermarket Distribution Summit will include three sets of 3 to 60 minute private strategic planning sessions scheduled between distributors and suppliers; a spouses’ program; networking opportunities, including the Tenneco Challenge Golf Tournament, and a tour of Lake Geneva; and presentation of the CVSN President’s Award to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the industry. Regarding the latter, the 2010 recipient is industry icon Harvey Peterson of CATCO Parts and Service.
