The RVDA Dealer Convention/Expo, presented as a virtual event this year, takes place Nov. 9-20 and the RVDA, along with RVDA of Canada and the Mike Molino RV Learning Center, will offer several educational events throughout to give the virtual attendees plenty of chances to learn. More of those educational opportunities have been announced today.
First, a trio of experts from Trader Interactive, based in Norfolk, Va., will present four educational sessions. Jason Groesser, vice president of analytics and data strategy at Trader Interactive, opens the presentations with “2021 RV Trends to Watch: Business Impacts & How to Prepare” from 3:30-4:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
“Amid global recession worries, what can our industry expect for 2021 and how can we prepare to be ahead of the curve?,” the RVDA said in its description of the presentation. “Groesser will use data and trends collected from millions of real RV consumers to aid dealers in making more informed decisions for their 2021 strategies.”
Simon Heseltine, vice president of audience growth at Trader Interactive, takes center stage to talk about “Level Up: 7 Digital Tactics to Immediately Elevate Your Brand & Drive More Visitors to Your Dealership” from 11:00–11:45 a.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 13.
This session examines the importance of presenting a good website experience when attempting to get consumers to follow through by visiting a dealership. The seminar covers basics such as online listings, optimizing website and social media performance, and then talks about SEO, SEM, and retargeting.
Paige Bouma, executive vice president of sales and operations at Trader Interactive, will discuss “Influencing the RV Consumer Path to Purchase” from 2:15–3:00 p.m. ET on Monday, November 16. “The average consumer consults 24 touch points in their path to purchase, and 19 of those are digital. In this presentation, Bouma will begin by focusing on those 19 digital touch points and help dealers learn the online tactics that will influence and engage their next RV lead.”
And finally, Bouma returns to discuss “Take Advantage of the New Normal: Marketing Tactics to Optimize your Rental Income” from 1:00–1:45 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20. “Whether you are a seasoned RV rental dealer who is familiar with the platform, or someone looking to break into the RV rental market, this session has information for everyone. The presentation will open with exclusive data on the RV renters’ demographics, shopping habits, and preferences.”
Also happening at the Expo will be Vendor Training +Plus Sessions. These sessions are informative, on-demand workshops offered by prominent industry vendors in finance, insurance, marketing, sales, fixed operations, and management. These workshops are a company’s opportunity to present their own content and provide attendees with in-depth product or service information, case studies, educational demos, or topic of choice. Again, note that these are on-demand presentations, and dealers who attend the virtual Expo can log in and view them at their leisure.
Two announced today are both focused on the all-important subject of Repair Event Cycle Time (RECT).
IDS – Integrated Dealer Systems’ General Manager, Frank Tamburrini, and Product Manager, Christopher Buzny, will concentrate on “How to Improve Your Fixed Operations & RECT.” The presentation will examine how IDS’ Fixed Operations Toolset will help a dealership’s service employees work more effectively and collaboratively, so they can improve RECT.
In a separate Vendor Training +Plus session, CDK Global Lightspeed’s Product Manager, Chris Hauck, will deliver “Service Department: Increase Service Delivery Speed & Experience Using the LightspeedEVO CRM and DMS.” This session is designed to help dealers understand how to utilize technology to create an unparalleled customer experience in the service department.
Many sessions and all virtual booths from the virtual convention/expo will remain online for later access through January 31, 2021. Companies interested in partnership, sponsorship, or exhibiting opportunities should contact Julie Newhouse at jnewhouse@rvda.org.
Follow the convention on social media using #RVDAConEx. Visit www.rvda.org/convention for more information. Convention registration is affordably priced, with discounts for multiple attendees from the same dealership. To register for the Expo, click here.
