Dealer Forum Agenda Set!
We have set the agenda for the OPE Business Dealer Forum, and you are gonna want to be here for this two-day event. Check the website for registration and schedule details. Join us in November in Dallas!
OPE Business Awards Reception
Celebrate top performers in the power equipment industry at our first annual awards ceremony. OPE Business Leaders Under 40 and Movers & Shakers will be recognized.
Opening Keynote address
Is the economy revving up, idling, or stalling out? Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will walk through where the economy is now, where it’s going in 2024, and where it’s likely to be in 2025. He’ll talk inflation, the Fed, interest rates, and what all that means for consumer spending on powersports products.
Curtis will also dive into potential policy changes in Washington, the impact of the 2024 elections on the economy, and more. Be prepared to leave this keynote session armed with actionable knowledge and a sharper perspective on how to navigate the ever-evolving economic tides and steer your business toward greater success.
Seminar Sessions
Industry Trends, Your Plan
You can spot trends by studying data, but are you distilling that data to make better business decisions? With 24 years of dealer and manufacturer experience, Dave Johnson, of Constellation Dealership Software, will guide a conversation on how economic trends are most affecting our industry and what you can do about it.
Harness the power of national and regional outdoor power equipment insights in this interactive discussion.
Online Reputation Management for Dealers: Truth and Tactics
There are a number of myths about managing your business’s online reputation. The truth is, dealers can do a lot to take charge of their dealership’s online reputation.
Join Brett Morris, an interactive media expert with Dealers Digital, as he helps make this SEO exercise understandable. You’ll learn how to enhance your business listings and make your website a magnet for customers so you can continue to grow awareness for your business.
Transform Your Business: Strategies for Customer-Centric Growth
How can you find new business opportunities, discover things your marketplace needs – existing customers and new customers. The customer has made a lot of changes to the way they spend their time and money. Other businesses are adapting; even McDonald’s now accepts 13 forms of payment. Are you still only accepting 4 credit cards, cash and checks? In our industry, he who adapts first to the different customer wins the business and loyalty of the customers. The rest continue as they did in 2019; selling equipment on price and having a repair center. Join sales expert and industry leader Tom Shay in this lively discussion.
What’s Next? Practical Lessons for Succession Planning
Josh Flynn, CEO of Power Equipment Plus in Long Island, N.Y. (owned by family-owned holding company Chenmark), shares his journey of acquiring and operating a well-established power equipment dealership with three locations on Long Island. He’ll explore the hurdles, triumphs, and lessons encountered during the acquisition process and in the first year of operations.
Boost Traffic and Build Relationships with Open-House & Event Marketing
In-store events can improve short-term revenue and long-term relationships with existing and new customers. Learn how to run them, target niche audiences, and work with product manufacturers for maximum impact. Marketing expert Heather Wilson will teach us plenty.
And more!
We’ll talk about service profit and efficiency. We’ll cover marketing communication. And we’ll hear from Yakta, perhaps the newest manufacturer in power equipment, whose leaders will discuss product development in this highly competitive and evolving marketplace.
