Dealer Development Conference
Dealer Development Conference
June 4-5
AED’s Dealer Development Conference is a must-attend event for decision makers from equipment dealerships looking to improve their business. Join us for an annual education and networking opportunity that’s been designed specifically for small to medium-sized business operators like you.
At this conference, you’ll find sessions that cover a range of topics that are essential to the success of your business, including succeeding in today’s economy, process mapping for improved rental operations, growing your workforce now and in the future, diversifying your product offerings, what to know when valuating a dealership, a government affairs update from The Hill, a dealership panel discussion, and networking receptions.
Early Registration: $1025
Regular Registration: $1125
Late Registration: $1225
Save now and register early! The early bird deadline is April 24.
Register Now Reserve Hotel Room Sponsors
2023 Platinum Sponsor:
HOTEL![]() | Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel Call-In: (877) 868-9134 Guest Room Rates: $199+tax Group Block Closes: May 12, 2023 |
Schedule At-A-Glance
Sunday, June 4
Time | Session Title | Location | Speaker | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Registration | |||
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Welcome Reception | Sponsored by DPL Telematics |
Monday, June 5
Time | Session Title | Location | Speaker | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
8:00 am - 8:30 am | Breakfast & Registration | Sponsored by Allu | ||
8:30 am - 8:45 am | Welcome & Announcements | |||
8:45 am - 10:00 am | The Map Versus the Terrain: How to Adapt to Anything and Achieve Success | Bill Fournet | Sponsored by HBS Systems | |
10:00 am - 10:15 am | BREAK | Sponsored by TVH | ||
10:15 am - 11:15 am | Process Mapping for Improved Rental Operations | Larry Kaye Script International | ||
11:20 am - 12:20 pm | Growing Your Workforce Now & in the Future | |||
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm | A Grassroots Approach to Workforce Development | Sean Fitzgerrel The AED Foundation | ||
12:30 pm - 1:15 pm | LUNCH | Sponsored by Glynn General Companies | ||
1:15 pm - 2:15 pm | The Art and Science of Diversification | Bill Hoeg Machinery Advisors Consortium | ||
2:20 pm - 3:20 pm | What to Know When Valuating a Dealership | Brad Stanek, Morgan Stanley Patrick Albero, Performance Brokerage Services Dan Argiro, Performance Brokerage Services | ||
3:20 pm - 3:35 pm | BREAK | Sponsored by TVH | ||
3:40 pm - 4:25 pm | Government Affairs & You: Why You Need to Get Involved | Daniel Fisher AED | ||
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm | Dealer Best Practices Panel | Moderated by: Peter Raisch, Gearflow Panelists: Ryan Correlli, Correlli, Inc. Jason Meis, Hayden Machinery Robert Sloan, Contractors Equipment Rentals | ||
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm | Closing Reception | Sponsored by Sentry |
Session Descriptions
The Map Versus the Terrain: How to Adapt to Anything and Achieve Success
Bill Fournet
Our greatest successes aren’t achieved with a perfectly laid out plan. Instead, they are accomplished by how well we adapt to the obstacles we encounter along the way. As we continue to evolve how we work amidst unpredictable change, understanding the differences between the map and terrain is critical for creating a high-performing team.
Think of your map as your plan for what you want to achieve and where you want to go. But in this ever-changing world, the terrain is often unknown. This is where adaptability becomes key. Strategy is the map. Disruption is the terrain.
In this transformative keynote, Bill leverages his experience not only as a Fortune 500 executive coach and consultant, but also as an avid and skilled backpacker. He illustrates how you can use three proven strategies to create a map for navigating any terrain and transforming obstacles into opportunities. Guided by this new understanding, you and your team will be better prepared to achieve your desired outcomes and will emerge stronger through any disruption.
Process Mapping: A Proven Strategy for Improving Rental Profits
Larry Kaye
Script International
Making sustainable profits with your rental fleet is all about utilization. Within a typical dealership there are many obstacles that work against fleet optimization. Because of this, you potentially have more investment than you need, OR you are missing out on revenue opportunities.
This session will introduce you to a mapping process that will help identify where your opportunities for improvement exist. The outcomes to this process are many; operational standards are created, position-related accountabilities and quality control can now be measured and ultimately improve customer satisfaction. Join us for operational strategies to improve your rental profits.
Growing Your Workforce Now & in the Future
TBD
A Grassroots Approach to Workforce Development
Sean Fitzgerrel
The AED Foundation
This mini-session will brief attendees on the workforce development efforts of The AED Foundation and how dealers can get involved at the local level.
The Art and Science of Diversification
Bill Hoeg
Machinery Advisors Consortium
Would your dealership benefit from diversifying into new products or market segments? What systems and processes need to be taken into account? This session will discuss how diversification and expansion can help fill market gaps and grow your dealership.
Content includes:
- How “Your” motivations for diversification impact your decision making
- What that can look like financially and how it will affect absorption
- Synergies & caveats
- How and where to start
Growing Your Workforce Now & in the Future
There has never been a more challenging time for dealers to recruit the best candidates and retain the best workers. This session will explore how dealers can focus on retention to keep the people they have, and recruiting to grow their future workforce. It will also discuss the untapped potential of non-traditional hires.
Understanding the Value of Your Equipment Dealership
Pat Albero, Performance Brokerage Services
Dan Argiro, Performance Brokerage Services
Brad Stanek, Morgan Stanley
Whether you are looking to exit now, or 10 years from now, understanding the value of your business is critical, yet 98% of business owners admit to not knowing the value of their business. If you are looking to exit in the next 12 months, knowing the value of your business can save you from leaving money on the table. If you are exiting in the next 10 years, it can help you determine what actions you need to take to grow this value, so that when you do exit, you get top dollar. This session will discuss what you should know about valuing your equipment dealership and what you can do to increase your dealership’s value.
Content includes:
- The key components that go into determining the value of your dealership
- The actions you can take to grow this value over time
- The mistakes to avoid that could detract from your dealership’s value
Government Affairs and You: Why You Need to Get Involved
Daniel Fisher
AED
AED’s 2023 policy agenda focuses on issues that impact your cost-of-doing business and primary product markets. Learn about the association’s top priorities, the political dynamics impacting the debate in Washington, and how you can engage with AED’s government affairs program to benefit your company and the broader industry.
Dealer Best Practices (Panel)
Moderated by:
Peter Raisch, Gearflow
Panelists: Ryan Correlli, Correlli, Inc.
Jason Meis, Hayden Machinery
Robert Sloan, Contractors Equipment Rentals
As a dealer, what are the things that are keeping you up at night?
Customers are changing, revenue is changing, equipment is changing…the landscape of this industry is shifting right beneath your feet.
In this panel, we’ll dig deeper with dealers to uncover how they’re addressing their customers’ most-pressing pain points and hear real-world examples of how they are eliminating the challenges — both internally in their own organizations and externally — including:
- How are you shaping the next generation of dealer employees?
- How are you overcoming friction to make necessary changes for your dealership to thrive in today’s digital environment?
- What are you learning from other sectors and applying to your business practices?
- What insights are you feeding customers to give them a competitive advantage and serve them throughout their equipment lifecycle?
- How are you helping customers shift from a reactive posture to get on the path to predictive?
- What about the future of this industry excites you the most?
We’ll peek behind the curtain to learn from each other and how we link arms to grow as invaluable resources that better serve our industry as a whole.
What people are saying:
Cindy Baschmann of Baschmann Services, Inc.
“Networking with your industry peers and AED staff makes the conference very personal. The meetings are all in one location and one day. You will always walkaway with important information that will enlighten you and enhance your dealership.”
Steve Ricke of Federal Contracts Corp.
“Make the investment and come prepared to engage the presenters and the other guests. Take advantage of the networking opportunity and make the most of the time invested.”
Dave Hosch of Ruffridge-Johnson Equipment
“Well worth the price of admission. The ability to network with people that are from similar sized companies as ours is priceless.”

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