Agenda Released for P&A Leadership Summit

LAS VEGAS — The full agenda for the 2013 P&A Leadership Summit is now available. The one-day event will be held September 16 at Paris Las Vegas, immediately preceding the annual Industry Summit. Organizers said the agenda was designed to give attendees a comprehensive overview of the state of the F&I products segment.

“We packed as much content as we could into a six-hour day,” said David Gesualdo, show chair and publisher of F&I and Showroom and Auto Dealer Monthly magazines. “The P&A Leadership Summit was designed as a forum to discuss every aspect of F&I product sales. The agenda reflects that goal.”

The event kicks off at noon with “US Fidelis: Lesson Learned from the Inside,” a special luncheon presentation by two key witnesses to the service contract provider’s downfall. Scott Eisenberg and Terry Keating work for Amherst Partners, the firm appointed in 2010 to steer US Fidelis through bankruptcy.

Gesualdo described the presentation as a “game-changer.”

“We’re honored that Scott and Terry chose the P&A Leadership Summit to tell their story,” he said. “I can’t wait to hear their insights on what happened at US Fidelis and why. The implications for our industry are staggering.”

At 1:40 p.m., attorney and compliance expert Terry O’Loughlin will present the event’s opening keynote, “Think Like a Regulator.” O’Loughlin will offer his take on the current regulatory climate, including recent headlines generated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). His presentation was designed to demonstrate how proven processes can help upstanding dealers withstand any accusation of fraud.

“Product providers are just as invested in regulatory compliance as dealers, and rightfully so,” Gesualdo said. “Terry will drive that point home and offer practical advice our attendees can take to their dealer partners.”

The afternoon concludes with two panel discussions. The first, “Ahead of the Curve: New F&I Technology” will start at 3:00 p.m. Five panelists representing a brain trust of providers and administrators will discuss and debate the effectiveness of new technology on F&I product sales.

The second panel, “Agents on the Industry,” will convene at 4:00 p.m. The panel will discuss how new developments in the industry have affected the way they work with dealers and providers. The agents also are expected to share their expectations for providers as well as their reactions to the US Fidelis presentation.

Gesualdo said the technology and agents panels are typically ranked among the event’s most popular sessions. “Our attendees want to hear directly from thought leaders from all sides of the provider/agent/dealer relationship, and we have two in one afternoon.”

The panels will conclude in time for the 5:00 p.m. evening keynote address that kicks off Industry Summit. This year’s speaker is David Westcott, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA). Westcott will present “Preserving the Benefits of the Indirect Financing Model,” a speech widely expected to be an impassioned defense of the F&I industry.

“I can’t imagine a more fitting conclusion,” Gesualdo said. “Westcott will remind us all of the forces that threaten the way we do business and why it deserves to be defended. That theme will be reinforced throughout the day, and not just by our speakers.”

The P&A Leadership Summit is a joint production between P&A and F&I and Showroom magazines. Industry Summit attendees can add the P&A Leadership Summit to their registration for an additional fee of $395.

For more information about the P&A Leadership Summit visit www.pa-leadershipsummit.com or contact David Gesualdo via email or at 727-947-4027.