We really are in the final countdown now!
Arrangements are finalised, speeches are being prepped and trophies polished! Thursday November 16th next week will see the Service Dealer Conference & Awards take place once again at the Oxford Belfry Hotel.
The theme of the Conference this year 'The challenge of change: Embracing and adapting to a changing market’ seems timely and completely on the button for the days we're currently living through. Change is everywhere in our businesses and our lives. And if we don't go with it and embrace all the opportunities it affords, someone else will, leaving us behind.
However, the Conference certainly will not be mirroring the prevailing discourse in the media and striking a tone of doom and gloom. Not in the least bit. A concerted effort has been made to look for the positives, to be optimistic and to celebrate what a thriving and vibrant industry this truly is.
Service Dealer's owner Duncan Murray-Clarke will be hosting the day once again and he said, "There is no doubt that product technology, manufacturer sales strategy, and the immediacy of Social Media are all moving so quickly at the moment. These elements in their own right, if left unchecked, have the ability to leave us all behind.
“Add to that politics, pricing pressures and all the uncertainty the media can amplify and you soon see why some people are feeling a little ‘half empty’.
“But what about the opportunities that all this advancement and change could bring? We think that this year’s Conference should be focussing on the challenges that face us and how to plan and prepare to maximise the opportunities that will undoubtedly arise.
“There is plenty to discuss and I am delighted with the speaker line up and content this year and I sincerely hope that you can join us.”
These speakers who will be sharing their expertise with the conference include professionals from the fields of the environment, education, technology, journalism, communication and dealer development. All will have a unique take on the overall theme of change, all of which will be highly relevant to our dealer delegates.
Again this year the conference will be offering a couple of 'breakout sessions' which will allow dealers to pick the subject that holds the most interest for their business, and join a smaller seminar group to debate the area in detail. Don't worry though, no one will miss out on any essential nugget of gold, as the breakout group leaders will report back to the whole conference with the key points raised in the discussion.
And of course following on from the conference, in the evening the highly anticipated Dealer Of The Year Awards ceremony will be held - which this year, excitingly, will be broadcast live via Twitter.
Once again the standard of nominees was incredibly high, giving the expert judging panel an unenviable task. But decisions had to be made and these will be revealed 'Oscars-style' next Thursday evening.
The whole team at Service Dealer is genuinely excited about the programme lined-up for the day. Considerable effort has been put in, pretty much since the end of 2016's event, to make sure this one is even more valuable and even more worthwhile for our dealer delegates.
The team and myself look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible next week. And as ever these things couldn't take place without the superb support from our sponsors, led by principal sponsor Kramp, all of whom we offer our sincere thanks to.
If you haven't bought your tickets yet, Monday 13th is the final day you can do so online. After that contact the office on 01491 837 117 for late availability.
The Service Dealer Conference & Awards 2017 is sponsored by:
PRINCIPAL SPONSOR:
Kramp
PLANTINUM SPONSOR:
STIHL GB
GOLD SPONSORS
Husqvarna
Catalyst Computer Systems
SPONSORS:
Gardencare
Grizzly Tools
Kubota
The Ad Plain
Garden Trader
BAGMA
Ibcos
