Time to get on board for ITEC

AKRON (June 25, 2014) — With two months to go, now is the time to sign up for the International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC) show for tire dealers and auto service professionals in Orlando, Fla.

• Do you want to learn more about business and marketing strategies for your independent tire dealership or automotive service shop?

• Would you like to improve your team's performance at the service desk and on the telephone?
• Are you looking to get started in social media or become more effective in online marketing?
• Would you like to enhance the profitability of the auto service portion of your dealership?
• Would you like to bounce ideas off your peers from other parts of the country?
• Are you looking to add a new supplier to your operation?

There's no better place to do this than at the ITEC – Tire Dealers/Auto Service Show Aug. 20.22, in Orlando.

ITEC is three days of intensive seminars, panel programs, roundtables, networking, visiting with tire and automotive suppliers and fun — all aimed at improving tire dealership and auto service shop profitability.

All this is offered for $65.

Among the features being offered:

• A keynote address by Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association;
• A Commercial Tires Panel featuring commercial tire dealers and trucking industry experts discussing ideas to enhance profitability, improve customer service and hire, train and retain valued employees; 
• A Young Tire Dealers Panel featuring a half dozen dealership representatives under age 40 discussing issues relevant to their position — moderated by Jeff Wallick, director of training and development for K&M Tire Inc.; 
• The Presidents and CEOs Panel, featuring Chris Ostrander, president of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s North America Tire Division; Gordon Knapp, chief operating officer and CEO, chairman and president of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (both consumer and commercial); Tomoshige “Tomo” Mizutani, president of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc.; and Richard Smallwood, president, CEO and general manager of North America Overseas Tire Sales HQ for Falken Tire Corp.,

The presidents/CEOs panelists are expected to discuss issues of keen interest to tire dealers such as product trends, the Internet's impact on tire sales and marketing, distribution channels, new tire labeling laws, size proliferation and more.

For more information, visit the ITEC website.