It’s hard to believe another year has passed and the 2011 VSCAC is less than a month away! A few months back, I was invited to be the emcee, and I am looking forward to another great show. For those who have never attended, I would strongly urge you to make it a priority. It is an invaluable opportunity to network, hear from the experts about technological innovations and learn about how you can be more efficient as a businessperson.

A lot of time and energy has gone into putting together what will be a stellar agenda. At P&A Magazine, we have been covering many of the topics that will be discussed. In particular, I am looking forward to moderating a panel that centers on the four-part series we have been running in P&A Magazine on Connectivity (connecting providers, administrators and dealers).

At NADA earlier this year, I asked people to propose various topics they thought would be of interest for us to cover. While there were a number of good suggestions, there was one common question everyone had: How is everything connected today? In other words, which companies connect where? What new technologies are out, or coming soon, that will make everything seamless? How are the administrators communicating with the inspectors? How do dealers communicate with the administrators? Is there something in the works right now that will somehow connect all of this together?

Needless to say, it has been tough for us at P&A Magazine to ascertain precisely what all the companies in the industry are able to do, versus what they are trying to do. At the VSCAC there are two panels dedicated directly to these questions. Each member of the panel will be able to speak about what they are doing, and those in the audience will be able to ask questions. It will be a great opportunity to get a grasp on where the industry is headed. The first panel will be held on Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. and will feature the following people:

Moderator:

Adam Kimber, Agent Entrepreneur and P&A magazines

Panelists:

Brent Allen, StoneEagle.com; L'Tonya Carr, Carr Appraisals, Inc.; Kumar Kathinokkula, F&I Administration Solutions; George Laurie, LKQ Corp.

The second panel will occur on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will involve the following people:

Moderator:

David Trinder, F&I Administration Solutions LLC

Panelists:

Patrick DeMarco, Ristken Software Services; Jim Maxim, MaximTrak Technologies; Brian Reed, Intersection Technologies Inc.; Mark Virag, Provider Exchange Network (PEN)

In addition to these panels there are a number of other keynote speakers, workshops and panels that will be of great value. We are pleased to have Damon Weiner, Esq., Safe-Guard Products International, LLC deliver our evening Keynote Address. Many times legal fees can be overwhelming, but what most people do not realize is that there are ways to ensure your company is in compliance without breaking the bank in the process. Damon will explain how this is possible.

We are also pleased to have Mike Frosch of the Warranty Group as our Opening Keynote Address, who will speak to Strategies for a Rebounding Market. Times have been tough during the last few years, but it appears as if we are slowly on the comeback. Mike has many years of experience and will speak to the issues we need to be aware of moving forward.

Jim Pratt of Wright Express will address emerging trends in electronic payments and implications for vehicle service contract administrators, how electronic payments are redefining claims processing and how it can improve efficiencies and results and best practices from case studies of multiple live implementations.

A new panel for VSCAC will also occur entitled, “Agents Sound Off on What They Need.” From technology to product programs, nothing will be off the table when representatives from some of the top agencies in the business converge for this very special panel discussion. Get a frontline perspective on what F&I products dealers need, which plans are working and how to successfully propel eBusiness adoption among dealers.

Gary Fagg of CreditRe will talk about why products like return-of-premium-VSC, lifetime powertrain warranty and other “too good to be true” lifetime promises have a high failure rate. Dealers, agents and administrators need to be able to manage the risk associated with such offerings.

We are also glad to have John Kerper of Kerper Bowron, back to discuss month-to-month programs that offer several key benefits, from allowing dealers to reconnect with past customers whose warranty is about to expire to being easily added on as a separate plan when there isn’t room in a loan for a standard service contract. Hear from one of the leading experts in this product category as he offers key insights on how to manage this reemerging product segment.

There are many other topics that will be discussed as well – making VSC contract claims payments more efficient, keeping tire and wheel viable, examining month-to-month renewal service contracts, emerging claim issues with VSC’s and others that can be seen in greater detail at www.vscac.com.

I am looking forward to the show and hope that you are too. This truly will be an incredible opportunity to network and learn more about what is going on in our industry. Safe travels, and see you in Vegas!