Hundreds of collision repairers got to experience firsthand the immense change going on in their industry at the PPG MVP Conference held April 24-26 at the Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The event kicked off on Sunday, April 24th with the Randy Dewing Memorial Golf Tournament at the Camelback Golf Club, in which 144 golfers participated. Guests were treated that evening to a reception and mini trade show back at the resort.
The following morning got off to a high-energy start with rock ‘n’ roll tunes and inspirational messages flashed on a giant screen such as, “These struggles build your character and shape your legacy.”
Greg DeCamp, general manager, Collision, Refinish USA and Canada at PPG Industries, emphasized that the PPG MVP Business Solutions team’s purpose was to provide collision repair facilities with the tools they need to succeed in today’s rapidly changing business climate. He also provided a lot of optimism for the future.
“Things that are going on in the market right now indicate 2016 will be a good year,” said DeCamp. “Claims have been up four to five percent over the last two years. In the first quarter of this year, they’re up 4.7 percent. A lot of this is driven by cheap gas. Miles driven set a record in 2007, but we were well over the 2007 peak by the end of 2014 and it is continuing to grow led by cheap gas. We hear that Millennials won’t drive and would rather take Uber, yet there were two million more vehicle registrations last year. Lots of this is good.”
Nationally renown speaker Josh Linkner offered a presentation titled, “The Gravity-Defying Leader: Innovative Approaches to Hyper-Growth Leadership.” Linkner talked about the realities of 3-D printed cars, self-driving cars, and the fact that 90 percent of car accidents are caused by human error – the reason companies such as Apple and Google have stated for why they’re driving so hard for autonomous vehicles.
“It used to be the big [companies] beating the small,” said Linkner. “Now it’s the creative beating the complacent. It’s about solving complex problems in unorthodox ways with limited resources.”
Following Linkner was Jim Carroll, a self-described futurist, trends and innovation expert who discussed “Accelerating the Auto Industry – and the Challenge of Change!”
Carroll said car companies’ goal is to reduce vehicle accident deaths to zero by 2020. By 2020, he predicted every car will have a SIRI button; augmented reality screens with heads-up display; glasses-free 3-D dashboards; interactive in-car billboards; and payment technology embedded into the in-car dashboard experience.
“Companies are losing control of their future because of computers in Silicon Valley,” Carroll said. “Think big, start small and scale fast.”
Breakout sessions on both days covered such topics as “Fusion Marketing: 2020 Marketing and Beyond,” “The Secret Weapon to Get Results: The Rapid Improvement Workshop” and “Predictive Hiring?!”
A gala dinner featuring live band The Zippers provided some entertainment Monday evening, with another round of speakers and breakout sessions on Tuesday.
“Our MVP conferences succeed because of the infectious enthusiasm of those attending,” said Jim Berkey, director, Business Solutions, PPG Refinish. “It is a group of people excited to be in the collision business and driven to compete and win within their markets. Our role is to strike the right balance between compelling and relevant content and a fantastic venue to create a helpful and memorable experience for our customers.”
