Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) has announced that the educational program, schedule and speakers for the MSO Symposium are now available. Designed for collision repair multi-shop operators and held during ASRW, the MSO Symposium is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Registration for the MSO Symposium is $250 and is available online for qualified MSOs with two or more locations. In addition, a limited number of seats are available for both insurance professionals and single-shop owners.
The MSO Symposium debuted at ASRW in 2011 specifically for multi-shop owners. A sold-out success in its first year, it doubled in size in 2012. The symposium includes multiple networking opportunities for MSOs and access to the ASRW show floor throughout the event.
New this year, Sessions 2 through 4 will be open to the press.
“A significant amount of time, effort and planning has been invested in developing the content for this year’s symposium as we strive to deliver relevant, high-level content for this important segment of the collision repair industry,” said symposium moderator and co-producer Vincent Romans, The Romans Group.
“ASRW is the leading event for educating all members of the automotive service and repair industry,” said Dan Risley, ASA executive director. “The overwhelming response and support by the sponsors of the MSO Symposium continue to shape it, and we are grateful to each of the sponsoring companies that have played a critical role in this year’s event.”
Sponsorship opportunities for the MSO Symposium are selling quickly, with 14 sponsors confirmed to date. It is produced by ASA, NACE and The Romans Group, and will again be moderated by Vincent Romans, The Romans Group.
| Time | Session Description | Facilitators/Panelists |
| 8:00 a.m – 8:30 a.m. | Welcome | Vincent Romans |
| 8:30 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. | Session 1 | MSOs – A Different Perspective: How They See Consolidation, Its Implications and Their Insights on How They Intend to Remain Relevant and Win in the Marketplace |
Facilitator: Dave Smith, Enterprise Holdings Guests: • Rick Wood, Cook’s Collision • Chris Pohanka, Pohanka Collision • Bill Aeschliman, CARCARE Collision Centers • Ron Nagy, Nagy’s Collision Specialists |
| 9:20 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. | Session 2 | Leadership | Facilitator: Vincent Romans Guest: Mike Jones, CEO, Discover Leadership |
| 10:20 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Break | |
| 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Session 3 | Making Good Decisions and Avoiding Bad Ones While Navigating the Changing Landscape: Lessons on Leadership in a Rapidly Changing Industry |
Facilitator: Vincent Romans Guest: Sydney Finkelstein, Professor/Associate Dean of Executive Education, Dartmouth College |
| 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Session 4 | International MSOs: Presentation on International MSO Models and Panel Discussion on International MSOs relative to U.S. MSO models |
Facilitator: David Lingham, IBIS Guests: • Bob Kirstiuk, Advantage Parts Marketing • Michael Macalusco, CARSTAR Canada • Andrew Peet, Innovation Group |
| 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch | |
| 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Session 5 | Your Future with the Consolidators: Fight ’Em or Join ’Em? |
Facilitator: Vincent Romans Guest: Rex Green, BB&T Capital, head of Consumer Group |
| 2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Break | |
| 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Session 6 | Three Years Later: What Has Changed, Where Are We, and How Does the Future Look? |
Facilitators: Rex Green, BB&T Capital, head of Consumer Group, and Vincent Romans Guests: |
| 4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. | Closing Comments | Vincent Romans |
| 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Networking Reception |
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