4:00pm

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6:00pm

Registration Open
Sponsored by

6:00pm

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7:00pm

Meet & Greet Cocktail Reception (open to all attendees)
Sponsored by
   

Monday, March 12, 2012

8:00am

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7:00pm

Registration Open
Sponsored by

Pre-Conference Concurrent Seminars:

8:00am

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12:00pm

CIRAS Certification
This certification course will equip employees with the proper knowledge to run a profitable car rental company. The course will cover topics such as: The Value of a Rental Day, Customer Service Procedures, Collision Damage Waivers, Specialty Rentals, Incremental Sales, and Marketing. Additional fee and RSVP required.
Presenter: Jim Schalberg, Jim Schalberg Auto Rental Training and Schalberg.com

10:00am

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12:00pm

How to Run a Profitable Dealership Rental Program
Dealers—are you leaving rental revenue on the table? In this exclusive session new to the Car Rental Show, industry veterans will discuss strategies on how to structure and run a profitable in-house car rental program. In this seminar, a panel of dealership-based rentals will educate dealers on how to use existing infrastructure to support a rental program, how to market to non-service customers, how to use rentals as a new car sales tool and how to avoid the pitfalls of unsuccessful rental programs. Seminar fee for invited dealers includes complementary one-day admission to the Car Rental Show. Come learn more about auto rental at the only industry-wide event!
By invitation only.
Moderator:  Todd Kushner, The Frontline Performance Group  

10:00am

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12:00pm

 Best Practices in Local Market Operations – “Building Your Branch Revenue Series”
In this exclusive workshop, new to the Car Rental Show, operations experts from the Frontline Performance Group will provide participants a deep dive into setting up and maintaining a rental operations under a dealership roof as well as in-town locations and body shops. Issues covered will include trends in dealer-based rentals, dealers’ decision-making process, outside sales and marketing techniques, service based sales strategies and financial metrics for success. This fast-paced and interactive session is designed for owners, GMs or branch managers.
Presenter: Matt Pietzak, The Frontline Performance Group

10:00am

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12:00pm

Tennant Group Roundtable: The Idea Workshop
Get ready to roll up your sleeves! This year’s Tennant Group Roundtable is structured in a unique, interactive workshop format. In this two-hour seminar, participants can attend three of four tables on the subjects of fleet planning and acquisition, fleet disposal, personnel and marketing. Each table, facilitated by a successful veteran member of the Tennant Group Roundtable, will be a forum to contribute and receive ideas and working solutions to and from your peers to directly improve your bottom line. Open to all operators and to preapproved interested vendors.
Presenters: Jim Tennant and the Tennant Group

10:00am

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12:00pm  

International Operators Seminar
The increasing participation of overseas operators at the Car Rental Show demonstrates that this is truly a global event! The two-hour International Operators Seminar is back, with a new agenda developed specifically for our international guests. This year’s agenda will include tactics for getting bookings in North America using online marketing; tips on increasing utilization and daily dollar average by automating rate management; loss prevention best practices for international renters; global fleet trends and the latest in technology and products to streamline your operations.
Host: Angela Margolit, Bluebird Auto Rental Systems
Panelists: Tom Kelley, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group; Michael Meyer, Rate-Highway and Auto Rate Exchange; David E. Purinton, PurCo Fleet; Robert Rogener, Avalon Integrated Marketing

Car Rental Show Begins

1:00pm

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1:15pm

Welcome to the 2012 Car Rental Show

1:15pm

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2:00pm

Special Address:
Congressman Sam Graves
Congressman Sam Graves, Sixth District of Missouri, will open the Car Rental Show with a special address. Graves, author of the Graves Amendment that eliminated vicarious liability of owners of rented or leased vehicles, will discuss the road to passage of this historic legislation as well as new challenges to the Graves Amendment. A member of the Transportation Committee as well as chairman of the Small Business Committee, Graves touches the business lives of the major auto rental companies, its franchisees and independent auto rental entrepreneurs. If you need one good reason to come to this year’s show, this is it!
Presenter: Congressman Sam Graves

2:00pm

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2:45pm

Keynote Address:
Auto Rental and the Convergence of Vehicle Mobility Solutions
In September 2011, Hertz completed the acquisition of Donlen, one of the nation’s largest vehicle leasing companies, creating numerous synergies between car rental and corporate fleet management. In their joint address, Frissora and Rappeport will discuss the imminent convergence of auto rental with other vehicle mobility solutions, ranging from car sharing, traditional car rental and long-term auto, truck and equipment rental and leasing.
Keynote Speakers: Mark Frissora, The Hertz Corp., Gary Rappeport, Donlen Corporation

2:50pm

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3:45pm

Concurrent Session 1:
Reducing No-Shows: An Operator’s Blueprint
This seminar takes theory into reality with a guide to implementing and running a guaranteed reservations policy based on ACE Rent A Car’s actual, functioning program. Discussion topics include lessons learned from the leading edge, best practices on maintaining customer service, credit card chargebacks, cancellation deadlines, late-arrival policies and more. John Healy of Northcoast Research will present metrics from his study on no shows that demonstrate the cost impact to the industry, and your company. This seminar will give you the information you need to plan a guaranteed reservation program that improves your bottom line while keeping customers happy.
Presenters: Craig Parmerlee, ACE Rent A Car Reservations Inc.; John Healy, Northcoast Research

2:50pm

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3:45pm

Concurrent Session 2:
Honing Your Remarketing Plan
It’s time to take a new approach to remarketing. With the dramatic changes in the used car landscape in 2011, the “same old, same old” doesn’t cut it anymore. This seminar will arm you with answers to burning questions such as: Why should your banker be involved in your remarketing plan? Do you know how to remarket a 50,000-mile unit? Are you doing all you can to enhance the value of your vehicle in the auction lane and online? Do you know what gets dealers to raise their hands to buy your cars?
Presenters: Mark Eckhaus, Jack Goode and Tim Yopp, Eckhaus Fleet

3:45pm

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4:00pm

Networking Break
Sponsored by   

4:00pm

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5:00pm

General Session:
Legal and Legislative Update
Leslie Pujo of LaPlaca Law will update attendees on the laws, regulations, legal challenges and proposed legislation that will impact rental operations in 2012. In this session there will also be an opportunity for attendees to commemorate Michael LaPlaca and celebrate his service to the auto rental industry.
Presemter: Leslie Pujo, La Placa Law

5:00pm

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7:00pm

Opening Networking Reception and Expo

Sponsored by

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

7:30am

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3:00pm

Registration Open
Sponsored by

7:45am

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8:30am

Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by

8:30am

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9:15am

General Session:
Affecting Change in the Broader Travel Experience
Renting a car is only one link in the customer’s travel chain. Then why aren’t we more engaged with our hotel, airline and destination partners to improve the experience? Geoff Freeman of the U.S. Travel Association will guide car rental operators on working together with travel industry partners on a grassroots level in the fight against excise taxes and other issues—before a crisis hits. Freeman will also discuss industry efforts underway to aid car rental companies in fighting burdensome new taxes, as well as car rental’s place in U.S. Travel's new domestic travel agenda.
Presenter: Geoff Freeman, U.S. Travel Association

9:15am

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9:30am

Russell Bruno Award for Outstanding Service to the Car Rental Industry

Sponsored by

9:30am

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10:30am

ACRA Update and Panel Session
Join Sharon Faulkner, the executive director of the American Car Rental Association, and the ACRA Board of Directors for an open forum on some of the issues currently being tackled by ACRA and pending issues facing the industry, from legislation and taxation to standardization and policy consensus. This is your chance to cause action and affect change through your association.
Moderator: Sharon Faulkner, ACRA Board of Directors
Panelists: Bob Barton, U-Save Auto Rental of America, Inc.; Frank Colonna; Triangle Rent A Car, Inc.; Gil Cygler, Allcar Rent A Car; Robert Klyce, Avis Rent-A-Car Licensee; Joe Knight, Fox Rent A Car; Robert E. Muhs, Esq., Avis Budget Group, Inc.; Dick Radzis, Ace Rent A Car; Gordon Reel, Enterprise Rent A Car; Richard L. Stevens, Payless Car Rental

10:30am

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10:45am

Networking Break

Sponsored by

10:45am

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11:45am

Concurrent Session 1:
GPS Tracking the Right Way: Disclosure, Recovery and Maximizing ROI
Implementation of a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking system can be an invaluable measure to secure your fleet. But using this powerful technology can also bring issues regarding issues such as disclosure of devices, establishing “geofences,” vehicle recovery, working with law enforcement, assessing penalties for violations, legal rights and precedents for both the customer and operator and more. You’ll also learn ways to get even more out of your tracking system!
Moderator: Anne Taylor, Enfotrace
Panelists: Gil Cygler, Allcar Rent A Car; Michael DeLorenzo, Rent-A-Wreck of America, Inc.

10:45am

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11:45am

Concurrent Session 2:
Connecting the Dots: Putting Your Connections (Digital and Otherwise) to Work in the Local and Airport Markets
TSD conducts a discussion about how to make the most of your business partnerships. Learn how to solidify insurance company partnerships, cast a wider net with connections to non-GDS reservation sources, maximize your website reservations and get listed on Expedia, carrentals.com and other major channels. You’ll also take home ideas that drive revenue with dealers, body shops and corporate accounts!
Presenters: Nick DiPrima and John Hansen, TSD

11:45am

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2:45pm

Networking Lunch and Expo
Sponsored by

2:45pm

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3:30pm

Concurrent Session 1:
Retune Your Customer Touch Points
From first contact to vehicle check in at the end of a rental, each interaction with the customer presents an opportunity to retune and refine the customer experience in which you can either earn or lose future business. In an interactive, lively format, this seminar provides coaching and tools in areas such as the initial meet and greet, explanation of procedures and responsibilities, delivery of the rental car, return procedures and much more. Attendees will also gain customer service insight from ACE Rent A Car, winners of the 2011 JD Power & Associates North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study!
Presenters: Jim Schalberg, Auto Rental Solutions; Dick Radzis, Ace Rent A Car

2:45pm

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3:30pm

Concurrent Session 2:
Leveraging Internet Marketing to Grow Your Market Share on Google, Bing and Yahoo
Are you maximizing your Internet presence to grow your business? This seminar will give you battle-tested website positioning intelligence specific to car rental websites and operators. Tips and tools will focus on search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) to get your company ranked higher on Google, Bing and Yahoo; social media marketing using Facebook, Twitter and Google +1; innovative email campaign ideas to engage existing and new customers and the critical importance of online reputation management. This session is a must for independent car rental operators!
Presenter: Roger Laurendeau, The Web Guys

3:35pm

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4:25pm

Concurrent Session 1:
Recouping Hidden Losses in Damage Recovery
Find out how you can recover what isn’t listed in your profit-and-loss reports, such as diminution of value, loss of use and administrative costs, to name a few. This seminar includes proven tips to dramatically reduce unrecoverable vehicle damage incidents. Plus, David Purinton will walk you through his recently decided landmark loss-of-use and Administrative Fee case, PurCo v. Koenig, its implications for the auto rental industry and how the ruling can help you recover more.
Presenter: David E. Purinton, PurCo Fleet Services, Inc.

3:35pm

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4:25pm

Concurrent Session 2:
How Mobile Computing is Revolutionizing Car Rental
In this instructional seminar, you’ll learn how to free yourself from the office and the customer from the rental counter using the latest tech tools, including smart phones, tablet PCs, plug-in credit card readers and Web-based rental management solutions. Plus, learn how mobile apps are becoming an important force for the independent car rental agency, particularly in off-airport locations.
Presenters: Harry Hollander, Action Car Rental; Roger Laurendeau, The Web Guys; Angela Margolit, Bluebird Auto Rental Systems; Michael Flory, CarTrawler.com

4:30pm

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5:15pm

Closing Keynote Address:
Why Is Car Rental the Ugly Stepsister of the Travel World?
As president and COO of U-Save, board member of one Europe’s largest tour operators and president of ACRA—as well as a 26-year veteran of the travel industry—Bob Barton is in a unique position to answer this question. Barton will challenge CRS attendees on what the car rental industry can do to improve service, the customer’s experience and profitability. Always entertaining and informational, come hear Bob tell it like it is!
Keynote Speaker: Bob Barton,  Franchise Services of North America and American Car Rental Association

5:15pm

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7:00pm

Closing Reception and Expo

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

8:30am 

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11:00am

Maximizing Your Impact: Introduction to Service Based Sales 
In this session, the Frontline Performance Group will deliver highlights and advanced content from their industry acclaimed launch seminar “Maximizing Your Impact” - Introduction to Service Based Sales for EuroIT clients and select international operators on Wednesday March 13th, 2012.  Session topics will include elements of presentation style, the Khoury service based sales process, advanced up selling techniques, coverage sales and overcoming objections, phone strategies “commanding the call”, the truth about angry customers and strategies to win the over and sustaining results through the Khoury performance equation.
By invitation only.
Presenter: Ken Stellon, The Frontline Performance Group