ST. PAUL, Minn., March 26, 2018—In an announcement Monday, FenderBender revealed a revamped schedule and more than 20 speakers for the 2018 FenderBender Management Conference, Sept. 17–19 at The Westin Lombard near Chicago.
Renowned speaker and millennial expert Jeff Butler will deliver the Day 2 keynote, leading a list of presenters that includes the industry’s top shop operators. Butler’s TEDx appearances have positioned him as a new, authoritative voice on hiring, retaining and leading the younger generation of workers. He has spoken for Fortune 500 companies, and helped businesses across the country with hiring.
Utilizing his own experience as a millennial working for some of the world’s fastest-charging startups and tech companies, Butler will speak to the collision repair industry’s talent crisis and what attendees can do to attract millennials into their shops.
“Hiring and retaining talent will be one of the main focal points at our event this year, and Jeff offers an energetic, original and very tangible solution to the issue,” FenderBender editor Bryce Evans said. “Our goal this year is to provide unique perspectives to the common issues our attendees face, and not only does Jeff fit that approach, but our revamped schedule and entire lineup this year are also geared to offer as many learning opportunities as possible.”
The three-day 2018 FenderBender Management Conference will include 22 total strategy sessions, two keynotes and an in-depth interactive workshops.
The event kicks off Sept. 17 with a keynote from FenderBender columnist and shop owner Jason Boggs, who will deliver the first segment in the FenderBender Talks: How I Did It series. The series will highlight successful shop operators in a smaller, informal setting that allows for expanded engagement from the audience.
Each FenderBender talk will be held simultaneously with a large-room strategy session, so that there will always be two breakout sessions from which to choose. The entire schedule is available on the conference website.
In addition to Boggs and Butler, the following shop operators will be featured at this year’s event:
- Ryan Cropper, owner, Able Body Shops
- Elissa Larremore, owner, CBS Collision
- Matthew McDonnell, owner, Big Sky Collision
- Bob McSherry, owner, North Haven Auto Body
- DJ Mitchell, director of operations, Car Guys Collision Repair
- Steve Morris, operations director, Pride Collision Centers
- Kevin Rains, owner, Rains CARSTAR Group
- Randy Sattler, collision manager, Rydell Collision
- Louie Sharp, owner, Sharp Auto Body
Additional speakers, as well as details on each session, will be announced in the coming months. For more information, or to register, visit fenderbenderconference.com. Current early-bird prices end March 31
