Please note seminars are tentative and subject to change.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Welcoming and Industry Awards Presentation
Let the co-sponsoring associations welcome you as we kick-off Auto Glass Week 2013! Hear from various groups’ leaders on their goals for the 2013 event and what each association is currently doing for the betterment of the industry. The Len Stolk, Carl Tompkins and the new National Windshield Repair Association awards will also be presented.
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker to be Announced
4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Exhibition/Extravaganza Open
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Quality and Safety Issues in the AGRR Industry/Industry Update
There has never been a more challenging time to be in the Auto Glass business. Come hear the leaders of each of the sponsoring groups explain and update you on their efforts to advance quality and safety issues, along with other issues of importance in the industry. You’ll learn about the latest update to the Auto Glass Safety Council’s program and its ANSI/AGRSS Standard, along with the fair access programs put in place by the Independent Glass Association and the efforts on behalf of quality repair from the National Windshield Repair Association. This session will conclude with a discussion of auto glass quality—and the differences among true OE and other glass.
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Break
9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Who Are These Net Promoters and How Do I Keep Them From Destroying My Business?
Customer satisfaction, most popularly ascertained by a measure called the Net Promoter Index (NPI), is of increasing importance for auto glass companies. Certain insurers and claims administrators are using NPI’s to direct work to certain AGRR companies and prohibit others from doing their work. In this session, you’ll get a full overview what the NPI is and what it measures as well as what you can do to enhance and monitor your own NPI.
11:00 a.m. – 12: 15 p.m. “A Survival Story” with FDNY Fire Chief & 9/11 Survivor Richard Picciotto
The highest ranking firefighter to survive the World Trade Center collapse and the last fireman to escape the devastation, Richard “Pitch” Picciotto was on a stairwell between the sixth and seventh floors of the North Tower when it collapsed on September 11, 2001. An FDNY battalion commander, his is the harrowing true story of an American hero, a man who thought of nothing of himself and gave nearly everything for others during one of our nation’s darkest hours. Picciotto tells an outspoken account of that indelible day, shaking and inspiring audiences to the core.
12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Brown Bag Lunch: Panning for Gold
During this presentation, attendees will get first-hand information from a group of panelists that represent automotive glass repair/replacement, paintless dent repair, headlamp reconditioning, vehicle reconditioning and more. These experts will inform and instruct automotive glass repair and replacement professionals on the area’s most often overlooked that can significantly add to the bottom-line, over and above what is made on the glass repair or replacement job. Panelists will demonstrate methods used to generate leads and attract business partners to tackle these lucrative opportunities. Attendees will be able to address their questions or concerns with the panelists and their peers in this “town forum” session.
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Legal and Legislative Issues in the Auto Glass Industry
The past year has been a very active ones for auto glass related cases in the courts. This session provides an overview of ongoing litigation in the industry including potential and current class action suit(s), the safety suit filed in Montana, the new laws in South Carolina and anti-steering litigation around the country.
3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Exhibition/Extravaganza Open
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. What Is Wrong With Us?
Why is the auto glass industry troubled so competitively? Are we our own worst enemies? Or are there issues at play that will keep the industry from growing and prospering? This dig-deep session asks a number of current and former industry members to look within and talk about what is wrong with us, and what the possible solutions are.
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (Concurrent) Installer Technician Training
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. How to Use a Small Budget to Market Like a Big Budget
It’s getting increasingly more difficult to know how to best use your marketing dollars. TV? Radio? Internet? What else? This session will provide an overview of how to allocate your marketing dollars and use them wisely to make a company of any size dominate its market.
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Exhibition/Extravaganza Open
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Insurance Update
What’s changing in auto glass-insurance interface and how will it affect you? Hear representatives from both areas explain what is new and what to expect in serving mutual customers in the coming year.
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Concurrent) Technician Certification Testing
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Panel: Anti-Steering Strategies
Industry experts will discuss current steering tactics and how to mitigate steering risk while gaining a competitive advantage.
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Gala Awards Reception and Ceremony