What is going to happen at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s 2016 North American Dealer Conference in Washington, D.C.? The company is remaining tight-lipped about everything from the executive talking points to the performer scheduled to entertain the Goodyear dealers on the final day.
Three years ago, consistency, integration and stability were the buzzwords for the event, dubbed “On-Target.”
Two years ago, Goodyear wanted its dealers to get ready for the millennials at the “Go-Time” conference
Last year, the company told its dealers it was going to sell tires online during the “Fast-forward” dealer meeting.
The catchphrase for this year’s event is “Break-Through.” Steve McClellan, president of Goodyear Americas, says the company used dealer feedback to help create the agenda.
Pierre Jambon, vice president of the commercial, OTR and aviation division, encourages networking among Goodyear’s dealers.
“Together we can grow, we can win and we can increase the power of the Goodyear brand,” he says on Goodyear’s More-Access television channel.
Whatever happens, Modern Tire Dealer will be on-site to report any news that comes out of the conference, which begins Wednesday, Jan. 27, with the Welcome Reception. Chairman and CEO Rich Kramer will speak on Friday, Jan. 29.
The event’s Gold and Platinum sponsors are:
* Advance Professional driven by CarQuest (Advance Auto Parts)
* American Tire Distributors Inc.
* AllData LLC (AutoZone Parts Inc.).
* BG Products Inc.
* Citigroup Inc.
* NAPA.
* Stellar Industries Inc.
* The Group (Automotive Parts Services Group).
* Valvoline (Ashland Inc.)
* Kelsey Tire Inc.
Last year’s event drew a record 2,140 people. This year’s attendance will break that record, according to Scott Soltis, senior director of channel sales and customer development.
