
DrivingSales Executive Summit: 2021
Plan Your Agenda
Get ready for the DrivingSales Executive Summit. Plan out your agenda and get the most out of your DSES experience
Oct. 10-11, 2021 | The ARIA, Las Vegas
DSES 2021 Agenda
Check back frequently for agenda updates!
- Oct 10
- Oct 11
7:30 AM PDT
Registration Opens
Check in and prepare for two days of intense training on the latest strategies and insights.
1:00 PM PDT
Kick off DrivingSales Executive Summit 2021!
Get ready to kick off another great DSES!
1:10 - 2:00 PM PDT

Winning the Talent War: How to Attract and Develop a Leading Team
Don’t miss Jared Hamilton as he takes the stage to uncover research from today’s talent pool and show why the best employees aren’t choosing to work at your store. Jared will dive into what employees want in an employer today and how you can make your dealership more appealing to the top talent today.
2:00 - 3:00 PM PDT
Dealer finalists present their best idea on stage and compete for cash prizes.
3:00 - 3:20 PM PDT
Afternoon Coffee Break
Take a quick break and get ready for the first round of workshops that you won't want to miss!
3:20 - 4:00 PM PDT

Grasping the Urgency of Retail Automotive's Need to Strategize for the Future Digital Ecosystem
Dave will be sharing the latest digital marketing opportunities that dealers should be taking advantage of to ensure that there is alignment with consumer expectations today. As the winner of the Most Valuable Insight, Dave will present on stage at DSES and will expand on his findings from his winning insight. You’ll come away with a roadmap of specific digital outlets that lead to increased exposure among in-market shoppers.
4:10 - 4:50 PM PDT
Workshop Sessions
![]() | Friend or Foe? AI Lessons LearnedLearn how new technology, when implemented strategically, can boost engagement up to 70% while increasing your bottom line. Presented by: Steve Roessler & Denny Eubank Track: Modernize The Sales Process |
![]() | Build Your Acquisition Hub and Dominate Your Market with a Unique Buying Brand and ExperienceCreate a vehicle acquisition solution that drives like an Aston, performs like a Ferrari, and catches attention like a Lambo. Own your strategy and own your brand! In this session you will learn how to create a winning brand strategy to acquire your vehicles in today's environment while being prepared and set up for the future. Creating a self driving and branded solution that will last you through the pandemic and beyond is imperative to continual success when it comes to buying direct from consumers and building a brand they trust. Nobody trusts that DanHyundaiBuysCars is really watching out for their best interest. Presented by: Gray Scott Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan, Implement Agile Inventory Management |
![]() | How to Build a Culture That Powers Profitability and PositivityDiscover the insights that will help dealers foster a positive culture that will significantly improve the effectiveness of your dealership's operations. Presented by: Dane Saville & Sabrina Erskine Track: Hire and Develop Better Talent, Increase Fixed Ops Absorption, Leadership in a Remote World |
![]() | A Customer’s Journey, the Hidden Key to Hiring Success?Recruiting is Sales - And in today’s digital world, sales start online. Learn to increase your candidate flow while enhancing your Customer’s Journey. In a Post COVID, digital world, online people are not candidates or customers, they are both. In this session, participants will learn how to leverage their existing digital strategies to drive candidate flow & build talent pipelines while enhancing a Customer’s Journey. Presented by: Kevin Hull & Brian Kramer Track: Hire and Develop Better Talent, Leadership in a Remote World |
5:00 - 5:40 PM PDT
Workshop Sessions
![]() | Is One-Person Selling the Silver Bullet Your Dealership Needs to Survive and Thrive?The traditional auto retail sales process is under attack, and it appears to be reaching the end of its useful life. When Super Bowl commercials venomously attack car dealers, it’s a sign that the old model is becoming a dinosaur. The question is, what will replace it? Should dealers be copycatting what the online disrupters like Carvana and Vroom are doing or should they self-invent a new model that builds on their strengths as physical retailers? What does it mean for your website to truly provide a smooth online on-ramp to a great in-store experience? Perry and Joyce will share a down-to-earth view of how dealers can elevate their customer experience and profits by embracing a transformative One-Person Sales Model Presented by: Chip Perry & TJ Joyce Track: Modernize The Sales Process, Leadership in a Remote World |
![]() | Pivoting Your Marketing to Capture the New Digital ShopperAs we enter 2022 – dealing with what will hopefully be the tail-end of COVID, it is as good a time as any to come to terms that consumer behavior has changed. Not only has it changed “for now” but it has changed forever.While some in the automotive space viewed COVID as an existential threat, it’s in fact an opportunity to survive, evolve and thrive. This session will review the shifting consumer behaviors and will help automotive dealerships pivot their marketing to capture the new digital shopper. Presented by: Alex Melen & Chris Anderson Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
![]() | Why Savvy Marketers Are Spending More on Audience Data Than MediaDealers know cookie-cutter, “in-market” audiences are wildly inefficient. Learn how to use an audience-first approach that enables you to decrease media spend and increase campaign effectiveness. Presented by: Steve White & Shaun Kniffin Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
![]() | WTF Used Car Management (Work The Facts)Used vehicles can be listed wrong online causing inaccurate market data, so know your data before relying on market data. Join this session and learn how to “work the facts” at your dealership. Find the holes in your inventory before pivoting to the market data. Takeaways from this session include: Presented by: Jasen Rice & Danny Zaslavsky Track: Hire and Develop Better Talent, Leadership in a Remote World |
![]() | How to Get Smart with Social and Your Sales Staff in 2021Sell more cars and Make more Money using Facebook & Instagram! Set your sales staff up for success in 2021! The Key Takeaways include the following: Presented by: Gail Rubinstein & Steve VanGorder Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
6:30 - 6:40 PM PDT
Daily Wrap Up
Listen to a recap of day one and get ready for an evening of partying with your peers!
7:00 - 8:30 PM PDT
Opening Reception
Finish day one and rub shoulders with other dealership executives
7:30 AM PDT
Registration Opens
Make sure you are checked in and ready to go for day two.
8:00 - 9:00 AM PDT
Breakfast
Get the day started right! Enjoy a Five-star breakfast with your peers.
9:00 - 9:10 AM PDT
Kick Off Day Two!
Day two kicks off! Get ready for another day packed with training.
9:10 - 9:50 AM PDT

RE:Think Innovation
Carla will be taking the main stage to help dealers today identify and implement strategies that provide sustainable value and gain a competitive advantage at your store. She’ll teach you how inspiration can lead to measurable business outcomes. You’ll walk away feeling confident to introduce new ideas, make good ideas better and instill a culture of innovation by everyone.
10:00 - 10:40 AM PDT
Workshop Sessions
![]() | Digital Retailing is Not DIYCustomers’ digital-retailing usage is on the rise and, contrary to popular belief, it is not DIY. A whopping 86% of customers are completing some part of the purchase online and 89% of the time, dealers are using digital retailing to guide them through the remote transaction. In this interactive session, we'll unpack the qualitative and quantitative results of our recent Dealer Impact Study. We’ll also bring in an esteemed dealer panel to explain why the more customers and agents use digital retailing, the faster the transaction and the higher customer satisfaction is. Presented by: Michelle Denogean, Jarred Black & Joe Lukich Track: Modernize The Sales Process |
![]() | “Car Trek: The Next Generation” Reaching Shoppers In The TikTok & Snapchat EraLearn the ways your dealership can reach the next wave of car shoppers, regardless of the platforms they use. Presented by: Pete Petersen & Matt Sneed Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
![]() | The Customer Buy Center: A Better Way to Build InventoryThe consumer-sourced trade is the most profitable source of inventory for your dealership. Savvy used car departments will optimize every opportunity to source this inventory, especially those right at their doorstep. The trade-in process, while executed and managed by the pre-owned team, is an essential part of the new car transaction, as well. Dealers who focus on a buying approach that is collaborative, transparent and customer-friendly can see increased traffic to the store, more retail sales, and increased profits across their dealership. Presented by: Tim Scoutelas & James Bingham Track: Implement Agile Inventory Management |
![]() | It’s Not What You Manage, It’s What You Measure that Drives ResultsIt’s clear, the success of your business depends on the caliber of your managers. The competencies to sell a car are no longer the only requirements for a manager to successfully build and manage a high-performing team. Their skills and processes must be aligned with the needs of the modern workforce. They must provide clear accountability metrics and manage their teams with job-specific scorecards. A systematic scorecard review process builds a strong relationship between the manager and the employee. It’s built on trust and data, not opinions. High-performing dealers have metrics and scorecards for every job role. They sell more cars, write more hours per RO, generate more gross, and more. If you manage people, you don’t want to miss this! Presented by: Jason Volny & Phil Pecoraro Track: Hire and Develop Better Talent, Increase Fixed Ops Absorption, Leadership in a Remote World |
![]() | If Automotive is Becoming Ecom, Why Isn't the Marketing?The marketing funnel for automotive should be deep and have a dozen or more groups, but virtually no one markets that way...yet. Presented by: David Lemmon & Brody Dezember Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
10:40 - 11:00 AM PDT
Morning Break
Take a quick break before more workshops
11:00 -11:40 AM PDT
Workshop Sessions
![]() | Your Service Department in the Age of Amazon: How to Bring E-Commerce Best Practices to your DealershipCapitalize on e-commerce strategies proven by companies like Amazon. Learn how to incorporate similar tactics to improve profitability and experience. Presented by: Ashley Fedor & Joe Castelino Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan, Increase Fixed Ops Absorption |
![]() | 5 Most Important Marketing Metrics Automotive Leadership Must KnowDiscover key marketing metrics that every dealership leader should be aware of and know how to measure! This workshop addresses the biggest issues facing automotive teams regarding knowing how to understand the most important leadership and marketing strategies and tactics you need to run a successful dealership. Get must-have information covering successful leadership, operations, and marketing best practices. Presented by: Eric Miltsch & Greg Jensen Track: Modernize The Sales Process, Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
![]() | How to Acquire Cars Across Every Channel When Inventory is TightJoin this session and get the latest intel on how to turn your entire digital ecosystem into a vehicle acquisition machine. This workshop will be packed with takeaways to implement at the store today! Presented by: Jason Stum Track: Implement Agile Inventory Management, Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
![]() | The Rise of Conversational Commerce: The Future of Messaging
Presented by: Ali Fawaz & Lori Berkson Track: Modernize The Sales Process |
11:50 -12:50 AM PDT
Beast Mode
Listen to some of today's most successful dealers take a deep dive into the latest opportunities for dealerships on the main stage
12:50 - 1:50 PM PDT
Lunch
Take a break from a morning of intense training and enjoy an amazing lunch!
1:50 - 2:50 PM PDT
Listen to finalists compete on stage and present the year's top solutions to help dealers increase profitability.
3:00 -3:40 PM PDT
Workshop Sessions
![]() | Millennials & Phones –Turning Voicemails into Car SalesThis session will dive into the true cost of poor phone management and the top three ways that you can improve right now. You’ll hear first-hand from Freeman Peterman, the Digital Director for Jim Keras Auto Group, about his stores and how they're inspiring confidence in millennials over the phone. Contrary to popular belief, millennials DO want to talk over the phone but their standards for instant gratification and a frictionless experience mean we need to adjust our approach. The dealerships willing to give them what they want can win this generation for life. So join us for real-world examples of the top three phone skills that are overlooked, especially when it comes to courting this developing generation of customers. Presented by: Charlie Bass & Freeman Peterman Track: Modernize The Sales Process |
![]() | Super Fun Trivia with Know-It-All Joe and Braniac Bryan!Are you really an expert? How much knowledge do you have trapped in that big brain of yours, just ready to be unleashed? This lively, interactive session will be filled with fun, fast-paced entertainment and just a little education thrown in. See who has the smarts to win the prize when the clock is ticking. Presented by: Joe Webb & Bryan Armstrong Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
![]() | The Path to GM Should Go Through Fixed OpsWith the impact Fixed Operations has on your dealership profitability, it is essential that anyone looking to become a General Manager has a deep grasp of service and parts. But the NADA Academy training is not enough. In this session, we will present a plan to provide your sales personnel a working knowledge of Fixed Ops to give them a leg up in their quest to become a general manager. Presented by: Brad Lillie Track: Increase Fixed Ops Absorption, Hire and Develop Better Talent, Leadership in a Remote World |
![]() | Culture, Process, Repeat... Breaking Out of the Revolving DoorCulture and process are two sides of the same coin. Keeping those two in perpetual motion together is the key. Don't miss this session where you'll come away with the steps to build a positive culture and stop the revolving door at your dealership. Presented by: Jereme Schoemaker & Betty Byars Track: Hire and Develop Better Talent, Leadership in a Remote World |
![]() | Leveraging AI + ML to Optimize VIN-level Inventory and Retail Business StrategiesIn today’s increasingly complex landscape, traditional strategies have become obsolete - dealers are spending nearly 80% of their budget sending shopping traffic to only 20% of their inventory. With a strategic approach that leverages AI and machine learning, dealers are able to avoid marketing waste and gain insight into what is being marketed by building campaigns unique to each VIN on their lot. Presented by: Mark Conner & Brendan Anderson Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan, Implement Agile Inventory Management |
3:40 - 4:10 PM PDT
Afternoon Coffee Break
Take a quick break and get ready for more workshops that you won't want to miss!
4:10 - 4:50 PM PDT
Workshop Sessions
![]() | Marty McFly's Guide to the Future of Automotive SEOSEO is too important to use outdated tactics. Don't miss this workshop with Greg Gifford to learn how Google has changed today and what matters for better online visibility. Presented by: Greg Gifford & Danny Tellez Track: Build a Progressive Marketing Plan |
![]() | Fixed Ops Leadership and Accountability TacticsCome check out some of the leadership and accountability tactics that top dealerships use to maximize fixed ops efficiency and drive productivity. Presented by: Brad Paschal & Kevin Deutsch Track: Modernize Increase Fixed Ops Absorption |
![]() | Retain Your People and Sell More Cars by Developing a Sales Coaching CultureA new dealers story teaches how a coaching approach to managing affects turnover, sales and overall dealership success! Presented by: Sean Kelley & Tanner Wood Track: Modernize The Sales Process, Hire and Develop Better Talent, Leadership in a Remote World |
![]() | Hyper-efficiency. Selling 100 Cars Per Month in the Digital AgeLearn the strategy, sales activities and tech stack that a modern digital salesperson uses to sell over 780 cars per year. Presented by: Alan Krutsch & Alex Meyhoefer Track: Modernize The Sales Process, Hire and Develop Better Talent |
4:50 - 5:10 PM PDT
Awards Ceremony: Best Idea Contest & Innovation Cup
See the results as the winners are announced on the main stage.
5:30 - 6:20 PM PDT

One-Degree Shifts: Building Tomorrow’s Greatest Places to Work
In this completely tailored, engaging, and takeaway-loaded presentation, workplace expert Eric Termuende shares what years of research, stories, and insights uncover about the one-degree shifts leaders use to remove friction, improve communication, and innovate. From Domino’s Pizza to the British Cycling Team, discover how the consistent application of small, incremental changes builds tomorrow’s greatest places to work.
6:20 - 6:30 PM PDT
Daily Wrap Up
Hear the closing message as we wind down DSES 2021
7:00 - 8:00 PM PDT
Closing Reception
Wrap up the event in style at the closing reception
Get Registered Today
Reserve your spot to join the top dealers at this year’s DSES, Oct 10-11, 2021 at the ARIA, Las Vegas
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