22 • February 2025 • Powersports Business www . PowersportsBusiness . com

The 2025 Powersports Business Accelerate Conference kicked off yet in Charlotte , North Carolina at the NASCAR Hall of Fame , Monday , Jan . 20 . Dealers and industry professionals gathered to talk shop , share drinks and practice their driving skills . Some dealers made new connections , others caught up with old friends , and everyone seemed to enjoy the lively evening . The museum consisted of two floors of historical facts , legend highlights and memorabilia . For some , the night wrapped up at 8:30 as we headed back to the hotel , and for others , conversations continued within the hotel ’ s bar and restaurant .

On Tuesday , we gathered to listen to keynote speaker Jay Samit , who covered mindboggling topics . Samit shared that the ability to adapt is key in life and in business . The theme of his presentation was “ disruption ,” and he shared that “ disruption isn ’ t about what happens to you , but how you respond to what happens to you .”

For those who attended , we learned the five steps it takes to become a disrupter and the three technologies that will change the world . The takeaway of the eye-opening statistics : strategizing new revenue streams is important and “ If you want something you ’ ve never had , you ’ re going to have to do something you ’ ve never done .”

The next session was moderated by Morgan Stanley ’ s Anthony Nasca . Performance Brokerage Services ’ Jon Couwenberg and Courtney Bernard discussed the importance of planning succession and exit pants with Morgan Stanley ’ s Brad Stanek and Paulina Matel . Research shows that 88 percent of owners that exit are not happy with the outcome and 78 percent have no formal advisory help . The panelists shared information and tips about developing written plans and tax plans , along with generational succession advice .

Networking was in full swing during the breaks and at lunch in the Sheraton Charlotte .

George Houle of Leadventure discussed the bridge between the dealership website and the in-store parts purchase experience , and how to meet customer expectations .

Maxwell Materne dove into the metrics of dealership sales data and trends to find hidden opportunities for additional sales and increased customer loyalty . He studied departmental health , inventory , sales processes and team sentiment using metrics

like financial health , inventory age , sales performance and culture scores to come up with a “ Lifecycle Clock ” for customers , which he shared during his presentation . He and his partner employed LIDAR scanning technology to analyze dealership layouts , measuring profitability per square foot and departmental space allocation . The goal was to identify impactful practices and areas for improvement across different dealerships .

Dealers enjoyed the atmosphere and interactive games at the NASCAR Hall of Fame museum as much as networking and catching up with their peers .

Podium ’ s Josh Arredondo discussed A . I . and how it can be used to combat business challenges and increase sales . Attendees learned how to leverage this technology to boost lead success and efficiencies within the dealership .

After lunch , dealers listened to Rob Greenwald ’ s presentation about the value that human interaction will always have during the sales process . David Gee , professional speaker and former editor-in-chief of Boating Industry magazine , shared tools that dealers can use to enhance listening and storytelling skills to boost productivity , customer satisfaction and sales .

Action Recruiting ’ s Jan Plessner discussed the shift in the hiring landscape following Covid−19 . Candidates typically seek more executive-level positions , and the hiring process is more competitive . Plessner shared a process that prevents potential issues at the forefront of the hiring process , ensures interviews with qualified candidates and retains those hired following the onboarding process . With the staffing challenges seen by many dealers in the industry , it was not a session to miss .

Tom Shay of Profit Plus shared how parts of the sales process are changing , from marketing and communication to payments and product delivery . As an expert in sales , Shay discussed how to thrive and change .

All dealers gathered for the State of the Power Trades Industry Panel , moderated by David Gee . Panelists included Glen Hubbard of Hubbard Powersports , Jan Plessner of Action Recruiting , Zach Hutcheson of Correct Craft and Jeff Husby of WaterSports Central . The group discussed inventory , margins , staff retention , the increase of MSRPs , consumer expansion and whether 2025 will bring “ normalcy .”

Hutcheson shared the OEM perspective concerning inventory . “ We need to focus on