Page 4 - CFESA Magazine Sept - Oct 2017

PRESIDENT’S Back to School
MESSAGE

As we start a new year for school, I can’t help but
equate this to our upcoming conference in Austin. We
currently only have one conference a year, and this
year, like last year, it happens in the fall. Unlike school

children, we didn’t get the summer off. Instead, most
of us work even harder. The similarities however with
returning to educating ourselves at the conference is
much like kids returning to school.

When I look through the member directory, there
is a direct correlation with companies that attend
conferences regularly and the certifications, awards,
accolades, and notoriety the company has in our
industry. Participating in the sessions provided gives
companies the tools to accelerate their success in the
industry. Taking advantage of networking with our peers, mfg service reps,

vendors who provide solutions, and industry leaders overall; sometimes gets
taken for granted but never the less always educational.

Sitting in the lounge enjoying cocktails with both old and new friends is also
very educational. Many stories get told and nuggets of inspiration, mistakes,
eureka moments and other shared methods of success are just some of the ways
we educate ourselves on how to solve similar problems in our establishments.
I find it much easier to walk on the rocks others stumbled on. To make this

experience even more beneficial bring members from your team! We all
enjoy knowledge sharing from dispatchers, technicians, parts dept, CSR’S, and
warranty administrators. The team members tend to socialize and share with
others and the value brought back to their company is sometimes the best
return on investment. The other benefit of bringing team members is they get
to socialize with key people they have spoken with over the phone. There are so
many advantages to attending a conference and not enough lines in an article
to state them all. Like going back to school I mostly look forward to seeing my
friends that I haven’t seen since the last conference. Hope to see you there!

Your servant President,

Gary Potvin

4 CFESA Magazine SEPT / OCT 2017 www.cfesa.com