The general sessions will include information on collections, recoveries, designing pay plans, and best practices. In addition, financing sources will discuss ways to find capital.

Photo from the 2007 NABD conference. More than 2,000 dealers are expected to attend this week's NABD conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. See RTO Online's video podcast interview with Michael Garner, President of Premier Rent'N Ride.

The National Alliance of Buy Here, Pay Here Dealers (NABD) 10th Annual National Conference will be held this week, May 6 – 8 at the Las Vegas Hilton. Premier Rent 'N Ride, the rent-to-own vehicle division of Premier Companies, will exhibit at the show for the first time. More than 2,000 dealers are expected to attend.

Premier Companies and the Southeast Auto Dealers Rental Association (SEADRA) joined forces in January, 2008 to form the Premier Rent 'N Ride franchise. Rent 'N Ride seeks to help automobile dealers draw on the growing domestic used car rental market.

SEADRA's marketing manager, Michael Garner, serves as Rent 'N Ride's president. See RTO Online's video podcast interview with Michael Garner, President of Premier Rent'N Ride.

Trooper Earle, CEO of Premier companies, is looking forward to introducing the RTO concept to existing buy-here-pay-here car dealers. "We've spent a lot of time putting together what we feel is the best franchise offering in the industry," said Earle. "Offering a rent to own option will add an entirely new dimension of value to used car dealerships. There is a very large pool of car dealers that can benefit from the established franchise structure that Premier offers."

The Conference theme is "Facing New Challenges" and this year's agenda includes several new items. The general education sessions begin at 2:00 pm on Tuesday. The 2008 agenda includes three nationally recognized speakers: DJ Harrington, Michael York, and George Dans, who will present on motivation, leadership, and sales topics respectively. "With the difficult economic challenges facing the Buy Here Pay Here industry, this conference will prepare attendees to meet those challenges more successfully," said Ken Shilson, CPA and NABD Conference Chairman.

The general education sessions will feature subjects like capital, software, the internet, insurance and add-on products, sales and leadership training, payment devices and lead management.

Legal and regulatory compliance issues will be addressed by attorney Tom Hudson, who will answer questions during an interactive session. Terry O'Loughlin, formerly of the Florida Attorney General's Office, will educate attendees on avoiding AG complaints.

This year's program features an interactive session on accounting and tax issues with several of the industry's best financial managers. Shilson indicated that "new car franchise dealers and many others now see the buy here, pay here industry as an exceptional profit opportunity." In response, NABD will include a session designed for anyone just entering the BHPH industry.

A capital markets presentation will be made by John Nagy of Stephens, Inc., a leading investment banking firm, who will identify public and private capital market alternatives, and review events which have impacted the capital markets during the last year. Tom Kontos, Adesa's chief automotive economist, and Ken Shilson will discuss used vehicle market economics, important industry trends and benchmarks, and what attendees should expect in the months ahead. Used Car News, Auto Remarketing, and Subprime Auto Finance News will provide important industry outlook information.

"Finding the Right Vehicles and Reconditioning" will be discussed during an interactive panel discussion with industry experts. The best ways operators can increase sales to the unbankable consumers and proven advertising strategies that increase sales will also be covered. "Operators must find new ways to increase their traffic in the highly competitive environment of today," Shilson stated. The general sessions also will include information on collections, recoveries, designing pay plans, and best practices. In addition, financing sources will discuss ways to find capital.

More than 150 vendors are expected in an exhibit hall.