In a recent electronic newsletter, a remarketer expressed his concern about the proliferation of conferences being offered each year and the resulting "diminution of value for attendees" due to redundancy and dilution of content. The letter stated that budget constraints and scheduling are also concerns with multiple conferences overlapping or back-to-back.

As the organizers of the Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR) 2003, Bobit Publishing’s Auto Group has been aware of this situation ever since a competitive conference for the industry sprung up a few years ago. Yes, if vendors and attendees attempt to participate in both conferences taking place, it will be a significant amount of time and a monetary investment. It is for that very reason attendees and vendors should consider which one conference is worth their investment.

CAR 2003 is the original remarketing conference, established in 1996, covering the broad range of remarketing channels. Bobit Publishing is a recognized authority in the remarketing industry, with strong ties to the remarketing community through Automotive Fleet and Vehicle Remarketing magazines. CAR 2003 has the support of key groups such as the National Auto Auction Association and the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance, and has also teamed with Used Car News to provide educational content for the seminars. Through our long-established relationships with suppliers and remarketers, we are able to stay on top of the latest remarketing issues and provide attendees with cutting-edge information.

The goal of CAR has always been to provide an added-value event for the industry, where all participants can receive education and build relationships that help them do business better. To ensure that our conference is a benefit and not a burden for participants, we keep the costs low and pack the program into less than three days. The registration fee for CAR 2003 is HALF the cost of the competitive conference ($695 vs. $1,395), and hotel costs are also half our competitor’s ($100/night vs. $200/night).

As for a suggestion that conference organizers should partner together, we did attempt to collaborate with our competitor, offering to combine the two shows in 2003 and share registration proceeds. But our competitor made it clear that there was no room for negotiation. So it is left to the industry to decide which conference is worth participation. Bobit Publishing will continue to work in providing you with the conference and show that provides the most value to the entire remarketing industry.

For details on the program and early registration, log on to www.bobitexpos.com/car.