The 2001 calendar for the Auto Remarketing Forum Series, a group of conferences that provide intent and narrow focus on specific hot issues in the vehicle remarketing industry, has been announced by Ron Smith, publisher of Auto Remarketing Magazine and Auto Remarketing Weekly.

Auto Remarketing/Canada is the first of four programs slated for 2001. It will take place April 26-28 at the Park Hyatt Toronto, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The 2nd Annual End-of-Term Conferences are scheduled for the summer. Forum I, Designing Effective Remarketing Strategies, will be held at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Fla., May 20-22. Forum II, Developing Professional End-of-Term Management/Residual Forecasting, will be held at the Loews Giorgio Hotel in Denver, Colo., June 10-12.

The final 2001 program, "iRemarketing 2001," is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 9-11 in Chicago, Ill.

Dennis DesRosiers, president of Dennis DesRosiers Consulting of Toronto, will be the keynote speaker for "Auto Remarketing/Canada." He is expected to give an overview of the Canadian used-vehicle industry. Topics DesRosiers will discuss include the current trends in the Canadian market, the relationship between used-vehicle sales and remarketing efforts, a comparison of the U.S. and Canadian markets, and the short-term and long-term remarketing outlooks.

"Anyone in the vehicle remarketing industry in Canada, doing business with Canadian remarketing companies or interested in what is predicted to occur in the Canadian remarketing industry over the next few years should attend this conference," Smith said.

According to Smith, last year's End-of-Term Leasing Conferences drew large turnouts, and he's expecting to surpass those crowds this year.

"There are monumental changes taking place in the leasing business, especially as it relates to remarketing strategies," Smith said. "Many people are very eager to hear what industry leaders have to say."

The two conferences are related, as Forum I will focus on how to remarket vehicles coming off lease, while Forum II will focus on portfolio planning for the future and establishing realistic residual values, Smith said.

iRemarketing 2001 is in the early planning stage, but Smith said if last year's program can be any indication, it will be one of the Forum Series' most popular conferences.

The Auto Remarketing Forum Series was established in 1999. It is a group of three-day conferences that focus on a particular issue in the used-vehicle industry.

"We are committed to developing conferences that zero in on a specific subject, and then develop that subject in full," Smith said. "That philosophy has been well received in the industry."