ORLANDO, Fla. — Organizers of the annual Industry Summit announced that famed dealership trainer David Lewis will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming 2018 event, set for Oct. 8–10 at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Fla.

Lewis will deliver his speech at 9:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10, setting the stage for a full day of advanced F&I training, starting with the annual Executive Panel and continuing with three sessions led by award-winning F&I trainers.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to share my ideas and help these dealers and F&I managers grow their departments,” Lewis said. “To me, there’s nothing more exciting than sharing thoughts and processes people can take back to their stores and immediately see tangible and profitable results.”

Noting that his address will follow two days’ worth of events — including Compliance Summit, ACE compliance certification, the inaugural Technology Challenge, and the co-located P&A Leadership Summit, Lewis said he would strike at the heart of Industry Summit’s stated goal to “Protect the Future of F&I” by telling dealers and F&I professionals how to improve their per-copy average by $350.

“Front-end grosses are declining. We are in the midst of a very small sales recession. It is critical that dealerships pick up the lost revenue somewhere, and the easiest place to do that is in the F&I department,” Lewis said. “I’m going to share outside-the-box ideas that will allow your customers to want to purchase more products.”

Lewis began his career as an F&I manager and trainer more than 30 years ago, founding David Lewis & Associates in 1986 and crisscrossing the nation to deliver training to dealers and managers and staff in the sales, F&I, and service departments. He is the author of five books and the inventor of the concept of “Inspirational Selling,” a customer-friendly dealership experience that, in the 1990s, was ahead of its time.

“David Lewis’ credentials speak for themselves, and his topic is as timely as it is targeted,” said David Gesualdo, show chair and publisher of F&I and Showroom and Auto Dealer Today. “One sure way to ‘Protect the Future of F&I’ is to maximize productivity and profitability, and we couldn’t ask for a better way to kick off Day Three of Industry Summit.”

Registration for Industry Summit 2018 is open at the event’s website. Register by Sept. 20 to enjoy a $100 early-bird discount. To discuss sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, contact David Gesualdo at (727) 947-4027 or via email.