LAS VEGAS — Trainer and author Joe Verde will serve as opening keynote speaker for the first-ever Agent Summit, to be held in Las Vegas in March 2011. The president of the San Juan Capistrano, Calif.-based Joe Verde Group is expected to discuss the role played by general agents in the auto retail marketplace. 

“We are honored to have Joe set the tone for our first agents-only show,” said David Gesualdo, show chair and publisher of the event’s media sponsor, F&I and Showroom. “He has spent the past 25 years working directly with dealers and agents across the country, and he understands how important those partnerships have become.” 

A former salesperson, manager and dealer, Verde counts more than half of the United States’ Top 500 dealers and most of the Top 100 Internet dealers among his clients. He also founded a pioneering virtual training resource, JVTN.com, and has authored two books, A Dealer’s Guide to Recovery & Growth and How to Sell a Car Today. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing everybody next March at the show,” Verde said. “We’re going to talk about helping your dealers from recovery and into growth and covering the processes for leadership, sales management, professional selling, closing and negotiation — all the tools they need to move their teams to greater success, year after year.”