Auction Academy Convenes at Rock & Roll Sale in Spokane

Auction Academy convened the Managers Group in Spokane, Washington on July 15, 2013 for a training program that included DAA Northwest’s premier industry promotion, the Rock n Roll Sale, which culminated in a concert with REO Speedwagon.

Auction Academy’s Manager’s Group convened at DAA Northwest in July, touring the auction’s facilities and observing preparations for its premier promotional event: the Rock & Roll Sale.The July 16 session began with a presentation by Len Roll of DAA Northwest, one of the industry’s top professionals in auctions operations, who discussed detailing, body shop services and condition reports.  He was followed by Greg Mahugh, co-owner of DAANW, and Mitzi Voorhis, marketing manager at DAANW, who described the DAANW philosophy and process for its nationally recognized promotions. 

The class then toured the DAA Northwest facilities and observed the preparations for the expected sale of the more than 3,000 vehicles during the two-day Rock & Roll sale.  Back in the classroom, the group heard a presentation by executives from AuctionEdge: David Weld, CEO and Dan Diedrich, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing. The pair discussed the technology developments the company has pioneered for independent auctions since it was formed a little over a year ago.  Next up was Greg Lubrani, COO of Liquid Motors who described the multi-platform online sale capability developed by the company, as well as its new integrations with AuctionEdge.  The day ended with a Moose  Burger barbecue at the home of Bob and Sandy McConkey, which was attended by a number of industry executives as well as the Auction Academy students.

Auction Academy students and staff, along with industry executives, enjoyed a Moose Burger Barbecue at the McConkey home.Wednesday, July 17 was a second full day of classes and auction observation.  David Woods from Harley Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) provided an overview of the powersports industry and the HDFS remarketing process.  Returning to the classroom, Charlie Vogelheim provided an overview of how the auto industry evolved to this point and where it is likely to go from here.  Pierre Pons, President of TPC Management, then led an exercise on sales plan forecasting/budgeting and the use of key dynamic metrics that are unique to each auction operation.  The meeting concluded with a presentation by Mike Antich of Bobit Publishing on media, public relations and conferences.

Said Dick Curtis, President of Auction Academy, “The session at DAA Northwest Session was a very intensive two day program designed to thoroughly immerse the students in the planning and execution of promotional sales.  Auction promotions are key tools in attracting dealer clients; the ideas gained at this session of Auction Academy will be of great benefit.”

Auction  Academy’s next Session takes place the week of August 19th in Dallas, TX when the Next Generation/Sons & Daughters Class Group will be meeting in conjunction with the IARA Summer Roundtable.

Added Curtis, “The acceptance and support for Auction Academy from both within and outside the auto auction industry has been overwhelmingly positive.  We sincerely feel a program like this helps to ensure the viability of the auto auction process as a cornerstone for vehicle remarketing well into the next generation.”

The Auction Academy is a continuing education program developed by TPC Management Company (TPC) for professionals in the auto auction industry. It provides a two-year training and development experience for automotive auction professionals, structured like an Executive MBA program. With faculty drawn from expert practitioners around the country, Auction Academy’sprograms are designed to enhance essential skill sets, promote best practices and yield better auction performance. The curriculum includes site visits, field trips and work with industry experts in all areas of auction operations.

For additional information about Auction Academy, contact Randall McCathren by email:  rmccathren@auctionacademy.net, or by telephone: (615) 383-1930; or visit the web site www.auctionacademy.net.