For the third time, the AFSA Vehicle Finance Division will sponsor a Vehicle Finance Conference and Exposition in conjunction with the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention. The 2006 AFSA Conference will be held February 8-10 at the Walt Disney Yacht Club Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. To view the latest program, please go to the Vehicle Finance Conference Web page.

This year's conference will focus on the importance of Aligning Industry Goals. During the sessions, industry executives will learn about the key role AFSA and its members are playing in the alignment and implementation of many of the industry's most important goals. Last year, for example, AFSA coordinated the industry efforts to establish standards for electronic contracts in auto finance. This effort, albeit in its early stages, will continue by expanding into the electronic titling arena.

On Wednesday, February 8, the conference will open with Michael Barone, who will present his perspective on "American Politics 2006." Barone is one of the most astute analysts of American politics and public opinion. As a senior writer for U.S. News & World Report, he plays a key role in stories of national importance, reporting on the people and events shaping today's headlines. A prolific author, Barone is well known for his popular book, Our Country: The Shaping of America from Roosevelt to Reagan. He is a former staff member at The Washington Post and vice president of polling at the nationally-acclaimed public opinion firm, Peter D. Hart Research Associates.

Wednesday's program also will include a presentation on the latest Yankelovich Financial Services Industry Report presented by J. Walker Smith, Ph.D., President of Yankelovich. Another session will cover "Aligning with New Technologies to Reduce Costs, Streamline Operations, and Improve Customer and Dealer Satisfaction."

One of the meeting's most important sessions will be "Aligning with the Importance of Consumer Education" scheduled on Thursday morning, February 9. During this session, Randy Lively, AFSA president & chief executive officer and chair of the AWARE Coalition (Americans Well-informed on Automobile Retailing Economics) and Eric Hoffman, AWARE senior vice president, will discuss how automotive industry leaders and organizations have collaborated to provide consumers with information, tools and resources to better understand the auto financing process. For more information, go to www.autofinancing101.org.

On day two, the program will kick off with "Aligning with Dealers" moderated by Dennis McCuistion, host of the McCuistion Program on PBS Television. The session will feature the incoming leadership of NADA.

Other sessions include: Aligning with Critical Legal and Legislative Issues Affecting Vehicle Finance and Roundtable Discussion Groups on a variety of topics. A special roundtable discussion group has been planned for Independent finance companies in the auto financing area.

The conference will close with the keynote address, which will be delivered by Jeffrey Rachor, President & COO, Sonic Automotive, Group, Inc. Founded with just five dealerships in 1997, Sonic now owns nearly 160 new- and used-car dealerships and 40 collision repair centers in 15 states. Sonic sells more than 35 brands of cars and light trucks and offers vehicle financing.

The Exposition will be open both days, offering the latest products and services for your business. As usual, conference participants will enjoy networking opportunities during conference exhibit hours.

On Saturday afternoon, The AFSA Education Foundation (AFSAEF) will host a fundraising golf tournament at Hawk's Landing Golf Club. A separate registration is required for this event. Proceeds will help fund the MoneySKILL^® Program, an interactive, reality-based personal finance curriculum for high school students on the Internet—www.moneyskill.org or www.afsaef.org. For more information about participating in the tournament, please contact Tom Thomas at tthomas703@verizon.net.

For more information about the conference, contact Tom Morano, Vice President, Meetings & Conferences at tmorano@afsamail.org.