It won’t be long till Bobit’s Agent Summit gets under way, and plans are shaping up for a robust agenda.

For starters, the annual agent-focused event is returning to its original early-March schedule in response to many requests for that timing after years of later-spring dates. The March 2 through March 5 summit accommodates the desire for making connections earlier to get the year off to a strong start. 

The event, which will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, features many of the mainstay offerings of past summits, including a reinsurance symposium. An important addition to the lineup is a custom CARS Rule certification for agents and dealers conducted by Automotive Compliance Education. Guests can take it on either Sunday as the summit kicks off or on Wednesday before they leave for home.

The expert training on the pending Federal Trade Commission regulation seemed like an obvious choice to help prepare the industry for compliance.

“With the CARS Rule being so important for dealers and agents, we reached out to our partners at ACE in order to develop this new certification for attendees,” said Bobit’s David Gesualdo. 

ACE Executive Director Gil Van Over said the training will help agents guide dealers in meeting the new requirements. 

“By the time Agent Summit kicks off, we will have a much better idea of what the CARS Rule will look like and when it may take effect, he said. “We will never advise an agent to serve as their dealers’ compliance cop, but you should be educated and informed, and that describes the Agent Summit crowd to a T. We look forward to getting you up to speed in March.”

The summit will also include the second annual F&I Hall of Fame awards ceremony to honor veterans of the important retail automotive segment. 

More lineup details will be shared closer to the event. “We’re very excited about some of the new sessions we’re going to be offering,” Gesualdo said, “and are working with our advisory board on the agenda.”