Retail Observer

NOVEMBER 2020 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 37 "It was great to see some familiar faces, and meet some new ones, at the Emerging Professional Networking Social," said Owner and Operator of Happy's Home Center's Inc., ELC member and event organizer, Adam Stark. "I'm excited about the involvement those that attended will have in our networking events going forward." Day three of the convention featured more RTO Education. Lyn Leach and Daniel Singh shared lessons they learned through personal experience for Leadership through Turbulent Times. In Recapture Lost Revenue, Joe Pici discussed how to find and build sales talent for stores. Shirin Kanji and Dan Fisher explored why a leader's perception needs to remain adaptable in Change Your Altitude: A Leader's Perspective. Angie Brubaker and Mike Simoncini discussed how to host a Delivery Rodeo in Idea Lab: Delivery Rodeo 101. For Going Live! Reach More Customers with Interactive Video, Brian Eckleberry gave a tour of his video equipment, software and studio setup for video making. In Idea Lab: Being a Community Pillar During COVID-19, Dale Anderson III and Casey Fowler facilitated a conversation with attendees on how RTO can impact the community. Rachel Casey explored the parallels between employee retainment and relationship management with attendees in Idea Lab: Employee Engagement and Retention Promotions. Throughout the day, there were Product Demonstration & Training sessions hosted by Corsicana Mattress Company, O'Rourke Sales Company, Whirlpool Corporation and Ashley Furniture Industries. The education sessions were carefully curated to provide the most relevant topics and knowledgeable speakers for all attendees. And attendees can even learn from the sessions they missed; all sessions were recorded and available on the RTO World platform for the next year. This gives participants the ability to revisit all the session materials to ensure they can put all they learned into practice. After RTO Education Sessions, the tradeshow opened for the second time, which allowed attendees to reach out to exhibitors for information, conversation and sales. The APRO Awards Celebration and Business Meeting, sponsored by Benefit Marketing Solutions and O'Rourke Sales Company, followed the tradeshow. The Annual APRO Awards Celebration and Business Meeting ended Thursday on a positive note. The annual celebration recognizing contribution and achievement in the rent-to-own industry was emceed by APRO Executive Director Jill McClure, APRO President Chris Kale Sr. and APRO board member Phillip Bumbry. Following the event, the celebration continued in the APRO Winners' Reception, providing an opportunity for members to interact and congratulate the award winners in an informal environment. The celebration closed the last full day of the virtual convention and tradeshow, which left the following morning as the final opportunity for attendees to reach out to exhibitors and connect with others. "RTO World proved to convert well to virtual. There was a steep learning curve for our staff teams, attendees and exhibitors, but it seems most people adapted well to it and were able to network, buy product and learn through the virtual event," said McClure. "We know there are things we might do differently next time, but we're pleased overall with our first virtual convention endeavor." RO Emcee Jill McClure at The Annual APRO Awards Celebration and Business Meeting Daniel Singh, CEO of Dial Rent To Own

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