For Chris Andro, selecting the best keynote speaker requires matching the right message to the audience.
Andro, who has been the RVDA convention committee chairman the past six years, began the selection process for the association’s Convention/Expo keynote speaker almost immediately after the previous convention.
He said, “I take about a month to review my notes from the convention and talk with industry partners who attended. Then I start my search.”
During the convention, Andro said he asks members, suppliers and manufacturers for feedback on the speaker. He asks how the convention speaker’s presentation was, what messages RVDA needs for the next year and what the keynote should gear their speed toward.
Best-selling author Ryan Estis will be this year’s keynote speaker for the Nov. 10-14 convention.
“We tend to pick speakers based on their message first—not ask them to deliver a specific message,” Andro said. “This makes the search much harder, but we feel it delivers the high-quality results.”
Estis’ speech is titled, “The Art of Standing Out: Leveraging Remarkable Experiences and Experimentation to Create Brand Evangelism.”
“His message seems on point for our current industry environment. Ryan’s delivery is energetic, funny and relevant to our industry,” Andro said. “His message about standing out and creating remarkable experiences is more important than ever for the RV industry.”
Andro, general manager and partner of Connecticut-based Hemlock Hill RV Sales & Service, has been a committee member since 2004. He said RVDA President Phil Ingrassia. Mike Molino RV Learning Center Staff Executive Director Karin VanDuyse and Andro gather a list of up to eight possible candidates based on conversations they have with convention attendees.
Andro narrows the list to three or four and sends the committee a survey.
“Part of what I love about the convention is after a long year of business roller-coaster riding, you feel like you need a pick-me-up,” Andro said. “You want to start the next year with energy and enthusiasm. It all starts for me in Vegas and at the keynote address.”
