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Christophe Fremont, president ofBekaert Specialty Films, presented hiskeynote address to a standing roomonly crowd.able to provide a complete installationin two hours or less in order tobe competitive. In a later session,Dana Curtis covered technologiesthat can help dealers meet thisgoal by utilizing plotter systemsand pattern software. Curtis coveredthe ins and outs of selectingand implementing a plotter systemthen provided a live demonstrationfollowed by a question-and-answersession.Webster also pointed out someless obvious opportunities in paintprotection, including the motorcyclemarket.“Motorcycle dealers cringe whenthey see someone coming into theshowroom, sitting on a bike andleaning forward,” Websterexplained. “If that person has a big,metal, belt buckle on, they couldleave scratches on the gas tank. Sothere’s an opportunity to develop aniche with motorcycle dealers forthis very reason.”Tying into Webster’s presentation,Barry Edwards, president ofAegis Films in Norcross, Ga., providedan overview of the automotivemarket. Edwards providedkey statistics, including expectednew car production levels andexplained that his company anticipatesthe automotive film industryto remain strong. Edwardsisn’t the only manufacturing presidentto feel this way, as his messagewas later referenced andechoed by keynote speakerChristophe Fremont, president ofBekaert Specialty Films in SanDiego.Fremont delivered a spiritedmessage to a standing-room-onlycrowd of more than 120 attendeesas he explained his outlook for theindustry. He encouraged attendeesto take hold of opportunities presentedby the commercial segmentby raising the bar on professionalism.He also advised taking fulladvantage of industry associations—citingnumerous pointsshared by Darrell Smith, executivedirector of the InternationalWindow Film Association (IWFA),in his prior session including anindustry and IWFA update. (Readmore on Fremont’s speech on page28 of this issue.)Smith covered key opportunitiesin IWFA, including the association’ssystem for feeding leads to itsmembers.“If we receive an inquiry for yourarea and you’re not an IWFA member,that lead is going to go to someoneelse,” he explained. “You’remissing out on those opportunities.”Smith also cited many ofIWFA’s efforts, which are supportedby member dues, including accreditationcourses and testing, whichthe association chose to offer alongsidethis year’s event.Inspiring Short CoursesSeveral attendees said their businesseswere markedly slower thanpast years, but steady.From One Dealer to AnotherIn a special sessioncalled “What Workedfor Me,” several dealerstook the time out toshare some of theirsuccessful experiencesand techniques.Mel Villalon, owner ofParadise Tinting in LongBeach, Calif., highlightedhis recent success inoffering a solution forhomeowners with skylights.Villalon said herecognized the opportunity, then used good old-fashioned ingenuity to come upwith an attachment system for sun shades to fill in for instances in which windowfilm could not be used.Nick Williams of Premier Window Tinting in Las Vegas covered a marketingtechnique that worked for his company recently. Williams showed how usingsimple marketing materials and techniques helped to boost his company’s business,including the use of special offers.Last, but not least, Jason Obradovich, owner of Glass Coating Specialist Inc.in Tampa, Fla., shared the juicy details of how he went about landing the “bigone” with his Sarasota Towers project (See “Tower Power” on page 28 of ourJanuary-February 2008 issue).©2008 WINDOW FILM Magazine, 540-720-5584, www.windowfilmmag.com, All rights reserved.