Strategies for growing automotive retail service and repair business are the focus of the 2005 AM Aftermarket Conference, on February 25 at The Quadrangle in Oxford.

Sponsored by Castrol, the aim of the conference is to provide some fresh thinking and best practice guidelines for dealerships – in particular, for the managing directors or dealer principals who may have got to the top through the sales or financial route but are not necessarily as familiar with aftersales as they would like to be.

As the margins on car sales decline there is increasing pressure on retailers to expand their aftersales activities. The ability to make the correct strategic decisions in this area of your business is going to have a major impact on your future prosperity – which is exactly what this conference is designed to help.

The event is also highly relevant to the owners of progressive independent garage workshops and fast-fit/service chains. Subjects on the agenda include recruiting and retaining technicians, the FSA regulations, customer retention strategies, sales and marketing strategies, market forecasts, accessory sales and more – all major industry issues our readers tell us are important to them.

Top industry speakers will offer suggestions and guidance for dealing with these key issues, to help you improve your profitability. And they will be on hand to answer specific enquiries about the topics they cover in our dedicated Q&A sessions.

The conference venue, The Quadrangle, is located within Oxford United Football Club’s Kassam Stadium. It has excellent facilities, is easy to get to by road, and parking is no problem. To order your tickets, contact Luke Clements at EMAP Automotive on 01733 468 325 (luke.clements@emap.com). You can also reserve your places on-line at www.amaftermarketconference.com