It’s hard to believe that by the time this issue is published, the first Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference will be in the books. So much time and teamwork has gone into this huge step for the publication that it has become a daily part of what we do.
As I write this, I’m still a few days away from boarding a plane to Chicago for the three-day event. If you’ve managed to miss what it’s all about, here’s a short look at it: Three days, 20 industry-leading speakers, 13 educational sessions, two panel discussions, one deep-dive workshop, 15 roundtable talks, and networking opportunities galore.
The effort put into making this event possible—from the time volunteered by speakers to the support of sponsors to the round-the-clock contributions of Ratchet+Wrench staff throughout the company—has been tremendous and reflective of a common goal to help auto care businesses improve and grow.
The conference is an evolution of Ratchet+Wrench as we continue to find new and better ways to serve you. It’s a chance for us to take a deeper dive into the issues we explore each month in print, and to bring some of the faces and names from this publication to you in-person. And one aspect that makes the training stand out: Most of our speakers are shop operators who have stepped away from their businesses for a few days to share real, relatable strategies.
If you couldn’t make it to the conference this year, we hope you’ll be able to take part in 2017, as we intend to make it an annual event. Keep an eye out for conference coverage in the magazine and details about next year’s event.
Jake Weyer, editorial director
jweyer@ratchetandwrench.com
