LAS VEGAS — Organizers of the upcoming Agent Summit have announced that Jimmy Atkinson, president and CEO of AUL Corp., will serve as the keynote speaker for the eighth annual event. Agent Summit 2018 will be held May 20–23 at the Venetian & Palazzo Resort Hotel Casinos in Las Vegas.

“Jimmy’s qualifications as an executive and a proponent of and friend to the agent network are unquestioned,” said David Gesualdo, show chair and publisher of Agent Entrepreneur and F&I and Showroom magazines. “He also happens to be a fantastic speaker, and we are counting on him to start the educational portion of our agenda with a bang.”

Atkinson’s address, “Automotive F&I 2018: The State of Our Industry,” will begin at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, May 21. He pledged to tackle the pressing issues facing agents today, including dealer consolidation, subscription services, electromobility and autonomous vehicles.

“The significance of F&I performance and the contribution to dealer profitability continues to grow with each passing year,” Atkinson said. “2018 is expected to continue the good retailing run of recent years, but there are increasing challenges facing agents, from competition to consolidation, creating a tougher climate to grow your agency in.”

Registration for Agent Summit 2018 is now open at the event’s website. To discuss sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, contact David Gesualdo at 727-947-4027 or via email.