The e-contracting arms race involving F&I menu and product providers and the perceived bias finance sources showed toward aftermarket F&I products will take center stage at the first annual Agent Summit, organizers of the two-day event announced today.

Dealers' acceptance of e-contracting, e-rating and e-remittance of F&I products, as well as widespread lender approval of aftermarket F&I products have the potential to strengthen agents’ relationships with their dealership customers. However, neither scenario is likely to occur in the immediate future unless certain challenges are overcome.

The benefits of e-contracting are apparent to agents, as well as menu and F&I product providers, but dealers still aren't fully sold. Standardization of this technology is unlikely until a majority of dealers embrace it. The agent's first panel session, scheduled for Tuesday, March 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will feature five industry executives who will delve into the e-contracting push. It will also seek to uncover keys to increasing dealership adoption and usage among F&I managers.

Moderated by F&I and Showroom's Managing Editor, Tariq Kamal, the "Update on E-Contracting, E-Remittance and E-Menu" panel will include David Duncan, senior vice president of Safe-Guard Products International, Brian Reed, CEO of Intersection Technologies, David Trinder, CEO of F&I Administration Solutions, Matt Nowicki, Innovative Aftermarket Systems' director of information technology, and Steve Veldkamp, director of training at Great Lakes Companies.

The second panel session, scheduled for Tuesday, March 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., will focus on lender acceptance of aftermarket F&I products. The practice of finance sources saying “no” to aftermarket products isn’t new, but it reached a boiling point during the credit-induced recession. Five individuals from the frontlines of this issue will roll up their sleeves and discuss the way forward for agents and aftermarket product providers.

Moderated by F&I and Showroom's Executive Editor, Gregory Arroyo, the "Captive vs. Aftermarket: Should a Captive's F&I Product Receive Better Terms?" panel will include Stephen Amos, president of GSFSGroup; Bob Corbin, president and CEO of Innovative Aftermarket Systems; David Mathews, president and CEO of United Car Care; and David Robertson, executive director of the Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals.

For more information on the Agent Summit, scheduled for March 8-9 at the Las Vegas Hilton, visit www.agentsummit.com.