Dear Friends,

The time has come for us to again gather together - this year in lovely Charleston, SC, Sunday, August 14, 2022 - Tuesday, August 16, 2022 - for the AMBEST 34th Annual Meeting .

The Meeting is a great opportunity for members to take part in experiences and build camaraderie. This will lead to continued growth and success as well as help strengthen current, or build new and more engaged, vendor partnerships. We look forward to hosting you and your team this year in Charleston, SC .  AMBEST is here to serve our Members, Vendors and Fleet Partners.  Together, let’s make this our most successful year ever!

Included on this site you will find schedules of events, sponsorship opportunities, registration details, hotel reservation information, and specifics around the trade show. We encourage each of our invited vendors to play an active role in AMBEST's 34th Annual Meeting by becoming an event sponsor.  Be sure to read carefully and play close attention to the deadlines.

Our top priority continues to be the safety of our members, and we will adhere to all Safety & Testing protocols as deemed necessary at the time of the event. Updates regarding these guidelines will be communicated via email and on the event site as needed.

We look forward to seeing you in August.

Sincerely yours,

Steve Allen

2022 Annual Meeting Agenda

Sunday August 14th

Welcome Reception with cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres in the Grand Ballroom Lobby / Pre-Function Area.

Thanks to our reception sponsor TCS

Monday August 15th 

Keynote Speaker - John "Gucci" Foley

  

Thanks to our Keynote Session Sponsor
 Monster Energy

Travel Center and Service Center Session #1:

Economist Connor Lokar from ITR Economics will present an economic forecast and the impact it has on our industry. His presentation will also touch on areas like finding & retaining labor during the "Great Resignation".

Breakout Service Center Session #2
Location: Ansonborough
Supply Chain Issues: Tires, Oil, etc. / Purchasing Opportunities / TMC Membership

Learn about issues affecting supply chaings related to the service center industry and the impact on your business. We will also cover ASC Purchasing opportunities as well as the deal we've made with TMC for AMBEST Shop Membership.

Breakout Travel Center Session #2
Location: Jenkins / King Charles
Marketing Trends & Communication to Drivers

Marketing Director Kevin Neely and special guest YouTube Trucker Alex Mai will share how to communicate with drivers through paid and viral methods. Alex is appearing thanks to one of our vendors Big Rig Tees.

Cocktail Hour on Trade Show Floor 
Happy Hour sponsored by First Data

Tuesday August 16th

Breakout Travel Center Session #3:
Location: Jenkins / King Charles
Fuel Purchasing / Forecast / Updates

Tom Kloza is among the founders of Oil Price Information Service, the world’s most comprehensive source for analysis of energy prices and supply. Tom has covered the oil business for more than 40 years, and even traded some of the first NYMEX futures contracts.

A magna cum laude graduate of St. Francis University, Tom has a degree in English and has analyzed crude oil, refined products, and gas liquids for parts of four decades. He has also written commentary for Marketwatch and is a regular guest commentator for Bloomberg Financial Markets and NPR Marketplace. He provides unbiased and expert commentary for print and electronic media during times of oil volatility, and is regularly quoted in virtually every U.S. and international periodical.

Breakout Service Center Session #3:
Location: Ansonborough
Truck Washes - How To & What's New

Brad Quay from D & S Car Wash Equipment

Headquartered in High Ridge, MO, DSS was the exclusive distributor of D&S' brand-recognized, high-performance car wash systems including in-bay automatic, self-serve, and truck wash products in the St. Louis MSA. 

In addition to selling equipment, DSS provided its customers with the day-to-day service required to keep a top-tier car wash in excellent working condition including new equipment install, maintenance, chemical supply, and business advice.

Breakout Travel Center Session #4:
Expansion of EV & Alternative Fuels

John Eichberger is Executive Director of the Fuels Institute. Founded by NACS in 2013, the Fuels Institute is a non-profit that evaluates market issues related to vehicles and the energy that powers them. The Institute, led by a diverse Board of transportation experts, is an objective and collaborative research organization that does not advocate.

Previously, Eichberger served more than 14 years at NACS representing the convenience and fuel retailing industry before the media and federal government.

With more than 20 years of related experience, Eichberger is a recognized expert on the transportation energy market.

Thanks to our sponsor NATSO & Alternative Fuels Council

Breakout Service Center Session #4:
TIA Safety Through Training

Kevin Rohlwing is the Senior Vice President of Training for the Tire Industry Association (TIA). He started in the tire business more than 32 years ago as a technician in his family’s dealership in Elgin, Illinois, where he also worked as a salesman and service manager.

In 1996, he joined the International Tire and Rubber Association (ITRA), the predecessor of TIA, as the Director of Commercial Tire Service. Kevin created and produced the Association’s training and certification programs that have educated more than 90,000 technicians since 1997.

In 2011, he was awarded the Silver Spark Plug for excellence in fleet maintenance from the Technology and Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Assns.

Cocktail Hour on Trade Show Floor
Tuesday cocktail hour sponsored by First Data

Tradeshow ends at 4:30.

Load buses to leave for Yorktown.
All attendees MUST have a badge and be a paid member, paid spouse or a Gold Level Sponsor or above.
Buses will board and depart from the Main Entrance of the Hotel

Buses sponsored by Colourfast Printing

Celebration Dinner on the Historic WWII Aircraft Carrier - USS Yorktown

Sponsored by Lynco Products