By Tod Trousdell, Fleet Marketing Consultant and Partner, RobertsTrousdell Communications
October 30, 2024
If you take 50 top work fleet managers, mix in 50 best-in-class fleet services providers, and then toss them together in the entertainment capital of the world, what do you think you would get? Well. If you guessed the 17th edition of one of the work fleet world’s top networking events – you’d be right!
Billed as the “event for people who run hardworking fleets,” the Work Fleet Forum returns to the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas November 12-14, 2024. The event brings together top work fleet leaders in a unique setting that’s different from the typical trade show or conference. Instead of featuring a convention floor, or days of informational sessions and workshops, Work Fleet Forum aims for something more akin to a private professional development retreat where everyone is focused on the same goals.
Broken into three days of small group and face-to-face interaction, Work Fleet Forum keeps things moving with three days of intensive interactions, themed events and just plain fun. That includes two days of private boardroom presentations and a final day of one-on-one meetings where fleet managers sit down for 15-minute meetings with service providers they’re interested in learning more about.
The event focuses on creating an atmosphere where attendees are excited and encouraged to exchange ideas, tips, and tricks with fellow fleet managers. At the same time, it also gives them a chance to explore everyday challenges with top service providers.
Fleet managers also have the opportunity to learn about the newest, coolest, and most productive products and services available from traditional providers like remarketers, upfitters and transporters, as well as new-age technologies, telematics, alternate fuels and more.
Anthony Fasano, General Manager of the Forum, said this year would be heavily focused on three main issues that fleet managers face every day and have shown a keen interest: “Building Stronger, Safer & more Efficient Fleets.” Fasano expanded, “The Work Fleet Forum is where fleet managers and service providers come together to tackle the real challenges head-on. It’s not just about networking; it’s about sharing strategies that drive safer, more efficient fleets forward.”
As it had in the past, this year’s Work Fleet Forum boasts an impressive list of top work fleets including AT&T, Verizon, Schindler Elevator and Cal Edison, among others. And while these represent some of the bigger fleets, the Forum also hosts fleet managers that represent fleets as small as a few hundred vehicles, giving attendees the opportunity to swap stories and best practices with fleet operations of all sizes. According to Fasano, fleet managers who attend Work Fleet Forum manage “several hundred thousand” work vehicles.
This “curated fleet retreat,” as organizers like to call it, features a series of keynote speakers and breakfasts hosted by service providers including upfitter Ranger Design and Netradyne, an AI-enabled safety platform provider. As they did at the previous Work Fleet Forum, organizers will also host a slate of “Las Vegas-themed surprises” Fasano said. Last year, forum attendees were treated to a special event at the newly opened Las Vegas Sphere as well as rides in Tesla’s subterranean test track and a private rooftop dinner overlooking the famed Las Vegas strip.
One fleet manager who will be attending for the first time is Matthew Craig of Helios, a Jacksonville, FL, based HVAC company. Craig said that while he was “especially excited” to share insights and best practices with fellow fleet managers, the real beauty of the Forum was that he would be able to meet with so many cutting-edge service providers in one condensed setting.
“Most fleet managers I know are facing a world of new challenges,” Craig said. “That makes the opportunity to learn how other fleet managers are dealing with challenges – and how top service providers can help us navigate those issues – invaluable,” Craig said.
While this year’s Forum has been fully booked for several months, the forum has opened up a few more spots for any last-minute additions. Fleet managers interested in attending this year’s Forum should contact Anthony Fasano at [email protected]. The cost is only $199 for fleet managers, a nominal amount at a time when companies are cutting back on corporate travel and looking for increased value from the events they do attend.
Tod Trousdell is partner at RobertsTrousdell Marketing and Communications and a periodic contributor to Fleet Management Weekly. He works with several companies in the fleet space and can be reached at [email protected].
