| A selection of shots from the 12th Annual CSN Conference. Check out the gallery below for more! | |
By Mike Davey
Toronto, Ontario — September 19, 2014 — “If you want something you’ve never had before, you have to be willing to do things you’ve never done before.” That was part of the message delivered by George Kourounis, one of the keynote speakers at the 12th Annual CSN Conference, taking place September 18 to 21 at the Westin Prince in Toronto, Ontario. The theme of this year’s conference is Forward Thinking.
Kourounis is the host of “Angry Planet,” a television show chronicling his adventures in some of the most inhospitable environments on the planet. He discussed his early life working in his father’s collision repair facility, his later career as a sound engineer, and finally, his decision to follow his passion as a stormchaser and adventurer.
The conference got underway on Thursday September 18 with a welcome reception, followed by dinner and awards honouring the facilities who went above and beyond in the past year. The awards were followed with an autograph signing and photo session with former NHL player Wendel Clark.
The Friday session opened with an address by Flavio Battilana, COO of CSN Collision Centres. He discussed the conference theme, the year just passed and what lies ahead for CSN Collision Centres. Battilana was followed the scheduled Shop Panel, with panelists Lorenzo D’Alessandro, Joe Frangione, Steve Hammond, Rejean Marchand, and Dale Keizer.
Dianne Buckner, the first keynote speaker of the day, followed. Buckner is a television journalist, best known for her work on business programs such as Venture and Dragons’ Den.
Among other topics, Buckner identified several trends affecting business today. These include the drive towards greater customer convenience, escalating expectations, and increased consumer skepticism, among others.
Kourounis was next to take the podium after a short break, regaling attendees with anecdotes and practical advice from his adventures.
The lunch break was followed by rotating breakout sessions with a number of insurance partners. The Vendor Showcase also officially opened, allowing attendees a chance to browse exhibitor booths before the final speaker of the day, Keith Hudd of Economical Insurance.
The second day of the CSN Conference concludes tonight with a gala dinner and entertainment at Sunnybrook Estates Pavilion. The conference continues into its third day tomorrow, starting with a presentation by Norm Angrove of PPG. Check out our report on the third day of the conference here.
For more information on CSN Collision Centres, please visit csninc.ca.
