The formation of three new committees was announced at the Vehicle Remarketing Association’s (VRA) 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The Industry Trends Committee, chaired by Marcus Blakemore, will help to identify key topics the sector needs to address and, with agreement from the VRA board, draft policies and positioning statements, alongside thought-leadership and good practice guides, to support members in dealing with them.
The Membership and Recruitment Committee, chaired by Cliff Deller, aims to further increase VRA membership by identifying prospects, as well as developing member retention and added value initiatives. Additionally, this committee will ensure the organisation has a strong onboarding process.
Finally, the Events Committee, chaired by Kathy Horsey, will provide support with organising events and creating links with other relevant organisations, as well as identifying topics, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and more. The aim is to identify relevant fresh content and opportunities to maximise membership value.
VRA chair Philip Nothard explained that the new committees were designed to drive forward activity in areas important to the industry body.
“These committees represent three existing areas of strength for the VRA but we want to drive forward our activities even further and we are very pleased that three very talented VRA board members have agreed to act as chairs. I’m looking forward to seeing the ideas that they develop over the coming months.”
He also presented a summary of the VRA’s activities over the last year, most of which has been focussed on the coronavirus crisis, for the organisation’s members.
“We have very much seen it as our mission to support our members and the remarketing sector as a whole through the continuing pandemic, providing information, advice and practical support. This commitment has been widely recognised and we have continued to attract new members even at this time.”
The AGM was concluded with in-depth presentations with two leading motor industry voices – Mike Hawes, chief executive at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and John O’Hanlon, chief executive of Waylands Automotive – on current and future issues facing the remarketing sector.
Philip said: “We were incredibly pleased to be able to name two such high-quality speakers as Mike and John to take part in our AGM, and the subjects they raised certainty generated a high level of interest. These included the semiconductor shortage and its ongoing impact on new vehicle supply as well as the rapid digitalisation process that many dealers have undergone as a result of the pandemic.
“However, most of the discussion was reserved for EVs. Mike described them as a ‘once in a lifetime’ technological change and there is huge interest across our sector in the transition to electrification.”