The 2013 annual conference of the Automotive Fleet and Leasing Association (AFLA) entitled Courage, Commitment, Accountability: Driving Fleet Excellence, set new records with 450 attendees, over 250 members, and 13 educational sessions.

The meeting was held September 10-13 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

View a photo gallery from this year's event here.

"This was an exceptional conference and a wonderful opportunity for sharing knowledge and speeding progress in the fleet industry," said John Dmochowsky, AFLA's new president.

"I'd like to thank outgoing President Tom Callahan for his outstanding service and leadership and all the members of the Conference Committee and Commercial Fleet Manager Sounding Board for their suggestions and insight. We had a stellar lineup of topics and speakers. I'd also like to thank Chair Mike Antich and the Membership Committee for surpassing our membership goal for 2013 which brought us additional attendees," Dmochowsky added.

Here's what attendees had to say about their experience at this year's AFLA conference:

"Networking opportunities were plentiful and key speakers were fantastic."

"I really enjoyed the workshops. It provided educational information which helps me do my job better."

"The flexible format was a real benefit, with time to network and catch up on work between presentations."

The keynote speakers covered a wide spectrum of topics from cars of the future to resale marketing trends and legislative forecasting as well as an inspirational call to team work from Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman. General Charles Wald reviewed the critical role energy plays in shaping America's defense and Margo Oge, former director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality at the Environmental Protection Agency, provided insight into the CAFÉ Standards she helped design.

"We will take back many valuable and practical lessons we can use every day," Dmochowsky said. Special pre-meeting workshops were held for the first time with overflow attendance. "We decided this would create added value and variety to the conference. We want to provide members with the best possible education and networking opportunities," he added. Photos and a recap of speaker presentations are available at the AFLA website. The 2014 conference will be held September ­­­­­7-10 at the M Resort in Las Vegas.

Based in Milwaukee, AFLA promotes growth, expansion, and professionalism within the fleet industry by providing education, research, technical standards, representation and advancement of member interests.

AFLA has more than 380 members representing all industry segments, including fleet managers and sourcing professionals, auto manufacturers and dealers, remarketers, maintenance and repair companies and many other specialized suppliers. AFLA's annual conference attracts more than 400 attendees.

The organization also hosts educational webinars, publishes whitepapers, and offers opportunities for members to network with key leaders throughout the fleet industry. Find AFLA on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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