The Automotive Fleet and Leasing Association (AFLA) will hold its 2004 Conference on September 8-11 at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, Newport Beach, Calif. The conference will begin with a reception the evening of Sept. 8, and will get down to business following breakfast the next morning. Keynote speaker will be Maryann Keller of Maryann Keller & Associates, an award-winning analyst of the auto industry. Keller’s topic will be an industry forecast and analysis. Following the keynote, other industry leaders, including Kathy Marinello, president/CEO, GE Fleet Services, Donald Schaffer, senior VP/CFO – LeasePlan USA, Mark Norych, Norych and Tallis, LLP, and Mike Antich, editor, Automotive Fleet magazine, will speak. On September 10, following breakfast, first of the day’s speakers will be Dean Eisner, president & CEO, Manheim. His talk will be followed by a panel discussion on “21st Century Vehicle Remarketing,” moderated by Rick Nicoletti. The panel will consist of Darrin Aiken, Wheels Inc.; Clive Kinross, OnLane, Inc.; and Bob Rauschenburg, Auction Broadcasting Company. After a short break, Janis Christensen, president, Christensen & Day Group will address “The Importance of Lifecycle Cost Analysis.” After lunch, golf enthusiasts can attend the AFLA Pete Z Golf Scramble at the Strawberry Farms Country Club, or network with their peers until the reception and dinner at the hotel in the evening. On Saturday, September 11, the speaker after breakfast will be Karen Healey, Marketing & Strategic Business Services - PHH Arval, who will talk on “The Greening of the Corporate Fleet.” Following a brief break, a panel discussion on “A Socratic Dialogue, The Manufacturer’s View,” will be moderated by Patsy Brownson, Cox Enterprises, Inc. The panel will consist of Joe Gholston, DaimlerChrysler Motors Company LLC; Jerry Frick, Ford Motor Co.; Bill Gibson, General Motors Corp.; and Gail Kunkle, Toyota Motor Sales, USA. For more information, contact AFLA at (651) 203-7247, or www.aflaonline.com/.