The RV Dealers Convention and Expo returns to Las Vegas in November 2026, and this year’s lineup includes a critical session designed to help dealership leaders make smarter business choices. Industry veteran Bill Koster will lead an interactive workshop examining how professionals can fall into decision-making traps and what buyers should understand about those dynamics.

Why Decision Making Matters for RV Shoppers

When you walk into an RV dealership, the choices made behind the scenes by management directly affect your experience. Inventory levels, financing options, parts availability, and customer service quality all stem from decisions made by dealership leadership. Understanding how and why those decisions happen can help you become a more informed buyer.

The convention session, titled “I’m Really Good at Making Bad Decisions,” takes place Friday, November 13, 2026, from 8 to 9 a.m. at Paris Las Vegas. Koster brings over four decades of experience in finance and insurance, positioning him to explain how even experienced leaders can make irrational choices when emotions, biases, and mental shortcuts cloud their judgment.

What Influences Dealership Decisions

During the workshop, participants will explore how several psychological factors influence decision making in dealership environments. Language framing, cognitive shortcuts (heuristics), emotional reactions, and unconscious biases all play roles in how managers approach everything from pricing strategies to hiring practices. Koster will demonstrate why recognizing these patterns matters, especially when ethical considerations are at stake.

For RV shoppers, this matters because dealership culture and leadership quality directly impact service levels. RV parts department management affects your shopping experience, from availability of components to how quickly repairs are completed. When dealership leaders understand their own decision-making blind spots, they make better choices about resource allocation and customer priorities.

Broader Challenges Facing the Industry

Beyond the Friday morning session, the convention will feature a Leadership Roundtable on Wednesday, November 11, bringing together U.S. and Canadian dealer leaders to discuss pressing challenges. These conversations address issues directly relevant to shoppers: inventory management in slower markets, controlling operational expenses, maintaining workplace culture, and evaluating financing programs.

How dealerships navigate these challenges shapes what options are available to you as a buyer. When inventory is managed poorly or expenses spiral, dealerships may raise prices or cut corners on service. Conversely, strong leadership decisions can result in better selection, competitive pricing, and superior customer support. Winnebago adds finance expert to board, demonstrating how leadership composition in the RV industry influences strategic direction and ultimately consumer offerings.

Koster’s Role and Background

Bill Koster serves as division sales director for Protective Asset Protection, managing the company’s Southern Division of Specialty Products Sales. Beyond dealership work, he teaches business as an adjunct professor and sits on industry and educational boards. This combination of practical dealership experience, financial expertise, and educational background makes him well suited to address how professionals can improve their decision making processes.

The convention runs November 9-13, 2026, and attracts dealers, manufacturers, suppliers, and industry partners from across the RV sector. The expo includes product showcases and services designed specifically for dealership operations, though the educational sessions often provide the most direct value for both dealers and informed consumers.

What This Means for RV Buyers

As an RV shopper, paying attention to dealership leadership quality and decision making frameworks can help you identify which dealers are likely to treat you well. Dealerships where leaders acknowledge their own biases and actively work to make better decisions tend to have better customer outcomes. Managers who understand how emotions cloud judgment are less likely to make high-pressure sales tactics a cornerstone of their business model.

The November 2026 convention represents an opportunity for the RV industry to collectively address how better decision making can benefit everyone in the supply chain, from dealership employees to customers. Thor Rize+ compact camper splits the difference between different buyer needs, but the quality of your dealership experience depends on leadership decisions made behind closed doors.

For more details about the 2026 RV Dealers Convention and Expo or to register for sessions, visit the official convention website.