Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Everything Fuse 2017 at your fingertips!

App_Fuse17_RTOHQJF17To get the most out of Fuse 2017, make sure to download the free APRO app for Apple and Android smart devices. It’s our best app yet, like a convention companion on steroids! Search “Fuse 2017” in the iTunes app store or Google Play store. Once the app is installed on your smart device, simply enter the email address used for registration as your username and “Fuse2017” for your password. An introductory guided tour of the app will help acquaint you with some of its features. Fuse 2017 app sponsored by Sealy.

Schedule of events Comprehensive information to help you get where you need to be and when you need to be there. Use the app’s MyEvent List feature to customize your own itinerary for Fuse 2017. 

Exhibitor contacts Find your favorite trade show vendors and discover new ones with the detailed listings that include booth locations and post-convention contact information. 

RTO Education Day speakers and sessions Get details on the impressive line-up of RTO Education Day speakers and seminars with the tap of a finger. Use the app’s Note It feature to take notes on RTO Education Day sessions, speakers, exhibitors and fellow attendees. Tap on the Handout icon on each session detail screen to view any hand-outs that accompany a seminar; the Handout icon will only be visible if hand-outs are available for a specific session. Tap the Export icon to do just that—save seminar handouts to your smartphone or tablet for later reference.

Stay connected By tapping the Let’s Meet icon, you can easily send an email to any fellow attendees, trade show exhibitors or RTO Education Day speakers.

Photo sharing Take lots of photographs while on Galveston Island, tag them with #aprofuse17 and share them via the app; tap the  icon in the Gallery to import your smart device’s photos into the app. We’ll include the best shots in the May-June issue of RTOHQ: The Magazine as part of its wrap-up of the event. Plus, APRO will award a $100 cash prize to the best photo at Fuse 2017! The app’s Gallery feature will provide a running display of all the photos attendees are taking during the event (tagged #aprofuse17); you can export the photos to your smartphone photo album, too.

Tag it! f you post anything on the event—whether with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, YouTube or the in-app photo posts—please include the hashtag #aprofuse17 so that we’ll be able to find you. 

Tell us what you think Share your feedback with APRO by completing the Overall Event Survey; you can also rate specific sessions and speakers by tapping the Survey icon on the session detail screen. APRO will award a $100 cash prize to one lucky attendee who submits the survey.

Need Help? The app offers 24/7 support within the Help Desk tab under Contact App Developer. If you have a question and can’t find an APRO staffer, submit a support ticket and someone will be in touch with a solution in minutes.

But wait…there’s more! The Fuse 2017 app also includes attendee contact information, floor plans, information about Galveston Island and more. Download it today and start tapping!

Don’t forget to register for the convention the deadline is Monday, April 24th!

Click here to register today!

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Upcoming Events




Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.