AAPEX—taking place Nov. 3-6 at the Venetian Expo and AAPEX Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada—is evolving in 2026, bringing a reimagined show floor, new exhibitors, and added experiences designed to make it easier and more engaging for attendees to connect with exhibitors in the automotive industry.

One of the major ways it is doing this is by reorganizing exhibitors into dedicated zones.

Companies that were on Level 1, the basement, will be moving upstairs into the Venetian Ballroom with an exciting addition.

"We are adding the iFLEX show," says Mark Bogdansky, vice president of Meetings & Events at the Auto Care Association. "It is being brought to us by the Preventative Automotive Maintenance Association, which represents the preventative automotive maintenance folks, the oil and lube folks, and a lot of the quick lube folks. This new addition will be found on Level 2."

Level 1 will now host all the exhibitors that were at The Forum in 2025, while the AAPEX Forum will focus on undercar, accessories, and lighting.

"That means all the different sections have moved around this year, which we're very excited about," Bogdansky said. "In doing that, it also gives us the opportunity to think differently about what we're trying to do on the show floor."

Rather than relying on exhibits to draw attendees, AAPEX is adding new amenities, activities, and educational opportunities to keep them engaged on the show floor.

Keeping attendees at the convention is critical for AAPEX because it helps build relationships and creates long-term opportunities for show attendees and exhibitors alike.

More Reasons to Stay

To support that goal, AAPEX will offer Buyer Rest Stops—at The Venetian and The Forum—featuring massages, fresh coffee, and other drinks.

"We want people to come in and get recharged. The Buyer Rest Stop is designed to keep everyone happy because they're going to be at AAPEX for long hours," Bogdansky says.

AAPEX will offer a free buyer lunch at The Forum to help attendees save money while encouraging them to stay on the show floor.

"Everybody talks about how expensive Vegas is," Bogdansky says. "We know how expensive it is. That's why we're offering lunch."

Another key change to AAPEX is the location of the Monday Opening Reception, which will now be held in the AAPEX Forum. The Forum will also host some of the show's most popular educational sessions.

"We have sessions that have been off the show floor for a number of years that wind up pulling a few hundred people off the floor," Bogdansky says. "Now that we have room to keep them on the exhibit floor, we want to do just that."

To accommodate larger sessions, AAPEX is building a dedicated session room in the middle of the show floor, reinforcing its goal of keeping attendees engaged throughout the event.

Big Names and Big Giveaways

Another way AAPEX plans to keep attendees engaged is by bringing exciting new giveaways and activities to the show floor. Attendees will have the chance to win an F-150 and a new car, among other prizes.

Additionally, AAPEX will provide photo opportunities with 12 to 15 famous cars from movies, as well as several celebrity appearances.

The keynote speaker, hosted at The Venetian, will be Coach Mike Krzyzewski, one of the winningest college basketball coaches in history.

"He's going to talk about leadership and what it takes to win and all those kinds of things," Bogdansky says.

Mark Wahlberg will lead a session at AAPEX about his career, while NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson will host a session Wednesday. On Thursday, four sports Hall of Famers—Grant Hill, Randy Johnson, Barry Sanders, and Mia Hamm—will discuss what it takes to achieve success.

Interactive Experiences

AAPEX also plans to provide an escape room as an activity for attendees.

"We will be asking people to figure out how to diagnose and fix a car in a certain amount of time as part of the escape room," Bogdansky says. "We're really excited about it."

As a transition between the two buildings, AAPEX will feature artists making art out of automotive parts and will offer attendees the opportunity to take part in creating art themselves.

"They will be able to come up and do a little bit, or watch other people be part of it, which we're very excited about," Bogdansky says.

Fan Favorites Return

The Secret Service will return to recruit technicians, and AAPEX is bringing back its student engine-building contest following last year's success.

"This year we're going to have eight different teams doing that on the show floor," Bogdansky says. "We're going to have two different semifinals and then a final. This all takes place on Wednesday."

The competition will add another layer of excitement to the show floor, giving attendees a chance to watch teams battle it out for the top spot.

Networking Remains at Its Core

Along with these exciting amenities and activities, AAPEX plans to keep many other aspects of the show the same.

At its core, AAPEX remains a place for industry professionals to connect, exchange ideas, and build relationships that extend beyond the show floor.

"People are there to have conversations and network," Bogdansky says. "Plan on talking and being curious. Ask the questions. Identify the things that are of interest to you. Go learn about them as best as you can, whether it's sitting in a session for a few minutes or walking on the floor or trying to find somebody."