The Aftermarket Warehouse Distributors Association, a community of the Auto Care Association, is gearing up for its 79th annual AWDA Business Conference. The event will be held Nov. 1-2 at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

The conference will bring together companies from across the industry for private one-on-one business meetings, an AWDA general session, and the reception following the general session.

"The best part about—and the main draw for—the AWDA conference is that there really is no better place where, as a supplier, you can see most of your very best customers," says Ted Hughes, the AWDA executive director. "This is not just at the street level, but at the headquarters level. Executives from the distributors and the high-end decision-making executives from the suppliers will all be attending."

As the industry continues to expand, AWDA is also broadening its reach to ensure the conference reflects the changing market.

Evolving With a Changing Landscape

One way AWDA has adapted its 2026 conference to industry changes is by continuing to evolve its independent distribution segment.

"We continue to evolve that space beyond just traditional warehouse distributors," says Ted Hughes. "I think that is a key change moving forward. Worldpac has joined The Pronto Network and will now become a part of the AWDA conference. Import specialists are becoming part of the AWDA conference landscape. As the industry evolves, one thing that we can always count on is that the conference will evolve with it."

As new players and business models become increasingly important, AWDA is also updating the way attendees connect and collaborate at the conference.

More Teams, More Meaningful Conversations

One of the most significant changes is the expansion of the teams participating in the one-on-one meetings. The change was made to allow companies to bring the right experts to the table for more focused discussion.

"In the past, our attendees have essentially had top-to-top style meetings," Hughes says. "Now companies from both sides are allowed to bring more than one group to their meetings. So, many are splitting up into IT teams, and marketing and promotional teams, etc."

The addition of multiple groups from one company exemplifies AWDA's awareness of the ever-changing market.

When the AWDA conference started back in the 1950s, technology and consolidation were nowhere near the level seen today. Much of the industry now runs through the adoption and integration of product standards.

"Fast forward, and you see technology changes in vehicles, and you see the early stages of AI in inventory planning and things like that," Hughes says. "All these things year by year present new and exciting topics to talk about. When you're looking at how the meetings have changed, you now have bigger family-owned businesses, and program groups have emerged. The program groups have different teams at the headquarters level that support all their members. On the flip side, the individual members' regional businesses are now expanding to national businesses. This has led to the need for the individual members to have specialists in IT, marketing, and sales."

Bringing multiple teams together allows distributors and suppliers to have more extensive conversations. These conversations will focus less on the bigger picture and more on the details and actions needed to get there.

"We want to ensure that the time spent in our meetings is as valuable as it can be," Hughes says. "That is why we are expanding and allowing attendees to bring more than just one group for the meetings.  Everything in the aftermarket is at a much deeper level than what we saw before."

The goal of the AWDA conference is to create conversations that lead to stronger alignment and more actionable outcomes for both sides in 45 minutes.

Prepping for Valuable Outcomes

With the addition of IT, marketing, and sales groups, it's more important than ever for attendees to get to actionable outcomes promptly.

"Pre-planning and follow-up are the most important things to do for these meetings," Hughes says. "A lot of the companies operate on calendar year financials, so the timing of the conference being right in the middle of the fourth quarter allows them to evaluate the year that was and look forward to what's coming ahead."

By taking the opportunity to prep and review company financials, attendees can go into the meetings ready to get down to business.

"Look at the company's demand and sales year over year. Look at the fill rates year over year—if you do that, you will be prepped for the heart of the meeting," Hughes says.

In addition to reviewing financials, attendees should also be ready to make decisions. All the executives are in one room together, so there is no reason not to.

"There isn't a need for approval beyond what happens in most of these meetings," Hughes says. "Having that kind of efficiency and recognition that both sides have decision makers in the meetings is what makes them so productive."

According to Hughes, follow-up is just as important as planning before the meeting.

"In the course of a 45-minute meeting between an established supplier and a valued customer, there will be action items," Hughes says. "There's going to be follow-up required, and making sure that somebody is put in charge—whether it's the account manager or whether it's a sales support person—those action items have to be followed up on for any of these meetings to be productive."

After the one-on-one meetings close, the general session will take place at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Joining Together

At the general session, attendees will hear from Fletcher Lord III, president and CEO of Crow-Burlingame and Parts Warehouse Inc., and Hughes, and the four AWDA Industry Awards will be presented.

These AWDA Industry Awards include:

Art Fisher Award for Excellence in Education: Presented in memory of former AWDA Chairman Art Fisher, it recognizes a company or individual for their leadership and commitment to education and training, either within their own organization or throughout the industry.

Lifetime Achievement Award in Honor of Martin Fromm: Recognizes individuals who have, over the course of a career spanning many years, distinguished themselves through their integrity, unselfish commitment, and high level of performance within the motor vehicle aftermarket industry.

Outstanding Leadership Award in Honor of Jack Creamer (formerly the Jack Creamer Automotive Leader of the Year Award): This award recognizes an individual, employed in the aftermarket, who, over the past several years, has made a unique and monumental contribution to the industry and/or the association.

Pursuit of Excellence Award: Recognizing Special Achievement. This is presented in recognition of excellence in business performance and the setting of high standards as an example for others to follow.

"The award recipients are people who have left an impact on the industry and have been recognized for that," Lord says. "I can remember when I first came to the AWDA conference. It was eye-opening; my perception of the industry changed. To get the most out of it, you really must put yourself out there, shake some hands, introduce yourself, and ask questions."