As of Oct. 11, the number of independent repair garage owners and managers registered for the 2014 Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) – made up of the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) and the SEMA Show – was up nearly 9 percent compared to 2013, underscoring the value it provides to thousands of service professionals. AAPEX is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sands Expo Center, Las Vegas, Nev., with AAPEXedu sessions starting on Monday, Nov. 3.
AAPEX co-sponsors – the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) – attribute the growth in part to the all-new Service Professionals Program set to debut at the 2014 AAPEX. The free program, sponsored by MAHLE Service Solutions, will provide customized AAPEXedu sessions to address service professionals biggest pain points, a Recruiting and Retaining Conference, facilitated roundtable discussions, in-booth auto parts and tool and equipment demonstrations exclusively for service professionals, a new General Session featuring keynote speaker Steve Forbes and the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Fall 2014 General Meeting. The AVI Training Conference also is part of the Service Professionals Program, however, separate registration and a fee are required to participate in the conference.
AAPEX also reports that many AAPEXedu sessions for service professionals are near capacity. Based on registrations thus far, the sessions noticeably hitting the mark with service professionals include: “The Secrets of Social Media Marketing Success,” “How to Build an Online Marketing Machine,” “Brand Building for Your Future,” “Ready, Blame, Fire! Myths and Misses in Marketing,” “Motivating the Millennials” and “The 2015 Aftermarket Outlook.”
AAPEX is expected to feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths, nearly 50 AAPEXedu sessions and 39,000 targeted buyers. More than 130,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from nearly 125 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX. To register for AAPEX, visit: www.aapexshow.com.
