Miles and miles of aisles packed with enticing products, services and educational opportunities offered by more than 4,000 exhibitors are among the highlights of this year’s Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) in Las Vegas.
Anchored by the Nov. 4-6 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) at the Sands Expo Center and the Nov. 4-7 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show (SEMA) at the Las Vegas Convention Center, AAIW – the world’s largest gathering of aftermarket professionals – is also hosting an array of annual meetings and conferences conducted by numerous industry organizations and businesses.
AAPEX is presenting manufacturers and suppliers covering air conditioning; lighting, electrical systems and batteries; cooling systems; friction and brake systems; undercar; new and remanufactured replacement parts; suspension and front end; engine and transmission parts; appearance chemicals and functional fluids; equipment and tools; computer systems and software; paint and body; and retail/warehouse fixtures.
SEMA’s show floor includes “eye candy” customizing categories such as light truck, street rod, wheel/tire, restoration, on-board technology, street performance, off-road, racing and import/sport compact performance.
More than 130,000 people representing 125 nations are expected to come through the AAPEX turnstiles to take in the wares displayed at 5,000-plus booths.
“Anyone in our industry who wants to grow their business should be at AAPEX,” says show director Arlene Davis of the Auto Care Association, which is co-sponsoring the event along with the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA).
“With 2,400 parts suppliers, thousands of new products, the latest high-tech tools and equipment, new market intelligence and new customized education, AAPEX is truly one of the most important events in our industry,” according to Davis, citing the $477-billion global auto parts arena.
“When attendees take advantage of everything that AAPEX offers – the exhibits, the 40-plus AAPEXedu sessions and networking with the best of the best – they will grow their business,” she points out.
“This year our focus has been on what’s keeping attendees awake at night and addressing their pain points with new customized education programs, whether it’s finding and keeping good employees, business growth, competitive pressures or keeping up with new technology,” says Davis.
New educational sessions include the Service Professionals Program, a Recruiting & Retaining Conference and the REMANedu Conference.
“AAPEX also will offer new facilitated roundtable discussions to get attendees talking about common challenges and best practices. We’re also very excited about the new in-booth technical demonstrations that will focus on new products, diagnostics and new vehicle technologies,” Davis says.
“For the first time, AAPEX attendees will get to vote on their favorite products in the New Product Showcase using scanners,” she notes. “After voting, they’ll be able to print a list of their favorite products and where they’re located on the exhibit floor.”
Educational flow
Media icon Steve Forbes is the keynote speaker at a special AAPEXedu General Session; all of the AAPEXedu events will be accredited by the University of the Aftermarket toward the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) and Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) designations.
Susan Kalish, the Auto Care Association’s senior director of education, began planning the AAPEX seminars in January.
“We put together a program based on what’s happening in all the segments of the industry,” she reports, adding that “I try to match the education flow with the attendee flow” as the various aftermarket channels appreciate a scheduling pattern that matches their AAIW availability.
AAPEX educational attendance figures have been experiencing steady annual increases, reflecting the real-world value of the imparted information.
“We try to offer topics that will offer the most takeaways,” Kalish continues. “Whatever the attendees learn they can go back to their businesses and share it with their colleagues and employees.”
The onsite evaluation forms filled out by the students each year – “I read them all,” she says – play a significant role in selecting the subjects to be taught and choosing the expert instructors who conduct each class. Students from previous years often suggest relevant topics to be covered at future seminars, according to Kalish.
“The whole purpose of the sessions is to improve customer service and profitability,” she points out, noting that reaching the millennial generation (those born between 1982 and 2004) and tapping into the Mexican marketplace are among the numerous topics of interest being addressed this year.
The AASA’s Curtis Draper and consultant John Price from Americas Market Intelligence will be conducting a class entitled Trade Expansion in Mexico: Why It’s the Right Time.
“This is a data-rich session examining the economic, political and automotive-specific market factors that have made Mexico a very attractive point for trade expansion for U.S. and Canadian companies,” explains Kalish. “The speakers will share pertinent facts and information to aid businesses considering an expansion into Mexico, as well as more detailed information aiding those already with a regional presence.”
Motivating the Millennials: Understanding, Attracting, Motivating and Keeping the Youngest Generation Entering the Workplace is a topic that consultant Bob Nelson of the Nelson Motivation firm will be teaching.
“These 90 million individuals are unique from any previous generation in their technical abilities, attitudes, outlook and expectations of work, and, as such, companies will need to realign their strategic priorities to reshape the work environment to meet the expressed needs of this generation,” Kalish says. “Failure to do so will significantly limit a company’s ability to hire these younger workers at a time when they already will be experiencing a short fall of qualified candidates to replace retiring Baby Boomers,” she advises. “Success in adapting to these workers will allow organizations to access and leverage the potential of the younger generation in a way that will create a significant competitive advantage for your company.”
The Auto Care Association’s Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG), aimed at aftermarket professionals under age 40, is hosting a series of programs that includes a panel discussion called Developing Millennial Leaders in the Auto Care Industry.
Networking for Your Future is another YANG event. “YANGsters are the folks who will be running your organization 20 years from now,” says Kathleen Schmatz, the Auto Care Association’s president and CEO. “YANG gives young auto care professionals the opportunity to start to prepare for the future and build their own network of peers, with whom they will move up the career ladder.”
“Getting advice or running an idea past a fellow YANG member is different than asking a boss or seasoned coworker,” according to Alena Van Cleave, a YANG advisory council member from A & Jay Automotive Warehouse in Michigan. “YANG allows you to take your barrier down.”
Seeing SEMA
“With 2,500 exhibiting companies, the SEMA Show is the place to go to see new automotive parts and accessories and discover new trends in the industry,” says Peter MacGillivray, SEMA’s vice president of events and communications.
“One of the exciting things about the SEMA Show is that it represents all facets of automotive customization,” he tells Aftermarket Business World. “Activities and attractions will be taking place to introduce attendees to what’s new in the industry, and you can learn about cross-marketing opportunities.”
Located down the Strip from APPEX, “buyers will be able to meet with new and existing business partners, thereby discovering new products that will help their businesses succeed,” MacGillivray reports.
“They can also learn new business skills and learn to work smarter. Our education program offers dozens of free seminars where attendees can learn how to better reach their customers, how to market in today’s digital age and common pitfalls to avoid,” he says. “Businesses will also be able to identify new trends in related industries that they may want to explore.”
Refinements to the sectionalized display areas “make it easier for buyers to identify the exhibitors that are most relevant to their businesses,” says MacGillivray. “Attendees who utilize our planning resources can expect to get a lot of business accomplished in a very efficient manner. The new mobile app, for example, is incredibly easy to use and helpful,” he adds. “While on the show floor, users will be able to obtain a customized route from where they are standing to where they want to go.”
The event this year concludes with the new “SEMA Ignited” celebration as the show-ending SEMA Cruise motorcades its way past a gathered crowd to the LINQ Promenade, the city’s new open-air shopping, dining and entertainment district.
“SEMA Ignited is an extension of the SEMA Show that will allow exhibiting companies to gain additional media and consumer exposure for the acclaimed vehicles and innovative gear they bring to Las Vegas,” according to SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting.
“The new event gives SEMA Show exhibitors additional reach,” he notes, “and an opportunity to excite consumers by showcasing the newest vehicles and equipment.”
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