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AAPEX To Debut New Service Professionals Program At 2014 Event

In response to the increase in the number of service and repair professionals and independent shop and store owners participating in the annual Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), the co-owner associations recently announced the new Service Professionals Program for the 2014 event, slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4, through Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sands Expo Center.
By Shop Owner Staff
Published:

In response to the increase in the
number of service and repair professionals and independent shop and store
owners participating in the annual Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo
(AAPEX), the co-owner associations recently announced the new Service
Professionals Program for the 2014 event, slated for Tuesday,
Nov. 4, through Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sands Expo Center.

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“Service professionals attend AAPEX each
year for the opportunity to see the newest products and latest technology, gain
valuable industry knowledge and management tips and network with industry
leaders,” said Bill Long, president and chief operating officer of the Automotive Aftermarket
Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket
division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). “We’ve
joined with our partner association, the Auto Care Association, to provide additional value to this important AAPEX constituency.”

“AAPEX has evolved far beyond a
traditional trade show to a premier industry event, known for its quality
educational opportunities for repair and store owners and managers, jobbers,
WDs and professional technicians,” said Kathleen Schmatz, Auto Care Association
president and CEO. “As auto care industry professionals find the demands on
their time to attend trade shows, conferences and events on the rise, the AAPEX
business model is gaining traction for busy businesspeople at all levels,” said
Schmatz. “Recent focus groups of service and repair professionals resulted in
requests for more education and training, which we are delivering.”

Attendee evaluations consistently rank
the ROI of AAPEX for being the one annual venue where all the education,
training and networking and all the products and people from around the world
convene at one place at one time during the year, according to the Auto Care
Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association.

AAPEX 2014 will feature a customized
program specifically designed for service professionals. The 2014 AAPEX Service
Professional Program will include:

Expanded AAPEXedu education track
sessions including:
• Branding, mobile apps, and
relationship and digital marketing
• Management training to increase repair
shop profits
• Best practices for mobile diagnostics
in the shop and diagnostics for connected cars

Facilitated roundtable discussions:
• Dialogs on common challenges and best
practices
• Networking and peer problem solving

In addition, in-booth technical
demonstrations on the AAPEX tradeshow floor will focus on new products,
diagnostics and new vehicle technologies. Shop owners and managers also will
have the opportunity to attend unique events hosted by leading aftermarket
companies and network with the industry’s leaders during AAPEX.

AAPEX will partner again in 2014 with
the AVI Training Conference, set for Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 3-4, during the
event. The 2014 AVI Conference will feature more than 20 high-end technical
classes and management classes, all designed to give attendees a competitive
edge. For more information, or a full list of classes and instructors, visit
the AVI Conference website at www.aviconference.com or contact AVI directly at 800-718-7246.

The 2014 AAPEX is expected to feature
more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths 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/register.

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I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
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Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
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