What do you get when you cross Las Vegas and Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week? A working vacation worth taking this fall. You’ll find so much to see and do, you may not even go near a slot machine.
In addition to coinciding with CARS, AAIW – which includes the AAPEX and SEMA shows – will also overlap with NACE (the collision repair trade show) for the first time. I know that’s a lot of abbreviations, but bear with me. The shop owners I’ve talked to about the shows say the experience is well worth it. Not only can you enjoy yourself at the receptions and dinners, but you’re sure to learn a few things from more than 100 educational seminars and workshops, not to mention the thousands of product demonstrations. Now let me organize the alphabet soup for you:
AAPEX – The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo, Nov. 2-5. Located in the Sands Expo Center, it features more than 1 million square feet of space filled with the latest in hard parts, tools, equipment and accessories. Thursday, Nov. 4 is Service Professionals Day featuring a free seminar by R.L. O’Connor and Associates. For more information and to register for the seminars, visit www.aapexshow.com.
SEMA – The Specialty Equipment Market Association show, Nov. 2-5. Located in the Las Vegas Convention Center, the SEMA Show has 11 miles of aisles packed with products that make this the fastest-growing segment of the specialty automotive aftermarket. For more information, visit www.semashow.com.
NACE – The International Autobody Congress and Exposition, Nov. 3-6. Located at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, NACE has been the No. 1 global event for the collision repair industry for 21 years, providing the only comprehensive exposition and conference focused specifically on the needs of collision professionals. For more information, visit www.naceexpo.com.
CARS – The Congress of Automotive Repair and Service, Nov. 4-6. Located at the Flamingo Hotel, CARS has expanded its educational program and now offers cutting-edge technical training and management courses approved by the Automotive Management Institute (AMI). The event also includes the third annual Service Professionals Industry Reception, co-sponsored by ASA and iATN. For more information, visit www.CARSonline.org.
Industry Week and Las Vegas are the perfect combination to deliver a little E and E – education and entertainment. AAPEX, SEMA, NACE and CARS offer a unique opportunity to get face to face with manufacturers and suppliers of the newest parts, accessories, tools and equipment. And if it’s value that excites you, just $10 gets you in the door to AAPEX, SEMA and NACE. Your biggest challenge to planning your trip will be finding the time to see all the exhibits and attend all the seminars. Good Luck!
If you’ve been to any of these shows in the past, I’d like to hear what you like about them and what you think needs to be changed to make them even better.
