New Service Professionals Program at AAPEX to Address Shop Owners’ Pain Points

Aug. 28, 2014 – The all-new Service Professionals Program at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) will feature customized education sessions, facilitated roundtable discussions, in-booth technical demonstrations and networking events to address what’s keeping shop owners and repair professionals awake at night. AAPEX is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev., with AAPEXedu sessions starting on Monday, Nov. 3. 

The free, customized program, sponsored by MAHLE Service Solutions, enhances the value of AAPEX for its growing audience of shop owners and repair professionals and will include:

• Expanded AAPEXedu education sessions on branding, mobile apps, relationship and digital marketing, increasing repair shop profits, diagnostics for the connected car, best practices for mobile diagnostics and more.

• A Recruiting and Retention Conference to address how to find and keep good employees.

• Facilitated roundtable discussions to encourage dialogue on common challenges and best practices, as well as networking and peer problem solving.

• Technical demonstrations on new technology for parts and/or for diagnostics and repair. Demonstrations will take place in exhibitors’ booths.  

• Unique events hosted by leading aftermarket companies and networking with industry leaders during AAPEX.

• The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Fall 2014 General Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m, PST, that will give shop owners and technicians the unique opportunity to interact directly with OEMs to bring solutions in service information. 

• Technical training by leading manufacturers.

The 2014 AVI Training Conference also is part of the Service Professionals Program and will feature more than 20 high-end technical and management classes on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4. Separate registration and a fee are required for the AVI Training Conference. 

To learn more about the Service Professionals Program at AAPEX, visit: www.aapexshow.com/EDU. To register for AAPEX, visit: www.aapexshow.com/register.  

The 2014 AAPEX is expected to feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths, nearly 40 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. 

AAPEX represents the $477 billion global aftermarket auto parts industry, and is jointly sponsored by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, please visit www.aapexshow.com or e-mail: info@aapexshow.com.

AAPEX Attendee Webinar to Show Benefits of Effective Copywriting

Aug. 25, 2014 – “Copywriting: Your #1 Marketing Skill,” a free attendee webinar slated for Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 4 p.m., EST, will show how copywriting, when done right, creates tremendous leverage. The 2014 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) is set for Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev., with AAPEXedu sessions starting on Monday, Nov. 3.

In this powerful AAPEX webinar, strategic marketing expert Steve Miller will cover how copywriting, very simply, is the ability to put words on paper that get people to send money, ask to be contacted, or give their name and email. Good copywriting creates tremendous leverage because once the right words are on paper … in the right order (and this is key), all that’s left to do is use the right media to deliver that message to the right person. During this presentation, attendees will gain a better understanding of what makes good copy, whether they write it themselves or have someone else do the copywriting.

The monthly AAPEXedu Webinar Series, introduced in February 2014, is designed to help ensure attendees grow their businesses and get the most out of their participation in AAPEX. The October webinar, slated for Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 4 p.m., EST, will spotlight, “A Checklist for Attending AAPEX 2014.”

To register for “Copywriting: Your #1 Marketing Skill” or to watch a previous webinar in the AAPEXedu Video Learning Library, visit: www.aapexshow.com/attendee/webinar.

The 2014 AAPEX is expected to feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths, nearly 40 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/register.

AAPEX represents the $477 billion global aftermarket auto parts industry, and is jointly sponsored by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, please visit www.aapexshow.com or e-mail: info@aapexshow.com.

From Forbes: Why Trade Shows Deliver Value to Retailers

Why Trade Shows Deliver Value to Retailers

Repost from Forbes.com

Big box stores and small independent retailers have one thing in common whether they realize it or not – they need trade shows.

“A trade show environment allows retailers to see product in person, establish what’s trending in their marketplace and get comprehensive product information in one contained location. It is also a unique opportunity for them to build relationships with their vendors, with their peers and within one’s store team. By providing a focused climate, attendees are able to take advantage of educational and networking programs where they can increase their expertise and share their experiences with one another to the benefit of their entire industry,” shares Camille Candella, Vice President of Marketing for Emerald Expositions, overseeing trade shows that include the ASD Show, the Couture Show, JA New York, Source Direct and Impulse at NY Now.

It’s believed that trade shows have been around as early as the medieval times, with reports of various European countries hosting trade shows to sell produce and other products. Historically, trade shows were first created to gather buyers and sellers in one place, and although that core objective remains the same, trade shows today also offer opportunities beyond buying and selling. Most trade shows nowadays provide opportunities for attendees to gain industry specific education, networking and even a little fun – with many trade shows hosting concerts, happy hours and other social experiences. The real objective remains, however, the connection of buyers and sellers – and the tremendous amount of value this has for merchants.

By attending trade shows, retailers have access to new vendors, established vendor partners and service providers that all cater to their unique retail market. As Candella from Emerald Expositions stated, this in person experience offers value well beyond just identifying products, but also expands into total store operational success.  Attendees of trade shows can gain product intelligence, competitor insight, industry specific trends and more, while also gaining useful knowledge to bring back to their entire store team. An added bonus is that many trade shows are filled with industry specific thought leaders that can help retailers in achieving stronger success.

“We speak at a variety of trade shows every year and cannot stress enough the value of connecting with the show attendees. We’re constantly hearing that by attending educational sessions or simply chatting during a networking event, retailers are returning to their stores with new ideas and new energy to apply to their businesses,” Georganne Bender – a retail speaker, consultant and recognized industry expert – states.

Bender, along with her business partner Rich Kizer, further explain that all retailers, small and large, gain value in attending trade shows.

“Over the years we have spoken to retailers who have avoided trade shows for a variety of reasons, but one reason that is fairly common is due to the expense of travel to attend. What they don’t realize, however, is that it actually costs them more by notattending. Missing out on your industry’s trade shows can impact your business success in a variety of ways, including the missed opportunities of finding new vendors, staying competitive to your competition and not expanding your store’s inventory based on market trends and proven data,” Kizer and Bender state.

With this in mind, retailers should also look at trade shows as opportunities to not just source products, but to strengthen industry relationships. Vendors are no different than retailers themselves, playing favorites to certain customers versus others – whether they will admit it or not – and having consistent, face to face opportunities with vendors can strengthen a retailers chance of being on that “preferred” list. When opportunities for great buys come around, limited editions become available, promotional giveaways open up or other opportunities are identified, it’s these “preferred” retailers who will get a call from their vendors before other merchants… and you want that call to be directed at you. Face time at trade shows will help build these types of relationships, plain and simple.

Beyond playing favorites, retailers can expect to truly be in the know by attending trade shows versus simply reading a recap of the show.

“Trade shows are a great reflection of what is going to be hot in the upcoming retail landscape. The buzz from the show floor is unlike any other buying opportunity that retailers have access to, and only by attending trade shows can merchants gain from this,” Candella further states.

As a retailer, you can never be too certain what the future will bring. However, one thing is for certain… Trade shows are a valuable component to a retailer’s business. Incorporating trade shows into your annual calendar should be recognized as a necessity of business versus a dismissed opportunity, and as a result should be budgeted for and planned for to maximize the opportunities that trade shows deliver.

New Publication to Give Buyers One More Look at New Products and Packaging Designs at AAPEX

Aug. 21, 2014 – The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) will debut Product Plus, a new official, post-show publication to give buyers another opportunity to see the winners of the New Product and New Packaging Showcases, as well as all entries in the New Product Showcase. AAPEX is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev., with AAPEXedu sessions starting on Monday, Nov. 3.

This year, AAPEX buyers will determine the New Product Showcase winners by using a scanner to vote for their favorite products on the first day of AAPEX, Nov. 4. Judges from PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, will select the winners of the New Packaging Showcase.

The New Product Showcase is the largest collection of new, innovative and technologically-advanced products making their debut at AAPEX, while the New Packaging Showcase reflects the most innovative packaging designs and concepts in the automotive aftermarket industry. Onsite, both showcases will be located in Hall D+ of the Sands Expo Center.

Product Plus will be published by Babcox Media on behalf of AAPEX. It will be mailed to buyers after AAPEX, giving them one more look at hundreds of new products and award-winning packaging designs that will help them grow their businesses. With Product Plus, exhibitors will get additional exposure for their new products that will extend well beyond the onsite showcase and AAPEX.

To submit entries in the AAPEX New Product Showcase and New Packaging Showcase, exhibitors should log in to their exhibitor portal at: aapexshow.com/exhibitorlogin and click on the New Product or New Packaging Showcase icon on the dashboard. Entries are due Friday, Aug. 29. For more information, contact Chris Kalousek, chris.kalousek@aapexshow.com, (708) 226-1300, ext. 14.

The 2014 AAPEX is expected to feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths, nearly 40 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/register.

AAPEX represents the $477 billion global aftermarket auto parts industry, and is jointly sponsored by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, please visit www.aapexshow.com or e-mail: info@aapexshow.com.

Learn How Copywriting Impacts Success During AAPEX Exhibitor Webinar

Aug. 19, 2014 – The AAPEXedu Webinar Series will present, “Copywriting: Your #1 Marketing Skill,” a free exhibitor webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 4 p.m., EST, to show exhibitors how effective copywriting can be used to grow their businesses. The 2014 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev., with AAPEXedu sessions starting on Monday, Nov. 3.

In this powerful AAPEX webinar, strategic marketing expert Steve Miller will cover how copywriting, very simply, is the ability to put words on paper that get people to send money, ask to be contacted, or give their name and email. Good copywriting creates tremendous leverage because once the right words are on paper … in the right order (and this is key), all that’s left to do is use the right media to deliver that message to the right person.

During this presentation, exhibitors will gain a better understanding of what makes good copy, whether they write it themselves or have someone else do the copywriting, and how copy also impacts success at AAPEX.

The monthly AAPEXedu Webinar Series, introduced in February 2014, is designed to help ensure exhibitors grow their businesses and get the most out of their participation in AAPEX. The October webinar, slated for Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m., EST, will cover “Last Minute Tips Exhibitors Can Still Use.”

To register for “Copywriting: Your #1 Marketing Skill” or to watch a previous webinar in the AAPEXedu Video Learning Library, visit: www.aapexshow.com/exhibitor/webinar.

The 2014 AAPEX is expected to feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths, nearly 40 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/register.

AAPEX represents the $477 billion global aftermarket auto parts industry, and is jointly sponsored by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, please visit www.aapexshow.com or e-mail: info@aapexshow.com.

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