Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
      USW alleges COVID-19 violations at Kumho plant
    • Stengel promoted to president of NAPA parent Genuine Parts Co.
      Former auto exec Tyrone Jordan joins Cooper board of directors
      Bridgestone crafts virtual city to showcase sustainable-mobility initiatives
      Ford, Hyundai earn 2021 top North American vehicle honors
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      H&H broadens precure OTR business with Continuum mold acquisition
      Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
    • Gary Price to head Love's Truck Care operations
      TA opens 6th Oregon location, bringing 50 jobs to area
      Love's opens Speedco shops in Ariz., Calif., Ga.
      TIA adds more Spanish language training
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
      Wireless auto data debate continues
      World rubber demand in 2021 to recover to 2019 levels — IRSG
    • Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Ferentino Tyre opens Sri Lanka plant; eyes exports to U.S., Europe
      Sailun to expand Vietnam plant capacity over three years
    • TGI secures Cosmo-brand naming rights at Fla. race track
      Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg postponed until April
      MotoGP extends Dunlop race tire contract through 2023
      Revived Yokohama Drivers Cup to feature Ferrari, Porsche models
    • Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
      The new One: Nokian unveils all-season passenger tire
      Ford, Hyundai earn 2021 top North American vehicle honors
      BKT expanding its ATV/UTV lineup with Sierra Max Pro radials
    • Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
      J.D. Power survey: Quick greeting key to customer satisfaction
      Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Marko Ibrahim promoted to president, Bridgestone Retail Operations
    • Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
      J.D. Power survey: Quick greeting key to customer satisfaction
      ASE opens registration for upcoming certification testing
      Bolt On, Global Payments aim for easier text payments for auto repairs
    • Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
      AAPEX: Using social media to promote your business
      AAPEX: Road trips trending, commuting on the wane
    • Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
      Latest COVID relief bill includes $325B in small-business support
      AAPEX: Do more cars in the shop mean more profit?
    • Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
      Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
      Michelin completes rigid dump-truck tire lineup
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
    • Video: Demounting
      Demounting Equipment
      Making rims ready for a tight seal
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
    • Video: Safety
      Making friends with OSHA
      Ergonomics on the shop floor
      Customers
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
      Staying safe when repairing a tire
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
    • Video: TMPS Service
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
      Replacement TPMS sensor overview
      The life-saving work of TPMS
    • Video: Training
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
      Options and resources for CE tech training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      All types of lifts for all types of work
      Tips and recommendations for lifting safety
      The gravity of proper lift points
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
      The danger of too much, too little torque
      The importance of torque specifications
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
October 16, 1995 02:00 AM

TIRE SHOW DEBATE PARALLELS AAIW START

Kathy McCarron
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    AKRON-Call it deja vu. The debate over consolidating tire industry trade shows looks very familiar to organizers of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW).

    The AAIW is in its fourth year of record-breaking attendance, but it took about 15 years of prodding by exhibitors and more than a year of intense negotiation and compromise among participating trade associations before the concept of a week-long auto industry event became reality.

    This year's AAIW, Oct. 21-27, expects to draw 70,000 people to its two large trade shows and other association events and seminars held at two convention centers in Las Vegas.

    The 1994 event drew 9.2 percent more attendees and added more exhibitors than the previous year, even luring some exhibitors away from the National Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association's trade show.

    The record-breaking success of the AAIW has been a model for supporters of a rubber/tire industry show week.

    And now the tire industry, at the urging of suppliers and other show exhibitors, is seriously discussing the possibility of a similar consolidated week of shows, meetings and seminars. James Faught, the NTDRA's 1994-95 president, has invited other tire industry associations and suppliers to discuss the issue Nov. 7-8 in Cleveland.

    ``I don't feel it's illogical for the NTDRA to look at Industry Week,'' said Jim Conner, executive vice president of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).

    Like the tire industry, the automotive aftermarket was besieged with complaints from industry suppliers and show exhibitors who found three annual shows-the Specialty Equipment Market Association/Automotive International Association (SEMA/AI) show, the MEMA/Automotive Service Industry Association (ASIA) show and the Auto Parts & Accessories Association (APAA) show-time-consuming and expensive.

    The industry pressure heightened during 1989 and 1990, a time of weak sales, declining profits and shrinking markets for the automo-tive aftermarket, recalled Chuck Blum, president of SEMA and one of the key organizers of AAIW.

    ``The exhibitors were complaining of too many trade shows that were spaced far enough (throughout the year) that they felt they had an obligation to go to at least two of the three shows,'' Mr. Blum said.

    ``All the associations had spent a lot of their resources to promote that one show was better than the other,'' added Mr. Conner. ``Attendance was going down. Exhibitors were bailing out or reducing their space. Manufacturers wanted more bang for the buck.''

    Waning participation and high costs were thus the driving forces for serious talks on combining the shows, they said.

    ``The idea (for Industry Week) had been kicking around for at least 15 years,'' noted Mr. Conner.

    But both Mr. Conner and Mr. Blum admitted that egos were the key obstacle to negotiations among the trade groups.

    ``Culmination of the idea occurred only after the four key associations had a change in leadership. That's an example of the change in traditional thinking that needs to come to pass,'' Mr. Conner said.

    ``All the associations are proud of their organization and name,'' Mr. Blum said. ``It's toughest to put pride in your own association aside for the benefit (of exhibitors).''

    He also noted that there was even skepticism among the membership. ``Everybody concerns themselves with the fact that they'll be the loser, that they'll not be the `big fish' anymore,'' Mr. Blum said.

    Mr. Conner credited MEMA President Bob Miller for acting as a negotiator among the associations, encouraging all the parties to talk through him initially, rather than meeting all at once in one room.

    The key to organizing such an event, he said, ``is having somebody in the group as a catalyst and who's willing to make some compromises and keep the principle of equity.''

    Since trade shows are often associations' main revenue source, ``equity'' was the operative word for solving the financial dispute.

    ``Some folks thought they should get more money than another association,'' Mr. Conner recalled. ``There was compromise on who should run the show, how to promote the show, how the JOC (Joint Operating Committee) should be operated. There were lots of mechanical details to work out.''

    Formal discussions initially involved the MEMA/ASIA and SEMA/AI shows, with the APAA deciding to join in the talks several months later, Mr. Conner said.

    The groups agreed to share in the total costs of hall rentals and other expenses, and increased the price of booths to defray the loss in individual show revenues. The price hike was justified by the potential for higher attendance at the consolidated show week, according to organizers.

    As it turned out, AAIW drew a larger crowd in its first year than the total attendance of the shows held separately in the past, according to Mr. Conner.

    Combining the shows also has led to higher attendance from foreign countries. ``As one big combined show, we are able to do more exposure activities in the foreign market than we did individually,'' MEMA's Mr. Conner noted.

    Gene Ezzell of Crane Technologies Group, a manufacturer of internal engine components that had exhibited at all three trade shows prior to AAIW, praised the one-stop shopping the combined shows provide for buyers. Crane has exhibit booths in both convention centers during AAIW.

    Mr. Ezzell is a member of the AAIW Joint Operating Committee, which includes representatives of the participating groups, who meet twice a year to plan the format of the show. ``Our objective is to make the show the largest'' in the industry, he said.

    He strongly encouraged a similar consolidation of shows in the tire industry. ``There will be some bruising of egos initially. But if you look at the long term,*.*.*.*nothing but positive can happen.''

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • List Rental
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION