Almost show time again
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LAS VEGAS—The multi-show extravaganza of Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) is almost here, and once again showgoers will have plenty of activities within the big event to attend.
AAIW, which drew more than 107,000 visitors in 2008, comprises:
*The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, Nov. 3-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, together with the Tire Industry Association's (TIA) sponsorship of the Tires, Wheels & Equipment (TWE) section of that show; and
*The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association's Automotive Aftermarket Parts Expo (AAPEX), Nov. 3-5 at the Sands Expo Center.
The week also includes the Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW), Nov. 4-7 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center. ASRW is the umbrella for the Automotive Service Association's (ASA) Congress of Automotive Repair & Service (CARS) and the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE), both of which will take place at Mandalay Bay.
ASRW brings together those involved in the collision and mechanical segments of the automotive service and repair industry.
AAIW will include more than 4,000 U.S. and international exhibits.
However, citing the ongoing recession, several prominent tire makers and marketers have decided not to exhibit at this year's SEMA Show
TIA has revised its schedule for the 2009 trade show, beginning with the elimination of its annual Breakfast with the President, which would have been held Tuesday, Nov. 3, prior to the trade show opening at 9 a.m.
Instead, TIA is inviting guests to a “Tire Industry Honors” event scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2 at Caesars Palace, the group's headquarters hotel this year. Preceding this event at 5 p.m. will be a wine-and-cheese social gathering.
At the 6 p.m. honors event, outgoing TIA President Dan Beach will pass the torch to incoming President Wayne Cros¬well, president of software developer ASA Tire Systems. The event also will include several award presentations, including the TIA Hall of Fame inductees and Tire Business' annual “Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award.”
The awards ceremony will be followed by TIA's annual Welcome Reception at Caesars Palace. Tickets are $50 per person for the reception; the honors event and social hour are open to all show attendees with an RSVP.
TIA said it also is planning several special events during show week at its TWE section. One is the association's traditional “Tires at Two” seminars, beginning at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the South Hall with industry veterans Tom Wright and Dennis Bucher hosting the popular “Successful Tire Dealers Share Their Secrets” seminar.
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Sean Mac¬Kinnon, TIA's director of automotive training development, will speak at the “Tires at Two” seminar on “Effectively Communicating TPMS Train¬ing/Developments to Techs.”
The seminar will focus on how tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) technology can be communicated effectively to tire techs, as well as where that technology is heading.
At 3 p.m. on Wednesday, TIA will hold its first “International Roundtable—Best Practices in the Tire Industry & International Review of Industry Regulations.” Moderated by Harvey Brodsky, managing director of the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB), this event invites attendees from around the world to share their best practices in tire service, retreading and repairing and commercial tire service.
An RSVP to the roundtable is required and can be submitted at the “Events” section of www.tireindustry.org, or by calling (800) 876-8372, ext. 104.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, Mr. MacKinnon again will lead the TPMS workshop at 2 p.m., joining representatives from major TPMS repair tool manufacturers to present a “TPMS Repair Tool Manufacturer Update.”
SEMA
Exhibit hours for the show will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6. The 2008 SEMA Show drew more than 50,000 domestic and international buyers and comprised 2 million square feet of exhibits.
New to this year's event is a day-long online marketing conference on Monday, Nov. 2, the day before the show opens.
The conference, “Online Marketing Conference 2009: Your No B.S. Day to Mastering Internet Marketing,” is the first time SEMA has organized an entire day of training on a single topic at its annual trade show. The conference will gather together Internet marketing experts to discuss Web site traffic, social media, paid search advertising and measuring results.
Interested parties can register for the conference at www.semashow.¬com/omc for $199 per person, which includes free admission to the trade show.
Also on Monday, SEMA will hold a luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Las Vegas Hilton Ballroom A-B. Ken Czubay, vice president of sales, marketing and service for Ford Motor Co., will deliver a keynote address on fuel-efficient vehicles.
SEMA will hold its industry awards banquet and reception starting at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5, at the Hilton. Actor/comedian Bill Engvall will headline the event.
Besides TWE, SEMA this year will again offer a “Making Green Cool Zone” in the upper level of the South Hall in the convention center. The display will feature companies devoted to green technology and developing green performance vehicles.
SEMA will continue its New Products Showcase and “Dealer Day” program for car dealers. Its educational seminars once again are broken down into tracks, such as vehicle technology briefing supersessions; business efficiency; customer service and sales solutions; industry trends and forecasts; legal and public policy; and small business management, among others.
At 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 4, SEMA's Wheel & Tire Council will hold its annual reception at the Renaissance Hotel adjacent to the convention center's South Hall—rather than at the Hilton Hotel, where it has been held in previous years.
AAPEX
AAPEX is targeted to independent service providers, technicians, manufacturers, wholesalers, jobbers, retailers and parts store owners and managers.
In 2008, AAPEX drew 52,000 qualified buyers. The association said nearly 2,000 exhibitors occupy more than 4,000 booths for this year's event.
New to the 2009 AAPEX is a Car Care Fair on the exhibit floor that will show buyers how to host a Car Care event and the benefits of participating in National Car Care Month.
The AAPEX Green Way will return to this year's exhibits and showcase products that buyers and retailers can sell to make vehicles more fuel efficient.
The expo will offer 24 educational seminars every day beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Venetian Hotel in the Marco Polo rooms 701-706. Information is available at www.aapexshow.com.
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