SEMA, AAPEX to highlight product innovations, technology

LAS VEGAS — Vehicle and tire manufacturers and service professionals will be converging on Las Vegas at the end of October for the annual Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week featuring the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show and the Automotive Aftermarket Parts Expo (AAPEX).

The SEMA Show includes the Tire Industry Association's (TIA) Global Tire Expo-Powered by TIA that features exhibitors and educational seminars targeting all segments of the tire industry. The event runs Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC).

The 2017 SEMA Show drew more than 70,000 domestic and international buyers. The exhibitors are segmented into 12 sections covering various areas of specialty automotive products, including collision repair, styling, repair, tuning, etc., as well as a New Products Showcase featuring nearly 3,000 newly introduced parts, tools and components.

AAPEX, which showcases vendors of products, services and technologies to diagnose, service and maintain vehicles, will take place Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.

AAPEX is co-owned by the Auto Care Association (ACA) and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).

AAPEX organizers are expecting more than 2,500 exhibiting companies, more than 47,000 targeted buyers and about 162,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from 135 countries.

The Global Tire Expo, in the South Hall of the LVCC, will include exhibitors of tires and wheels for cars, trucks and off-the-road equipment; service tools and equipment; management software; recycling equipment;and related supplies and services, as well as affiliated organizations.

On Oct. 29, TIA will host its annual membership meeting in the afternoon and Tire Industry Honors Awards Ceremony in the evening at the Paris Las Vegas hotel.

During the ceremony, TIA will induct Bob Majewski, president of Sumerel Tire Service Inc., and Arvind Poddar, chairman and managing director of Balkrishna Industries Ltd., into the association's Hall of Fame.

TIA also will honor Freda Pratt-Boyer, senior auditor for Purcell Tire Co. and a former TIA president and board member, and Mike Baggett, retired from Yokohama Tire Corp., with the Ed Wagner Leadership Award.

Also during the awards ceremony, Tire Business will announce the 2018 Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award winner.

The TIA educational sessions, held in the ground-floor conference rooms at the East end of the South Hall, are:

• TPMS at 10: Understanding Original Equipment TPMS, Oct. 30, 10 a.m., will focus on various OE manufacturers and how the TPMS sensors communicate with the vehicle, including the necessary procedures and guidelines for maintaining the TPMS.

• Truck Tires at 10: Wheel Torque for Trucks and Trailers, Oct. 30, 10 a.m., will outline the steps of the RIST procedure and the various tools and equipment that can be used to deliver the final torque when installing the fasteners.

• Tires at 2: Successful Tire Dealers Share Their Secrets, Oct. 30, 2 p.m., will feature a panel of award-winning tire dealers, including the 2018 Tire Business Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award winner.

• ATS at 10: Puncture Repair Facts, Oct. 31, 10 a.m., will outline the repair limits for punctures in passenger and light truck tires and provide an overview of the step-by-step procedures to properly repair a tire.

• Truck Tires at 10: Preventing Irregular Treadwear, Oct. 31, 10 a.m., will discuss the common types of irregular treadwear and the correction actions needed to avoid them.

• 2018 Legislative Review: Oct. 31, noon, will review how new laws and regulations will impact the tire industry and the potential impact of midterm elections.

• Management at 2: Servicing the Next Generation of Consumers and Vehicles, Oct. 31, 2 p.m., will assess the demands of consumers and technology over the next decade.

SEMA's Wheel & Tire Council (WTC) has four events planned:

• General membership meeting, Oct. 29, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the LVCC, Aces Restaurant;

• Social reception, Oct. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel, pool area;

• Seminar on "Navigating the World of Import Tariffs," Oct. 31, from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. at the LVCC, Room N256, conducted by Laura Farhang, trade attorney for Picard Kentz & Rowe L.L.P.; Daniel Ingber, managing director, government and legal affairs for SEMA; and Stuart Gosswein, SEMA's senior director, federal government affairs; and

• "Coffee and Conversation," an informal meet-and-greet, Nov. 1, from 8 to 9 a.m. at the West entrance to the Global Tire Expo in the LVCC South Hall.

SEMA also has a comprehensive schedule of business seminars planned at the LVCC for Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 under the SEMA Education banner. Among them are:

• "The Bottom Line: Controlling Your Healthcare Cost Over the Next 2 Years," by Gene Marks, Marks Group P.C., Oct. 29, 10 to 11 a.m., LVCC, Room N253;

• "Talent Management: Trends & Tech Tools for Finding, Motivating Millennials," by Gene Marks, Marks Group, Oct. 29, 1 to 2 p.m., LVCC, Room N253;

• "Business Management: Owning an Automotive Franchise," Oct. 29, 1 to 2 p.m., LVCC, Room N256, speakers TBA; and

• "The Bottom Line: Get More from the Investment You Have in Your Business," by Tom Shay, Profits Plus Solutions Inc., Oct. 30, 10 to 11 a.m., LVCC, Room N252.

AAPEX will open Oct. 30 with a keynote session, "Breakfast with John King and Karl Rove: How Trade and the Elections Could Impact the Aftermarket," at the Venetian hotel, Palazzo Ballroom.

Mr. Rove was a senior adviser to President George W. Bush from 2000-07 and is an author of weekly op-eds for the Wall Street Journal and is a Fox News Channel contributor. Mr. King is CNN's chief national correspondent and anchor of the network's Inside Politics program.

The session will begin with a State of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry presentation by ACA President and CEO Bill Hanvey and AASA President and COO Bill Long.

AAPEX is expanding several programs this year to spotlight the impact of technology on the automotive aftermarket, including:

Mobility Garage, which debuted in 2017, has expanded to two sections, both offering hands-on demos and technology-focused training sessions. The Shop Equipment and Technology section will offer 20 sessions, while the Electric Car and Alternative Fuel/Energy section will offer 24 sessions.

The Technology of Tomorrow exhibitor section will showcase technologies that are not yet available, but are being tested and discussed. This section will feature a demo of Secure Vehicle Interface (SVI), sponsored by the ACA.

Let's Tech features 20-minute presentations on topics such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and the need for calibration, using technology to service more customers and technology for inventory optimization.

AAPEXedu offers 18 educational sessions, including trends in the industry and emerging technologies, radar sensors in modern chassis systems and battery tester innovations.

New Product and Packaging Showcases will highlight the latest technology, tools and equipment critical to attendees' businesses, as well as new packaging designs.

Women in Auto Care, an ACA community, has a number of events planned, including: Women in Auto Care Awards, Oct. 30, 4 to 5 p.m., Venetian Hotel, Casanova Room 505, followed by a reception from 5 to 6 p.m.; and a networking lunch, Nov. 1, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Buddy V's Ristorante at Palazzo Shoppes.

The Automotive Maintenance & Repair Association will hold its annual membership meeting Oct. 29 at the Venetian Palazzo/Rooms 3202-3205, starting at 4:30 p.m., with a networking reception to follow.

On Nov. 1, nearly 5,000 Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper automotive professionals are expected to conduct an organized walk from the Mirage hotel to the Sands Expo to attend AAPEX.

The event is expected to shut down Las Vegas Boulevard temporarily along the route starting at 8:30 a.m. (PDT). A marching band will lead the employees, including parts store operators, shop owners, technicians and service writers, wearing their corporate yellow shirts.

Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper are part of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, a global distribution and marketing organization for parts and service for parts stores and certified service centers.

The visit to AAPEX 2018 coincides with the Alliance's Aftermarket Jackpot Convention taking place Oct. 30-Nov. 3 at the Mirage.