Aftermarket Business: A full-house of events greets AAIW attendees: the show of all trade shows will

Just as you don't want to exhaust your gambling funds during your first foray into the casinos, budgeting your time and planning ahead can bring better results when taking in the wide selection of relevant events being presented throughout Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas.

More than 200,000 aftermarket professionals are attending this year's new and improved AAIW festivities, which comprise the largest trade-only show in North America.

Rather than just rolling the dice to see what comes up, it's suggested that jobbers, retailers, warehouse distributors and other industry participants develop an organized approach for covering the available offerings that will best support their business strategies.

Making appointments with individuals you wish to talk to or simply preparing a list of must-see booths can ensure that a critical aspect of AAIW is not overlooked.

"We encourage pre-planning and preparation to make it as efficient as possible," says Larry Northup, senior director of membership relations for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association and AAIA's liaison with the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association.

Like many of the organizations with a presence at AAIW, the AWDA is presenting a winning hand of programs in conjunction with AAPEX (the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo) at the Sands Exposition Center and the concurrent Specialty Equipment Market Association's SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"You can see what's new in the marketplace and what new products are coming on board," Northup points out. "You can check out new lines, new suppliers and form new business relationships."

From Sunday, Oct. 31 through Wednesday, Nov. 3, the AWDA will be conducting its member conference at the Venetian Hotel. Highlights for the several hundred attendees include a gala reception and special one-on-one meetings with industry suppliers.

"The WDs will visit the vendors in their suites," Northup explains. "It's a good opportunity to get some face-time with manufacturers--these are very productive business meetings."

The scheduling is such that no one will miss out on AAPEX, SEMA and the other AAIW offerings. "The WDs will have plenty of time to walk the show floor," Northup promises.

Get with the program

Attendees contemplating membership in a program group will find an assortment of them eager to show their cards as current enrollees hobnob while being brought up-to-date.

Meetings and greetings and lunches and dinners are on the menu as important business issues are discussed with vendors, customers and potential members amid most-pleasant surroundings.

"It's a good, productive event for us," says Alan Bostwick, executive vice president at Parts Plus.

"We're recruiting members 24-7," reports Bill Maggs, president of the National Pronto Association--only half-jokingly. Pronto is preparing a suite at Bally's, and he says "come on over" if you think the group will make a good fit for your operation.

"We're going to kick off a new addition to our installer program," Maggs reveals. Customers' service centers will be able to provide their patrons with a Pronto-backed roadside towing certificate, complete with a toll-free telephone number to call. "We figure our shops that offer this will get return business," he observes.

About 80 percent of the APA's membership is expected to make the Vegas scene, according to Dan Freeman, president of Automotive Parts Associates, Inc.

"Today, everybody is looking to market their company better than in the past," Freeman points out. Board meetings and a breakfast are among the smorgasbord of planned events.

SIPS is seeking new members too. Most of those belonging to Survival of Import Parts Specialists are also APA members.

"It's good for APA and it's good for SIPS," says coordinator Gary Garberg of APA. "All the buyers come together," he continues. "We always have a little more difficulty buying parts than the domestic auto parts people do. It's about camaraderie and it's about learning from someone's mistakes."

As an added inducement "we allow prospective members to sit in on our meetings because once they sit in, they're hooked," Garberg says. "We started out as a buying group--now we're a communications group."

A buyer's market

This year the Nov. 2-5 AAPEX includes the National Automotive Radiator Service Association (NARSA) and the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE). NARSA will be alongside the myriad of other categories on display at the Sands, while the Mandalay Bay Convention Center hosts the Nov. 3-6 NACE. (AAPEX/SEMA badges also get you into NACE.)

WDs, jobbers and retailers are likely to glean productive information by attending the full slate of shows, according to Northup. "It may not be their primary lines, but it could be a significant part of their business," he advises.

Opportunity is available within the heating and cooling realm, and by checking out the NARSA offerings you can "learn about new sales and marketing programs from exhibiting manufacturers and network with customers, suppliers and other industry professionals," says Daryl Bippert, the association's convention committee chairman. "Get the latest information on industry trends, surprising new ideas for your business, a plan for financial success and important promotional strategies," he adds.

The lineup of NACE exhibitors is up 23 percent compared to last year's event, and the allotted space is up by 11,600 sq. feet over the 2003 show, according to Ron Pyle, president and chief staff executive of the Automotive Service Association, NACE's sponsor.

"There will be a great deal of synergy with the other shows held in Las Vegas during Industry Week," Pyle points out. "The new format and location at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center has everyone buzzing."

In 2003, more than 50,000 aftermarket buyers attended AAPEX and SEMA--a record-shattering number. This year, as of July, more than 9,000 buyers had pre-registered, including more than 1,100 international buyers.

The 2004 preliminary figures represent an 8 percent increase over last year, and if the trend holds through show time, another record is set to be broken.

"The tremendous global interest in AAIW and AAPEX speaks volumes to how the aftermarket industry views AAPEX and its role in getting business done," says AAPEX Show Manager Bill Glasgow.

AAIA and MEMA, the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, are the event co-sponsors.

Busting at the 'SEMA'

Ford is the featured vehicle manufacturer at this year's SEMA Show, with a focus on its Mustang.

"Ford has been, and continues to be, a staunch supporter of SEMA and our industry," says Christopher J. Kersting, SEMA's president and CEO.

"Several years ago, Ford had the insight to see the tremendous benefits of working with our specialty equipment member companies to provide its vehicle owners with cars and trucks modified to suit their tastes, lifestyles and family needs," Kersting says. "All parties--consumers, Ford and our SEMA members--have reaped rewards from this partnership."

"We know that the SEMA Show 2004 is an ideal showcase for our newly redesigned Mustang--sure to strike a chord with SEMA Show attendees, taking them back to their automotive performance roots," reports Jim O'Connor, group vice president for Ford marketing, sales and service.

"We've learned that the SEMA Show goes far beyond its trade show walls at the Las Vegas Convention Center, receiving international media coverage," O'Connor says.

In addition to Ford, other manufacturers displaying concept vehicles and ways to modify them will include American Honda, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, SCION, Subaru and Toyota.

The show will be organized into 12 sections, with the carmakers' exhibits distributed throughout the 2 million sq. feet of exhibits and hundreds of specially constructed project cars and trucks.

SEMA has centralized its off-road displays this year into one contiguous space, and attendees can see the segment's products perform at an off-road proving ground--and even get behind the wheel.

"Our research clearly indicates that off-road parts, accessories and equipment buyers use the SEMA Show as an indicator of both market trends and buying opportunities," says Peter MacGillivray, vice president for marketing and communications for SEMA. "The SEMA Show is the most powerful business tool anyone in the off-road community has today."

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SEMA's Mobile Electronics section, now the fastest-growing category of the show, will present the newest in navigation technologies, entertainment and information systems along with a full selection of safety and convenience accessories.

Finding your way

Navigating around the various Vegas events will be more efficient this year. A fleet of shuttle buses will be rolling throughout, and the Las Vegas Monorail is open and ready to whoosh attendees to their desired destinations.

Up and running since July, the $650 million system zips along the Las Vegas resort corridor at a top speed of 50 mph. Up to nine trains consisting of four cars each run on a single rail that rises 20 feet high in most areas, its highest point reaching 70 feet above the Las Vegas Convention Center. It connects eight major resorts, linking more than 24,000 hotel rooms and about 4.4 million sq. feet of meeting and convention space.

The initial 4-mile route stops at seven stations: MGM Grand; Bally's/Paris; Flamingo/ Caesars Palace; Harrah's/ Imperial Palace; Las Vegas Convention Center; Las Vegas Hilton; and the Sahara.

Finding a particular booth among the 1,900-plus AAPEX exhibitors will be made easier by the debut of color-coded carpeting.

"Each hall has a different colored-aisle carpet," reports consultant Murray Chapple, principal visual technician at Critical Aesthetics, Inc. of Charlotte, N.C. "The booths themselves are draped in colors to match the aisle carpet."

Eight hues of rug and curtain, updated and coordinated signage and improved attendee maps--cartographed by Advanstar Communications, Inc.--will assist greatly when giving directions or following them to where you want to be.

"From a business standpoint, getting around the show easier will make it more efficient for you," says Chapple, an automotive industry veteran who was brought on board by AAPEX organizers to produce some pizzazz.

"The show was kind of dated," according to Arlene Davis, the AAIA's senior director of trade shows. "AAPEX is going through a major facelift," she says. "We've taken many notes from our retail friends; it's a whole new look for AAPEX."

In the past, for example, each of the more than 460 directional signs had a different look to it--now things are much more coordinated, and the "AAPEX Man" character was created to provide continuity.

"From NASCAR experience, I know that people like a mix of entertainment with their work," says Chapple, noting that "visual stimulation" and cohesiveness of the show's look falls under the entertainment banner.

Previously "there was a lot of visual clutter," says Chapple in an understatement. "The overall scope of the project was to update and enhance the image of AAPEX."

A key starting point was defining exactly what AAPEX--a conglomeration formed over the years of assorted association trade shows--is supposed to be. The theme now is "we keep you on the road."

The aftermarket ensures that vehicles remain operational, and the new AAPEX personifies that point. "It's a major, major industry," Davis explains. "We keep America on the road! Without us you couldn't get a pizza delivered and plumbers' trucks wouldn't be on the road."

The update removes all doubts over the AAPEX mission, according to Davis. "If someone from the Wall Street Journal is walking by, he'll know what we do even if he lives in New York and doesn't have a car."

Chapple makes a comparison to the companion show: "At SEMA you can find anything to make your car look good, but you won't get there if you have no oil; people aren't grinning when their car breaks down."

An emphasis on enhancing the process of supplying the motoring public with the proper parts and services is to make attendees considerably more productive in their business endeavors, according to AAIW organizers.

To assist with staying on top of trends and keeping up with your competition's offerings, the AAPEX New Product & Packaging Showcase has been augmented and moved from the Venetian Hotel to the upper lobby entrance at the Sands.

"In the past, people missed them because they (the displays) were away from the most-used entrances," Chapple recalls, adding that the lobby's previous incarnation was dark and uninviting with curtains covering the glass walls.

"We swept the lobby areas clean and started over," he explains. The new lobby configuration with the new product and packaging exhibits heightens the visibility of the featured elements. "It gives the lobby more of a place to congregate and something to look at," Chapple says.

"There might be that something special that you want for your store," says Davis, remembering how The Club anti-theft device was introduced to the industry at AAPEX. The manufacturer had a 10-ft. by 10-ft. booth on the lower level during the product's debut, and, of course, The Club racked-up huge sales as it became a much-desired consumer item.

"You never know what new exhibitors will bring to the table," Davis points out.

Computer kiosks have been added to the show floor to assist in locating specific products or services. "It will allow you to shop quicker," she says.

MEMA and AAIA business centers and conference rooms will provide resting spots and added services for attendees such as soft drinks, copy machines, faxes and e-mail facilities.

The meeting areas have doors that shut and no glass walls this year. Davis says the windows had been a privacy issue in the past because onlookers could peer in and see who was participating in the various discussions.

"People appreciate a place to come and huddle and sit down," says Davis, bringing to mind another piece of useful advice: be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

A full deck

Educational opportunities abound within AAIW as each segment is producing a full slate of seminars, panel discussions or demonstrations designed to impart useful business, regulatory or technical information.

This year, the popular morning sessions are back at the Sands, and once again, they are free. Seminars on Tuesday, Nov. 2 include:

* John Force, John Force Racing, "Building Winning Teams," 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

* Ron Hutchinson, vice president, parts and accessories, Harley-Davidson Motor Co., "Building Brand Identity," 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Seminars on Thursday, Nov. 4 include:

* Bram Johnson, executive vice president, FedEx Ground, "Efficiencies in Distribution," 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

* Dr. Marc Linster, chief technology officer, Avicon, "The Risks & Rewards of RFID in the Aftermarket," 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

NACE is offering an expanded array of five jobber classes. "In the past, NACE has only had a few sessions for jobbers," reports Dana Bellantone, the show's director. "This important market segment will have much more from which to choose at this year's NACE, and the sessions will be offered over the course of three days instead of just one."

SEMA plans to send attendees home with a better sense of sales knowledge through its schedule of Dale Carnegie classes aimed specifically at small business operators.

On Sunday, Oct. 31, the University of the Aftermarket will present its University Forum at the Venetian. This year will focus on the original equipment dealership's "triple threat" to the traditional aftermarket, tackling subjects such as:

* Capturing new service customers

* Aggressive parts provider to the independent service dealer

* Recruiting the best and brightest young technician talent

The popular Executive Roundtable will be preceded by a service dealer panel where attendees will have an opportunity to hear how several of the "best and brightest" service operators are meeting OE competition and why they sometimes buy parts from new car dealers.

In addition, there will be sessions focusing on sales management and leadership as well as "The Best of 2010."

A panel discussion including Bob Moore, Aftermarket Business columnist, will be a part of an AAIA Technology Update Monday morning, Nov. 1. "Product Information Management in a Global Aftermarket" will be the subject as industry leaders in supply chain technology provide a briefing on industry standards and initiatives related to "best practices" in data management and product data synchronization.

Developments with the Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) and the new Data Audit and Certification (DAC) service will be examined. Manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers will discuss their plans to lower costs, speed new product introductions and increase sales by focusing on improvements in their management and distribution of product information.

"The data must match and it must be full, rich and complete," explains Scott Luckett, the AAIA's vice president for technology standards and solutions.

"You can't sell what you don't have in the file," Luckett points out. "It can be on your shelf, but you can't sell it," he emphasizes.

On Tuesday morning, Nov. 2, vehicle diagnostics will be deliberated as AAIA hosts regulators in tune with the latest rules. Presenters will include Holly Pugliese of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Allen Lyons of the California Air Resources Board.

"Obviously the jobbers and wholesalers have a stake in ensuring that their customers will be able to compete, since their survival and profitability is key to the distributors' bottom line as well," says Aaron Lowe, AAIA's vice president of government affairs. "The implementation of the EPA and CARB service information rulemakings is critical to ensuring that the aftermarket service facilities will be able to work on late model vehicles."

"Repairing the Auto Repair Image" is the theme of this year's breakfast Town Hall session Wednesday, Nov. 3 at the Venetian. Plan ahead if you want to be there, because the 2003 event was a sell-out with more than 1,000 participants.

"While last year's Town Hall was rated by attendees as the best ever, we are very excited about this year's topic and the impressive mix of panelists," says Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA's president and CEO. "Our panelists represent and will provide perspective from the consumer, the new car dealer, the independent, the retailer and supplier."

Panelists include:

* Susan Deegan, president at Engine Lab of Tampa

* Paul Devers, owner of Vin Devers Dodge, Sylvania, Ohio

* Michael Klein, president of Murray's Discount Auto Parts

* Larry McCurdy, primary advisor for the Cypress Group

* John Nielsen, a director at the American Automobile Association

* Dennis Welvaert, president, North American Aftermarket, Mark IV Automotive/Dayco Products, LLC

Three management seminars are to be conducted at the Automotive Service Association's Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS), Nov. 4-6 at the Flamingo. Topics are: "Women are Customers, Too;" "How to Get Your Share of the Highly Profitable Fleet Business;" and "Relationship Marketing Systems."

A winning hand

Galas galore will provide a full plate of activities throughout AAIW.

The Global Design Awards on Tuesday, Nov. 2 represent the premier design competition for automotive aftermarket products. Categories include packaging, print advertising, merchandising and displays, promotions, brand logotypes and Websites. Best of Show winners will be awarded at a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 3. (Show winners are featured on page 127.)

The honors are to be presented by Aftermarket Business and the Automotive Communications Council.

The Car Care Council Women's Board also puts on an awards competition. The honors are divided into business-to-consumer and business-to-business creative efforts. The business-to-consumer awards feature 14 categories for entries that target female consumers.

The business-to-business awards, which will be judged by ACC, consist of 12 categories such as logo design, special promotions and promotional events/trade show.

"ACC is proud to be a supporter of both award programs that recognize and showcase the best in design and marketing creativity," says ACC President Doug Ferguson, group publisher at Advanstar Automotive.

Good deeds will be done throughout AAIW, starting with the Third Annual NASCAR Cafe Dogs & Hogs Charity Motorcycle Ride on Monday, Nov. 1.

The roaring run, which benefits the Las Vegas Animal Foundation, serves as AAPEX's official kickoff. Riders depart from the Las Vegas Harley-Davidson dealership and go through Red Rock Canyon, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Valley of Fire, along Lake Mead and return to the NASCAR Cafe.

With this many opportunities and events, you really should tag along for the ride.