The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show and the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) combine forces to form the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) in Las Vegas Nov. 3-6.
The SEMA Show will feature more than 2,400 manufacturers of automotive parts and accessories.
It will be segmented into 12 sections, including one section for the Global Tire Expo – Powered by TIA (the Tire Industry Association).
The others sections are Mobile Electronics & Technology; Racing & Performance; Trucks, SUVs & Off-Road; Business Services; Collision Repair & Refinish; Restoration Marketplace; Tools and Equipment; Hot Rod Alley; Powersports & Utility Vehicles, Restyling & Car Care Accessories and Wheels and Accessories.
AAPEX is expected to feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths and 50-plus AAPEXedu sessions. Approximately 130,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from nearly 140 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX. AAPEX represents the $477 billion global aftermarket auto parts industry, and is co-owned by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).
Learning experience
Last month, MTD covered educational seminars being presented by TIA (see “Keep your business moving forward”). The association recently added another on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, titled “Using Digital to Your Advantage.”
Speaker Jamie Reutershan, strategy development manager for Google’s auto section, will present data from the new 2015 release of the Google/Critical Mix “Tire Buyer’s Path to Purchase” survey to examine how tire buyers use digital when shopping for new tires and how you can use the new trends to turn shoppers into buyers.
SEMA also is offering free educational seminars starting Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 6. They will cover such categories as automotive electronics, business management, emerging markets, tires, social media marketing, customer service and sales and much more.
Here are some of the sessions. For the full schedule, see www.semashow.com.
The Power of One Voice in Social Media: “United Breaks Guitars”: Presented by Dave Carroll, award-winning songwriter, professional speaker, author and social media innovator
YouTube video “United Breaks Guitars” has become a textbook example of the new relationship between companies and their customers, and has demonstrated the power of one voice in the age of social media. Learn about the connection between satisfied customers and social media.
Aftermarket Wheels and Tires – Right Sale, Right Fit. Powered by SEMA’s Wheel and Tire Council (WTC) and TIA: Presented by Wayne Williams, MTD columnist and chair-elect WTC, Sean MacKinnon, TIA director of automotive training development.
Equip your sales staff with the data-driven knowledge they need to educate your customers on the effects of various plus-sizing decisions on vehicle dynamics and provide your techs with the resources they need to correctly and quickly install aftermarket wheel and tire packages while maintaining TPMS integrity and accuracy.
Exceptional Customer Service Skills: Presented by Richard Harder & Associates. This seminar will demonstrate that excellent customer service is very achievable by delivering often overlooked, basic and memorable acts of customer service.
Serving the Self-Sufficient Mobile Customer: Presented by Jeff Hasen, Gotta Mobilize
This seminar will explore ways to satisfy retail customers who want nothing more than to do everything on their mobile devices while in a store and those who personalized customer service. Find out if it is possible for a business to satisfy everyone.
Marketing in 2016 & Beyond – It’s Different, But Here’s how to Succeed! Presented by Zan Martin, president/CEO, and Jeff Lee, digital marketing director, Martin & Co. Advertising; Chad Reynolds, owner, BangShift; and Stacey David, GearZ
The presenters will review the past year’s marketing activity and the impact it has provided automotive companies and the advertising partners they’ve teamed with. Analytics will show the effectiveness of strategic content marketing.
AAPEXedu sessions
AAPEXedu is bringing back a slate of favorite presenters and adding new experts, with sessions designed to help attendees solve their most difficult issues. AAPEXedu sessions are free and recommended for all audiences, including service professionals, warehouse distributors (WDs), retailers and manufacturers. All AAPEXedu sessions will be accredited by the University of the Aftermarket toward the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) and Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) designations.
Among the favorite presenters returning in 2015 are:
- David Portalatin, The NPD Group, “2016 Aftermarket Outlook,”
- Mark Seng, IHS Automotive, “Five Trends in Five Minutes,”
- Marty Gold, Gold n’ Brown, “Selling Parts for Imports” and “Have You Ever Tried Listening to Your Customers?”
- Jim Pancero, Jim Pancero Inc., “How Best to Connect with the Millennial Buyer” and “Will You Be Able to Attract the Best Millennials to Your Sales Team?”
New presenters this year include:
- Kim Hazelbaker, Highway Loss Data Institute, “New Safety Technology: Does It Work?”
- Kit Yarrow, Golden Gate University, “Gen Y Decoded: Insights and Tactics for Managers, Leaders and Coaches,”
- Kevin Ramsier, Vesticor Advisors, “Maximizing the Value of Your Business,” “What To Do Before You Buy or Sell a Company” and “Succession Planning Strategies: Why They Matter in Your Business,”
- Dirk Beveridge, 4th Generation Systems, “Selling in the Age of Disruption: Relevance is the New Mandate” and “Selling Value to Maintain Margin in a Price Conscious World.”
In addition to Beveridge’s session, several other educational sessions will spotlight disruptive technologies impacting the automotive aftermarket and how businesses can stay ahead of the curve. These include:
- “Disruptive and Emerging Technologies: Which Ones Will Impact the Aftermarket?”
- “Getting Ahead of Disruptive E-commerce Technology”
- “21st Century Vehicles – Keeping Drivers Safe and Connected While Respecting the Environment”
- “Traditional Supply Chains to Undergo Radical Transformation by 2025,” and
- “Leveraging New Training Technology for Repair Shops.”
See the AAPEX website www.aapexshow.com for a full list of seminars. ■
Global Retread Symposium
Representatives from the Tire Industry Association (TIA) and the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) have been globetrotting to drum up support for the Global Retread Symposium at the 2015 Global Tire Expo, part of the SEMA Show. (Pictured are TIA’s Freda Pratt-Boyer and TRIB’s David Stevens with Bipaver’s Ruud Spuijbroek in Bologna, Italy.) The first Global Retread Symposium will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the Upper North Hall, room N258.
Retread industry leaders and professionals will meet to discuss retread issues that cross international boundaries and impact the industry as a whole. They will:
- review the current state of the retread markets in the U.S., Europe and Latin America.
- discuss efforts in each market to deal with the impact of low-cost imported tires.
- share technological advancements, best practices, and operational efficiencies.
Attendees must be registered for the SEMA Show in order to attend the free symposium.
See www.semashow.com for more information.
