It’s hard to tell which is Dave Caracci’s stronger characteristic: humility, humor or enthusiasm. He’s got all three in spades and applies this passion to his role as chairman of the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS). The 2009 GAAS takes place May 6-7 in Chicago, amid crisis in the struggling auto industry. Commenting on why it’s more important to attend this year than ever before, Dave had this to say: “There are many leaders on the front lines of the aftermarket, trying to make decisions that not only affect them and the others working beside them today, but that may affect their survival for years to come. Who do they listen to? Where do they go for leading edge concepts or to identify short term shifts from long term trends? That is what GAAS is all about.” Read on to hear more about the 2009 GAAS from Symposium Chairman Dave Caracci.

Dave from what I’ve heard, the GAAS program has been altered this year. Can you tell us what has been changed and why?

As everyone who has attended GAAS in the past several years knows, we pay for and use an electronic polling system during GAAS to survey the audience on feelings, opinions and satisfaction. Some people may think this is for show. It is not. I can tell you that as a result of the data we collected from the electronic polling, some speakers and subjects for 2009 were eliminated from consideration and others have been added or asked back. One strong request from the audience was for “new faces.” Not new to the industry, but new to GAAS. For 2009, GAAS has almost all new people appearing, with new subject matter. There are a few subject experts that the audience asked to return. But, I can tell you that of the 23 aftermarket leaders on the program this year, 17 have never presented to the GAAS audience before. And three of the six that have appeared before, have not presented at GAAS in nearly a decade.

Other audience input was the request for longer networking sessions. We were told by the attendees that they wanted more time between presentations, to talk to the presenters and to the other attendees regarding industry issues. In 2009, we have expanded the coffee breaks and lunch break, as well as eliminated the lunch speaker to allow for more networking during lunch.

GAAS is about learning from other industry leaders, and the GAAS program committee has kept that foremost in their planning.
 
Dave, budgets are tight these days, however, a strong case can be made for attending events like GAAS in such challenging times. What would you say to someone who’s still trying to justify the cost of attendance?

Simple: If you want to win in the aftermarket in 2010, you can’t afford NOT to be at GAAS 2009.

But more to the point, the answer to the question of why invest your company’s money having someone in management attend GAAS, it depends on who is asking.

To the audience in general, all of us are frustrated by trying to make business decisions based on economic forecast presented by an entertainment-minded media with a preset agenda? Are you looking for uncut, unedited professional views of our economic future? At this year’s GAAS, you will hear from and can talk to, in person, the Senior Economist and Economic Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the Chief Investment Officer of Citi Global Wealth management and the Vice President of BB&T Capital Markets as well as many other analysts who are paid attendees. Whether you are running a NAFTA parts distributorship, a global parts manufacturer or considering personal retirement options, what these guys have to say at GAAS 2009, is important to YOU.

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