For the second year in a row, the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) wrapped up its annual Technology Conference in Clearwater, Florida, with a fun and friendly contest among attendees at the event’s closing banquet. Proceeds from the contest were donated, once again, to a worthy cause – the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF).

Terence O’Reilly and Jeffrey Marshall of Pricedex Software, the conference’s Premier Sponsor, led attendees at the closing banquet in the “Loonie-Toonie” contest. O’Reilly and Marshall each flipped Canadian two-dollar pieces, or “Toonies,” as they are informally referred to in Canada, for participants to guess how the coins would land.

Participants were asked to place their bet money on the table, (the bet money consisted of voluntary donations to the AACF), and, while standing, indicate whether the coin toss would produce two heads, two tails, or one of each by placing both hands on their heads, both hands on their “tails” or one hand on each “end.”

Those who guessed correctly remained standing and placed their bets for the next coin toss. Through a comical process of elimination, the last person standing won a hoverboard valued at more than $500, courtesy of Pricedex.

The Canadian 2 dollar coin, or ‘Toonie,’ features a ‘head’ of Queen Elizabeth, and the ‘tail’ side features a polar bear.

“Terry and Jeff introduced us to this fun game at the 2017 AASA Technology Conference and it was a hit,” said Bill Long, AASA president and chief operating officer. “We brought it back at this year’s Conference because it is such a positive ending to this successful event. We all have fun and, at the same time, support the AACF in its important and valuable work for our industry.”

Banquet attendees raised a very generous $2,500 for the AACF at the banquet, which AASA has matched for a total donation of $5,000. Combined with AASA’s previous gift of $35,225 this year, this increases AACF support by AASA and its members to more than $40,000 for 2018.

“The AASA Technology Conference is one of the most valuable events in the industry for aftermarket technology professionals, suppliers and strategic channel partners alike,” said Terry O’Reilly, president and CEO of Pricedex and AACF corporate secretary. “We’re proud to support the event and to lead attendees in this game. Everyone seems to have a lot of fun with it and are very generous with their donations. We thank AASA for this support and all that the association does for AACF throughout the year.”

Business processes, IT, part data, vehicle data, online, connected and smart part technologies increasingly are converging and creating new opportunities for the aftermarket and the annual AASA Technology Conference is the industry’s top event to gain insights about these technologies. The 2019 AASA Technology Conference is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 29 through Tuesday, Oct. 1, in a new venue: the Boca Raton Resort, Boca Raton, Florida.

More details, including agenda and registration, will be announced at aasatech.com.