Activant to Increase Presence at 2008 AAPEX Show

Activant Solutions has announced that it will increase its presence at the 2008 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas this fall based on a significant rise in distributor and jobber meetings and resulting sales of business management solutions during the 2007 show. The company will both increase the size of its AAPEX exhibit (booth #2035) and offer personalized demonstrations of a larger number of aftermarket solutions during this year’s show. This enhanced presence on the AAPEX floor reflects a “sizeable jump” in booth traffic and solutions sales at last year’s event, according to Tom Aliotti, vice president and general manager of the Activant automotive business.

LIVERMORE, Calif. – Activant Solutions has announced that it will increase its presence at the 2008 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas this fall based on a significant rise in distributor and jobber meetings and resulting sales of business management solutions during the 2007 show.

The company will both increase the size of its AAPEX exhibit (booth #2035) and offer personalized demonstrations of a larger number of aftermarket solutions during this year’s show. This enhanced presence on the AAPEX floor reflects a “sizeable jump” in booth traffic and solutions sales at last year’s event, according to Tom Aliotti, vice president and general manager of the Activant automotive business.

“AAPEX has been a huge success for us,” he said. “Last year’s show alone resulted in nearly 200 qualified leads and allowed us to close a large number of sales. We saw tremendous interest in our Activant Eagle for the Aftermarket and Activant Vision business management systems, as well as our data solutions and bolt-on products like the Activant Dispatch and Delivery System, Activant Document Imaging solution and AuctionExpert online selling solution for eBay Motors.”

Activant’s longtime participation in AAPEX – the company has exhibited each year since the show’s inception – demonstrates its commitment to helping aftermarket businesses utilize innovative technologies to increase their sales and profitability, according to Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), which sponsors the show in partnership with the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).

“Each year thousands of manufacturers, distributors, jobbers and service shop professionals come to AAPEX to discover new ways to grow their businesses,” Schmatz said. “Activant is one of the many exhibitors who have leveraged the full value of the show by demonstrating powerful new products, services and other solutions that address both the current and future needs of our audience.”

“We applaud Activant’s innovation in developing this value-added display for AAPEX 2008,” said Steve Handschuh, president and COO of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). “It is one of many companies that recognize AAPEX’s value as more than just our industry’s annual trade show – it is the automotive aftermarket industry’s prime time to network and learn about the latest trends and products in the industry.”

AAPEX is the annual business-to-business trade show representing the global automotive aftermarket. The event, held at the Sands Expo Center, attracted more than 2,000 exhibitors and nearly 118,000 industry professionals last year. This year’s AAPEX Show will take place November 4-6.

For more information about AAPEX, visit: www.aapexshow.com.

For more information about Activant, visit www.activant.com or AAPEX booth #2035.

Despite a tough commercial tire market in 2023 due to overstock and the effects of a rubber-banding supply chain, some tire manufacturers are expressing a cautious optimism for stabilization and gradual recovery through the rest of 2024 and into 2025.

"The economy is not showing signs that it’s going to slow down, but I don’t think the situation’s going to improve dramatically by the end of this year. It’s more likely next year," said Pierluigi Cumo, Vice President of B2B products, at Michelin North America. "We can see the light because the beginning of 2023 was very bad. I think now we’ve found the bottom, and I don’t think we’re going to get much further from the bottom in 2024."