MOKENA, Ill. – As companies vied for the top spots in the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) Space Draw on Tuesday, April 29, Bar’s Products Inc. of Holly, Mich., was the “top draft pick” in this year’s draw. By following strict Space Draw procedures and getting the No. 1 spot, Bar’s Products will be the first company to select and confirm its booth location for the 2014 AAPEX. AAPEX is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Thursday, Nov. 6 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev., with AAPEXedu sessions starting on Monday, Nov. 3.
“We are so excited to be the first company pulled in the AAPEX 2014 booth spacing drawing,” said Shelly Gascoigne, sales and marketing coordinator for Bar’s Products, parent company of performance chemical brands Rislone and Bar’s Leaks. “We loved having booth No. 3616 at AAPEX 2013 and are thrilled that being drawn first means that we can keep the same space to once again greet customers in this high-profile location right inside the main Sands Avenue entrance. We are looking forward to another successful year exhibiting at AAPEX. We have participated in the show for 58 years. It’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce new products and meet with customers from around the world."
More than 2,400 companies participated in the AAPEX Space Draw, representing 520,000 net square feet of exhibit space. AAPEX 2014 increased by approximately 8 percent compared to 2013 as exhibitors reserved more space for this year’s event.
Based on the large number of companies participating in the Space Draw, the event’s specific sections are exceeding expectations for the 2014 AAPEX, including Tool & Equipment, Remanufacturing, Paint & Body, the International Heat Transfer Association (NARSA), the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) and Auto International.
The Space Draw took place at the AAPEX Event Management office of WT Glasgow in Mokena, Ill., under the supervision of the auditing firm of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP of Oak Brook, Ill.
With the Space Draw complete, exhibitors are now in the process of selecting and confirming their booth locations for the 2014 AAPEX. Exhibitors are given a date and time when AAPEX Event Management will call them to select their booth location. During the selection process, which began Tuesday, May 6, exhibitors have the opportunity to view an online floor plan that is updated in real-time.
In addition to reserving their booth space, exhibitors are reminded to make their hotel accommodations for AAPEX as soon as possible as some Las Vegas hotels are already sold out. Hotel accommodations can be made online on the AAPEX website, www.aapexshow.com/housing.
The 2014 AAPEX is expected to feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths and 39,000 targeted buyers. More than 130,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from nearly 125 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX. To register, visit: www.aapexshow.com/register.
