by Amy Antenora
CHICAGO — Dave Caracci, chairman of the board of directors of the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS), wants to emphasize the truly global nature of this year’s event. Global is not just a word in the title, it is the axis around which the whole event revolves. Caracci pointed out that on this first day of the event alone, presentations would cover industry issues relating to Europe, Asia, India and the U.S.
The day-and-a-half symposium, themed "Shift Forward," will feature dynamic speakers and industry experts discussing a wide range of relevant topics — from opportunities in the changing European aftermarket, to telematics, to private label products, just to name a few.
Prior to kicking off this day and a half event, Caracci spent a few minutes with aftermarketNews to give us a sneak peak at what to expect from this year’s event. Our video interview with Caracci can be seen below.
Proceeds from the annual GAAS event go toward scholarships presented through the GAAS Scholarship Fund. In its first decade, the GAAS Scholarship fund presented a milestone $1 million in scholarships. Yesterday, the GAAS Scholarship Committee, Chaired by CARQUEST VP Pete Kornafel, selected 105 students for this year’s scholarships. The students were hand-picked from a pool of more than 300 applicants.
Kornafel also spoke with aftermarketNews last night to share more details on the scholarship fund, which now also features a number of memorial scholarships honoring several well-known industry veterans. Our video chat with Kornafel can be seen below.
For three consecutive years, R. L. Polk & Co. has been the corporate sponsor of the symposium and during the kick-off presentation Mark Seng, vice president – aftermarket & commercial vehicle for R. L. Polk & Co. presented Caracci with a signed contract to again sponsor the event in 2009, the 14th year of the event. In addition to Polk’s corporate sponsorship, industry associations, trade publications and other businesses help to sponsor this annual event.
Stay tuned tomorrow for continuing live coverage of the 2008 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium, brought to you by aftermarketNews and Counterman magazine.
