You already know AAPEX means learning about new products and meeting with key clients on the show floor, but it’s also the perfect place to learn about industry trends, new technologies and how to grow your business.
The Inside Track: AAPEX Learning Forum will cover a variety of topics for all audiences, including current aftermarket industry trends, regulatory issues, sales management/technical trends and best practices. Free to all AAPEX attendees, the sessions have been moved from the Sands Expo and Convention Center to The Venetian/Palazzo Congress Center, Level 1.
“This is the first year we’ve called it The Learning Forum,” says Sue Kalish, AAIA’s senior director, “with four concurrent sessions offered during each time segment. We also moved it from the Sands to The Venetian so it’s easier to find.”
Sessions will be offered from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Nov. 3-5, with many targeted at a specific audience, whether it’s warehouse distributors, retailers or shop owners.
“We interviewed a number of different people for the different audiences,” Kalish says. “We had some discussions about possible topics, and then we went out and located the speakers for those topics.
“I think we have a great lineup this year,” she continues. “We’ve covered topics for all audiences about current trends, regulatory issues. We have some great speakers lined up—the acting deputy administrator for NHTSA is coming, and we have the chief people officer from CARQUEST coming to talk about diversity.”
It’s also never been easier to earn continuing education credit at AAPEX. All Inside Track: AAPEX Learning Forum seminars are accredited for 0.1 CEUs by the University of the Aftermarket, counting toward the Automotive Aftermarket Profession (AAP) and Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) designations.
“Those designations are the only professional designations in the automotive aftermarket, and they serve to identity those professionals working in the motor vehicle aftermarket who, over the course of their career, have attained a certain level of skills and experience,” says Brian Cruickshank, AAP, director, University of the Aftermarket. “It’s used by employers as a yardstick to determine who is a ‘true’ aftermarket professional.”
Cruickshank says the sessions were intentionally scheduled for morning hours Nov. 3-5 so show attendees wouldn’t have to choose between time on the show floor and educational opportunities.
“The committee, of which I’m a member, that created these educational programs was careful to schedule them so that they allow for maximum time on the show floor yet allowing time to for people to enhance their professional skills,” he says.
Both Kalish and Cruickshank point out the fact that learning is critical in any profession, including the automotive aftermarket and especially at AAPEX.
“Education in general is an important aspect of any trade show, and it’s certainly no different at AAPEX,” Cruickshank says.
“You need to know about the products,” Kalish adds, “but you’re also there to learn. I think that we’ll provide quite a few opportunities for attendees to take home information, recommendations and tips that they can go ahead and implement when they get back to the office.”
No pre-registration is required, but seating is limited. Click here for a complete list of available seminars. And, as a registered attendee, don’t forget to add the seminars you want to attend to your online itinerary available at the SEMA/AAPEX Show Matching Web site, http://my.sema.org/semashow/login.
