ORLAND PARK, IL — More than 117,000 people attended Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) this year, shattering record attendance numbers from 2003 by approximately 12,000, according to show organizers.

AAIW is comprised of the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) and the SEMA Show. AAPEX is sponsored by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).

Most significant to the more than 3,800 exhibiting companies at AAIW is the 15 percent increase in buyers attending the shows — an all-time high attendance of 59,476.

“Our exhibitors reported not only an increase in the number of buyers, but in the number of decision-makers attending the show,” said Bill Glasgow Sr. of W.T. Glasgow Inc., AAPEX show manager. “The quality of attendees this year furthers our reputation as the aftermarket show where business is done.”

This year marked the inaugural year of the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) being held in conjunction with AAIW. NACE organizers reported total attendance of 30,243 in 2004, representing a 26 percent increase over the previous year. NACE experienced a 13 percent growth with more than 500 companies occupying 2,000 booths.

This year also marked another milestone for the AAIW shows – 90 percent of attendees pre-registered online, an all-time high.

AAIW 2005 is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 1, through Friday, Nov. 4. AAPEX will be held at the Sands Expo Center, and the SEMA show will be held in the Las Vegas Convention Center. NACE will return to Las Vegas in 2005, and will be held Wednesday, Nov. 2, through Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

For more information, go to: www.AAPEXshow.com.

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