ASA pulls NACE and CARS from AAIW

Dec. 4, 2009

The third annual Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) will not be held in conjunction with Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) next year. It will stand alone, run by the Automotive Service Association (ASA).

The International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE), the Congress of Automotive Repair & Service (CARS) and four groups representing automotive glass service and repair professionals (hosts of Auto Glass Week) will join together Oct. 10-13,  at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. (The ASA sponsors NACE and CARS.)

ASRW was specifically created "for all automotive service and repair professionals, enabling even more industry segments to join under the umbrella," according to the ASA.

“ASA is very pleased that our plans to produce a dedicated event for all automotive service and repair professionals, regardless of their industry affiliations, business models, specialties, or disciplines, have finally come to fruition,” says Ron Pyle, ASA president and chief staff executive.

“At ASRW, the shop owner and the technician are welcomed, respected and listened to, because they are the decision-makers. Regardless of which segment of the service and repair market they serve, they are the front-line troops that install the parts, utilize the tools and equipment, and take advantage of the information and training that the industry provides.

"Our mission is to make ASRW the only destination necessary to address the needs of the professional service and repair community,” he adds.

ASA says 21,227 industry professionals representing the collision, mechanical and auto glass segments of the industry attended ASRW in 2009. Exhibitor booths represented 90,300 net square feet of space. Demonstrations, theater space and attractions accounted for another 37,200 net square feet.

NACE, the world’s collision repair event, annually draws an estimated attendance of 20,000-plus industry professionals from around the globe, according to ASA. CARS, designed for automotive service professionals, draws an estimated 2,000-plus industry professionals.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show and the Automotive Aftermarket Parts Exposition (AAPEX) will be held during AAIW Nov. 2-5, 2010.