ASA to Make Significant Changes to NACE Expo

April 5, 2013

April 5, 2013—The Automotive Service Association (ASA) will make several fundamental changes to the 2013 NACE Expo to create a different experience for both attendees and exhibitors, ASA’s Executive Vice President Dan Risley said this week during the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meeting in Phoenix.

Risley said the goal of the changes to NACE is to promote unity in the industry, and reaffirm the event as the place where the collision repair industry comes together.

“Many exhibitors and regular supporters of NACE expressed concern with supporting two national trade shows several weeks apart. Many of those individuals have asked ASA to help play a role in facilitating a resolve to the issue,” Risley said. “ASA and its board of directors are committed to addressing many of those concerns and playing a role in unifying the industry.”

Risley said significant effort was made this year to change the dates of the NACE event, which is scheduled for Oct. 17-19 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas—less than three weeks prior to the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Risley said the ASA was unable to change the dates due to several factors, so the organization opted to implement new changes to the trade show instead.

For example, the MSO Symposium—which to date has been reserved solely for multiple-shop operators—will be opened up to all independent, single-location repairers. In addition, Risley said the traditional NACE Welcome Reception will no longer be a standalone event. The Welcome Reception will be incorporated into the trade show to further promote networking and unity in the industry.

Risley said more information regarding changes to NACE will soon be announced. 

“Significant additional announcements that further illustrate our commitment to improve the overall experience will be made in the weeks and months leading up to NACE,” Risley said.

Darrell Amberson, chairman-elect of the ASA’s board of directors, said there will be a major announcement made later this year regarding the 2014 NACE event. He said the ASA is considering “a full range of options,” including partnering with other shows or changing the date to a different time of the year.

“We have not worked through all the details, but are certain the changes will be viewed positively by the industry,” Amberson said. “The industry has strongly supported NACE for more than 30 years. Based on that, it is clear to us that the industry deserves to have a show solely dedicated to the auto mechanical and collision repair industries. As part of this industry, it tears my heart out when we’re so fractured and dysfunctional. We’re really serious about creating unity. We’re here to take action and bring [the industry] together.”

The ASA also asked the CIC to consider switching its fall meeting dates from November to October in order to coincide with NACE rather than SEMA. CIC’s fall meeting has been held during the week of SEMA since 2010.

The ASA offered the CIC free meeting space if it opted to alter its dates.

Jeff Hendler, administrator of the CIC, said the organization has a contractual commitment to SEMA through 2016. The ASA’s request will not be considered until that time.

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