Orlando, Fla., Oct. 8, 2011—The decision to move Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW) out of Las Vegas and into a rotating location schedule has paid off so far.

Attendance at this year’s ASRW—comprised of NACE and CARS—increased 15 percent over last year, said Ron Pyle, president of the Automotive Service Association, which sponsors the events. Of those who attended, 40 percent were from the southeastern U.S. and another 40 percent were new to the events.

“Those are two important elements because the exhibitors here wanted to see new faces,” Pyle said.

The educational offerings were also well attended; 20,000 tickets were sold for industry sessions and 1,000 all-access super passes were sold. Pyle called this year’s educational offerings “a home run,” particularly the Multi-Shop Operator (MSO) Symposium. Vendors also appreciated the MSO session, Pyle said, because it drew big-name facilities to their booths.

“We will add, I think, some additional tracks for specific attendee types and business models,” he said, referring to next year’s ASRW. “It’s obvious to us that that is a compelling value.”

ASRW will be at Morial Convention Center in New Orleans next year, with conference sessions starting Oct. 10 and the show running from Oct. 11¬–13. Pyle expects the event to grow again in that venue, and attract more new attendees.