As a direct result of feedback from industry participants, Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) will return to a rotating pattern beginning in 2011. The 2011 exposition will be held Oct. 6-8 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., which also returns the show to a Thursday to Saturday date pattern. Education sessions will begin on Oct. 5.
ASRW plans to rotate locations between east, midwest and west locations. Rotating the event is intended to attract new attendees, as well as those who have not been attending in previous years. The location for 2012 is to be determined.
Ron Pyle, ASA president, briefly mentioned investigating potential changes at the closing press conference of the 2010 event. Subsequently, ASRW solicited feedback and opinions from the industry through a series of surveys which stated, "you decide." Participants were asked to provide input on all aspects of the show, and included attendees, exhibitors, and prospects.
"The surveys elicited much more of a response than we were expecting and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to respond," said Pyle. "We spent weeks pouring through all the feedback we received from the surveys to grasp what the industry wanted from this show - starting with the location, days of the week, and time of the year. ASRW is the industry's show, and we're pleased with the changes we've made which align directly to the majority consensus we received."
Preparations for the 2011 event are underway. Housing for the 2011 event will open in late spring and will feature a variety of options, ranging in price from $99 - $200. Registration for attendees and exhibitors will open in early summer.
ASRW includes the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair & Service (CARS), both sponsored by the Automotive Service Association (ASA).
Visit www.ASRWevents.com.
