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Letter to the Editor
Thursday November 20
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas Shatters Attendance Records
More than 105,000 people attended the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) and the SEMA Show during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas, Nov. 4-7, the largest attendance in the history of the combined trade shows, according to AAPEX organizers.Total attendance was up 21 percent over 2002, the previous best year. The most significant increase was in the number of buyers: more than 51,000, up 29 percent or 11,512 over last year. Also of particular note was the increase in international buyers, which exceeded 8,000.
"You could just feel the energy and excitement at AAPEX this year and the final all-time high attendance numbers clearly demonstrate why," said Alfred L. Gaspar, AAIA president and CEO. "We responded to the industry's call for trade show consolidation and the industry countered with a strong showing. Industry Week will soon become the largest trade show in Las Vegas with the addition of NACE in 2004."
"The sponsoring associations, together with show management, have made great strides to add value to the total AAPEX experience and I think we're seeing those efforts beginning to produce results," added Christopher M. Bates, president and CEO of MEMA. "We have worked hard at focusing our efforts on increasing the quality and quantity of buyers in attendance. That is what the exhibitors truly want - to increase sales opportunities to customers here and abroad in an effective, focused venue. The emphasis to make AAPEX a vehicle for conducting a 'world of business' is truly paying off for all event participants."
AAPEX is the annual trade show representing the $250 billion North American retail and service aftermarket and features more than 1,900 exhibitors. AAPEX is jointly sponsored by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).
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