Every year, the aftermarket descends on Las Vegas for AWDA, AAPEX, and the SEMA show. It is not a vacation. It is not a casual week of networking. It is two of the most important events in the industry crammed back-to-back into a few days.
If you have been before, you know what I mean. If you are new, brace yourself. You will run from meeting to meeting, shake a hundred hands, and try to process more information than your brain can store. By Friday, your feet will hate you, your voice will be gone, and you will have no idea what you said to whom on Tuesday.
That is the challenge. And if you do not get intentional about how you approach these shows, you will waste the opportunity.
Mark Bogdansky, VP of Tradeshows and Community Engagement at Auto Care, said it best on the Auto Care on Air podcast. If you are waiting until you get on the plane to start preparing, you are already behind.
Preparation looks different depending on your role.
This is a business show. Treat it like one.
AAPEX is not standing still. For the first time in decades, the show floor is being segmented by product category. That means fuel pump companies will be together. Brake manufacturers will be together. No more wandering an entire hall to find competitors.
This changes the game. You will be side by side with your rivals. That is not a disadvantage. It is a chance to prove why you are better.
Other updates that matter:
Translation: traffic will be there. The question is whether you are ready for it.
Ted Hughes, Executive Director of AWDA, pointed out a truth most exhibitors do not want to admit. Many booths fail because of the people inside them.
If your team is sitting down, glued to phones, or chatting with each other, your booth is invisible. Compare that with the booth next door where staff are standing, smiling, and engaging. Guess who gets the business?
If you are investing in Vegas, teach your team how to work a booth. Rotate breaks. Put giveaways at the back so people have to walk through. And make sure every person represents your company well.
Here is where most companies lose the plot.
You can have 30 conversations in a single day. By the time you get back to your hotel, you cannot remember which distributor mentioned a fill rate problem and which one wanted to talk about rebates.
This is exactly why we are building Minecart. It lets reps jot quick notes, record a voice memo, or snap a photo as soon as the meeting ends. The details are fresh, the context is clear, and nothing slips through the cracks.
Even if you do not use our app, the principle holds. Write down key points immediately after every conversation. If you wait until later, you will forget the small things that actually matter.
This one shocked me. On the podcast, they cited a stat that 89 percent of tradeshow leads are never followed up on.
Think about that. Companies spend thousands to get to Vegas and then leave conversations to die.
You want ROI? Here is how you get it:
If you do not follow up, your competitor will. And buyers notice.
A few survival hacks from the veterans:
Small things, yes. But your energy directly impacts your ability to perform.
Deals and contracts are important, but the aftermarket has always been about people. The Circle Bar, the receptions, the lobby chats—this is where relationships deepen.
And never underestimate who you are talking to. As Jackie Lutz noted on the podcast, today’s small buyer may be tomorrow’s decision-maker at a billion-dollar company. Blow someone off now and you may regret it later.
AWDA and AAPEX are not easy. They are supposed to be hard. The industry shows up with high expectations and little patience for wasted time.
The companies that win are not always the biggest. They are the ones who:
Do that, and you will not just survive the week. You will build momentum that carries into 2026.
Read FREE Tromml's eBook on how AI is changing work in aftermarket parts distribution.
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