AAIA To Go Interactive

Building on the popularity of YouTube and other online public forums that have transformed American politics, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) will incorporate videotaped questions from aftermarket professionals around the country during a special segment of this year’s Town Hall featuring Bob Schieffer, anchor of “Face the Nation” and CBS News chief Washington correspondent.
Hosted by AAIA and sponsored by NASCAR Performance, the 2007 Town Hall will be held Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7 a.m. in the Palazzo Ballroom in the Venetian Hotel.
The program will be moderated by Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO, and will also feature Dick Morgan, AAIA chair and president and CEO of Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.
“This year we wanted to add some interactive fun to Town Hall and further engage aftermarket professionals in the program, so we decided to borrow the popular ‘YouTube’ concept and invite videotaped questions from aftermarket folks for our special guest Bob Schieffer to answer on stage,” Schmatz said.
Schieffer has anchored the CBS Evening News and covered Washington, D.C. for CBS News for more than 30 years.
Video questions recorded from digital cameras, camcorders, cell phones and Web cams should be submitted in the WMV, AVI, MOV or MPG file formats and no longer than 45 seconds. Please e-mail videos under 10 MB to townhallvideos@aftermarket.org. Videos over 10 MB should be burned to a CD and mailed to: AAIA Town Hall, 7101 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1300, Bethesda, MD 20814.
AAIA is a Bethesda, Md.-based association whose more than 23,000 member and affiliates manufacture, distribute and sell motor vehicle parts, accessories, service, tool, equipment, materials and supplies.
Through its membership, AAIA represents more than 100,000 repair shops, parts stores and distribution outlets.