AAPEX Day 3: Virtual event concludes

After an exhilarating three-day event that ran from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5, the 2020 virtual Automotive Aftermarket Parts Exhibition (AAPEX) has come to an end.

This year, thousands of automotive professionals took part in the virtual conference, normally held in Vegas. They took part in a series of technical trainings, business meetings, and virtual demonstrations.

Over the course of the week, several major announcements were made, including on Nov. 4, when The Government Advocacy Town Hall reported on the Massachusetts ballot initiative, passed on Election Day, that will preserve the right of vehicle owners to control their vehicle’s mechanical data necessary for service and repair at the shops of their choice.

Check out these highlights from day three of #VirtualAAPEX!

Plus, in case you missed it, you can check out our day one coverage HERE, and our day two coverage HERE.

Vik Tarasik, president, Shop Owner Coach, sat down with Chris Boshaw, founder, ShopBoss, and Cavan Robinson, general manager to find out more about the various software solutions the company offers to shop owners.

Rick White, president, 180BIZ, led an engaging webinar called “How to Attract Top Talent” in which he outlined some of the key mistakes hiring managers make when recruiting talent, and how to make highly-qualified candidates stay at your company.

Clockwise from upper left, Carm Capriotto, of Remarkable Results Radio, hosted the first annual AAPEX Service Awards. During the virtual ceremony, three awards were handed out: Service Advisor of the Year (Jason Sexton, Dynamic Automotive), Technician of the Year (Norm Schultz, Interstate Auto Care); and Shop Owner of the Year (Brian Sump, Avalon Motorsports).

Drew Jablonowski, a trainer with DRiV/Garage Gurus offered hints and tips on Catalytic Converter Efficiency DTCs (P0420/P0430) and Diagnosis.  He discussed the most critical emission’s component on the vehicle, the Catalytic Converter. This component has changed considerably over the years, yet the function remains the same. Complex monitoring strategies performed by the on-board vehicle controller can make conclusive diagnosis of a failed catalytic converter not so easy to pinpoint. He offered five 5 practical steps to diagnosing and repairing a Catalytic Converter Efficiency DTC (P0420 or P0430).

Greg Bunch, of Transformers Institute, and the owner of Aspen Auto Clinic, offers a class on preparing for multiple shop ownership. Extremely bullish on the future of the independent automotive repair and service industry, he said there are very good reasons to believe that independent auto repair is in a good spot. “There is a lot of fear and trepidation about what the next 5 or 10 years will hold for us, but we’ll figure out how to fix modern cars so people don’t have to go back to the dealership.”

Business trainer Maylan Newton offered strategies for improving communication between service advisors and customers, as well as management and employees. He suggested some news tools to help auto service professionals deal with difficult conversations, and turn confrontations into conversations that will improve business and lower stress.