Business Benefits Rule At GAAS 2009

The 2009 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) returns to Chicago, Ill. May 6 and 7 with a series of highly focused business presentations.

The fourteenth annual event will take place at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, with the theme “Winning Strategies in a Changing Aftermarket.”

“We listened to past attendees and their requests for topics and issues, and the dynamic GAAS 2009 reflects their input,” says Dave Caracci, GAAS chairman. “Industry executives are scrutinizing costs to attend events and demand ROI of intelligence, insight, and data that they can transfer into immediate strategies. GAAS 2009 is built to deliver actionable takeaways for great business profitability, efficiency, and competitiveness.”

Speakers already confirmed include Bill Strauss from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on “The Long-Term Effects of Fuel Prices”; Dr. John Wormald of Autopolis on “The Environmental Crisis, the Auto Industry and the Aftermarket”; Rich Detskas, automotive manager, SGS Testing Company on “Outsourcing to Third World Quality: The Good, Bad and Ugly”; and David Portalatin from the NPD Group on “Consumer Insights: Just Ask!”

In addition, two panel discussions are planned: “What Will the DIY Market Look Like in the Next Five Years?” and “Internet Business Models In Today’s Aftermarket.”

For more information and registration, visit www.globalsymposium.org.