AAPEX Announces 2012 Product and New Packaging Showcase Winners

AAPEX Announces 2012 Product and New Packaging Showcase Winners

LAS VEGAS, NEV.  – Oct. 30, 2012 – The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) announced winners of its 2012 Product Showcase and New Packaging Showcase on Oct. 29, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. All product and new packaging entries are on display in Hall D extension of the Sands Expo Center during AAPEX, Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1.

Product Showcase award winners were selected by pre-registered AAPEX buyers. Entries were displayed in 13 categories in the online 2012 AAPEX Product Extra and more than 4,600 votes were cast for products in this year’s showcase, an increase of approximately 28 percent over 2011.

Product Showcase winners are:

*Accessories: Gold Eagle, 303 Instant Windshield Washer Tablets

*Automotive Lighting: Cequent Consumer Products, Highland Black Tailgate Lighted Logos – Stealth

*Business Tools: Alldata, Alldata Training Garage

*Chemical, Lube & Filter: Armoured Automotive Group, Armor All Mini Wipes

*Electrical: Standard Motor Products, Standard & Intermotor Clone-able TPMS Sensors

*General Merchandise: Permatex, Fast Orange Pumice Lotion

*Hard Parts: Heat n Clean Products, Automatic Heated Wiper Blades

*Innovation (two winners): Goodyear, Gatorback Timing Belt Replacement Kit Display, and 

 Swiss+Tech Products, Micro-light Touch Screen Cleaner

*Mobile Electronics: Striker Hand Tools, Simple Sucker Smartphone Mount

*Paint, Body & Equipment: Workshop Hero, Metal Rescue Rust Remover Bath

*Safety: Atlantic Safety Products, Orange Lightning Gloves

*Tires & Wheels: Fix-a-Flat, Fix-A-Flat Advanced

*Tools & Equipment (two winners): Autel, MaxiDAS DS708, and 

 Lemur Vehicle Monitors, Bluedrive.

The 2012 New Packaging Showcase award winners reflect the highest standards in packaging design set by the Institute of Packaging Professionals. Ben Miyares, president of the Packaging Management Institute, judged this year’s entries, The 2012 New Packaging winners are:

* Economics (tie): UView Ultraviolet Systems, Universal A/C Dye Cartridge Packaging and 

  Grote Industries, LED Work Lamp Industrial Pack & Retail Pack

* Environmental Impact: Valeo Service, ULTIMATE Master Connect Wiper Blades

* Innovation (tie): Bar’s Products, Rislone Dual-Cavity Bottle with Funnel, and 

  Universal Lubricants, LLC, ECO ULTRA Flex Pak

* Marketing: Federal Mogul, Wagner Lighting Night Defense 2-Pack Capsules

* Performance: Spectra Premium Industries, Spectra Premium Fuel Module Packaging

AAPEX represents the $395 billion global motor vehicle aftermarket and is jointly sponsored by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). For more information, please visit www.aapexshow.com or e-mail: info@aapexshow.com.

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AAPEX Reports Increase in Voting for Product Showcase Entries

AAPEX Reports Increase in Voting for Product Showcase Entries

ORLAND PARK, IL – Oct. 17, 2012 – The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) reports that approximately 700 more votes have been cast by pre-registered buyers for entries in the 2012 Product Showcase, compared to this time last year. Voting is open until Oct. 24, and the winning entries will be announced during AAPEX, slated for Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.

This year marks the second year for AAPEX pre-registered buyers to determine the winning entries in the Product Showcase. In 2011, more than 3,600 votes were cast for products in the showcase.

Entries are presented in 13 categories in the online 2012 AAPEX Product Extra publication. Pre-registered buyers who are eligible to vote have been sent voting instructions and a link to the AAPEX Product Extra publication. When they vote, buyers will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card.

This year’s product categories are: Accessories, Automotive Lighting, Business Tools, Chemical, Lubricant & Filter, Electrical, General Merchandise, Hard Parts, Innovation, Mobile Electronics, Paint, Body and Equipment, Safety, Tires and Wheels, and Tools and Equipment.

In addition to pre-registered buyers, more than 63,000 automotive aftermarket professionals will receive the electronic version of the Product Extra publication. A printed version of the publication will be sent with the October issue of Aftermarket Business and additional copies will be distributed during AAPEX. 

All entries in the 2012 Product Showcase also will be on display at AAPEX.

About AAPEX

AAPEX represents the $395 billion global motor vehicle aftermarket and is jointly sponsored by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). For more information, please visit www.aapexshow.com or e-mail: info@aapexshow.com.

 Rich White, AAIA

301-654-6664, ext. 1030

rich.white@aftermarket.org

Margaret Beck, AASA

919-406-8828

media@mema.org  

Midtronics Sponsors Enhanced AAPEX Mobile Compass App

ORLAND PARK, IL – Oct. 9, 2012 – The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) Mobile Compass app, sponsored by Midtronics, has been enhanced to help attendees efficiently plan their visit to AAPEX while on the go. AAPEX will be held Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

The Mobile Compass App includes the following enhancements:

• Access to a personalized walking map, a real-time printable PDF that includes a hall-by-hall numbered listing of attendees’ favorite exhibitors and maps with their booths highlighted in the same order.

• A Gallery of promotional videos uploaded by exhibitors and encoded to play on smartphones.

• A fast auto-sync feature that gives attendees the latest updates when they first launch the app.

• Buzz push notifications to alert attendees to important news and announcements from AAPEX event management.

• The ability for attendees to integrate their personalized conference itinerary with their mobile device calendar.

• iCloud support for attendees to automatically sync their personalized planner across all their iOS devices based on their Apple ID.

The AAPEX app is free of cost and available for Androids, iPhones and iPads. ChirpE, the Mobile Compass Web App, works on all Internet-enabled smartphones and links directly to the AAPEX website in real time.

The app can be downloaded from the AAPEX website, tiny.cc/aapex_apps. Attendees who already have the app should update it to get the latest enhancements.

AAPEX Opens Voting for Product Showcase Entries

ORLAND PARK, IL – Oct. 11, 2012 – Buyers who are pre-registered to attend the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) may now vote on entries in the 2012 Product Showcase. Entries are presented in 13 categories in the online 2012 AAPEX Product Extra publication and buyers will have until Oct. 24 to vote for their favorite products. The winning entries will be announced during AAPEX, slated for Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.

This year marks the second year for pre-registered AAPEX buyers to determine the winning entries in the Product Showcase. In 2011, more than 3,600 votes were cast for products in the showcase.

Pre-registered buyers who are eligible to vote have been sent voting instructions and a link to the AAPEX Product Extra publication. When they vote, buyers will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card.

This year’s product categories are: Accessories, Automotive Lighting, Business Tools, Chemical, Lubricant & Filter, Electrical, General Merchandise, Hard Parts, Innovation, Mobile Electronics, Paint, Body and Equipment, Safety, Tires and Wheels, and Tools and Equipment.

In addition to pre-registered buyers, more than 63,000 automotive aftermarket professionals will receive the electronic version of the Product Extra publication. A printed version of the publication will be sent with the October issue of Aftermarket Business and additional copies will be distributed during AAPEX. 

All entries in the 2012 Product Showcase also will be on display at AAPEX.

AAPEX Learning Forum Sessions To Address Employee Productivity

ORLAND PARK, IL – Oct. 15, 2012 – Among the 32 sessions in the 2012 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) Learning Forum, six sessions will focus on ways to enhance employee productivity. Learning Forum sessions will start on Monday, Oct. 29 and be offered during AAPEX, slated for Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo Center, Las Vegas, Nev.

Shawn Parr, Bulldog Drummond, will present “Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch: Why and How to Define and Nurture Your Company’s Culture.” This session will cover the benefits and building blocks of a strong culture in order to realize long-term business success. Though creating a strong culture takes hard work and true commitment, the rewards are better financial growth, high employee involvement, strong internal communications and new levels of innovation.

Brent Peterson, Work Itself Group, will present “Causes of Fake Work: Paths to Real Work.” This session will help participants rethink the work that is being done in offices, cubicles, product distribution centers and manufacturing facilities to make sure employees’ work contributions are relevant and real. Peterson will follow up with “Strategy-Alignment Execution: Linking the Real World to Organization Issues” where he will talk about how company leaders and managers can translate strategy to individual employees to facilitate engagement and implementation.

The issue of identifying and nurturing natural leadership abilities will be presented by Jay Forte, Humanetrics, LLC, in the session, “Who Has the Right Stuff to Lead? How to Develop Your Next Generation of Leaders.” Companies need to assess for hardwired leadership ability and provide the support to develop next generation leaders to be ready when the time is right.  

With large outside sales forces and increased numbers of telecommuters, companies want to be sure that employees are working when not being watched. In “When You Aren’t Watching, Are They Really Working? How to Manage a Remote Workforce,” Forte will introduce how to create expectations that hold employees accountable for their performance.

In “Can’t We All Just Get Along? Working with Generations X and Y (and Everyone Else),” Bill Haas, Haas Performance Consulting, LLC, will cover the different approaches to coaching, managing and leading employees of different generations to work together effectively. 

All AAPEX education sessions are free and will be held at the Venetian Hotel, on the Venetian/Palazzo Congress Center Level 1, Marco Polo Rooms 701 – 706.

Although some sessions are recommended for specific aftermarket audiences, everyone is welcome to attend any session. All AAPEX Learning Forum sessions are accredited by the University of the Aftermarket toward the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) and Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) designations. For more information, visit www.aapexshow.com.

AAPEX Learning Forum Sessions To Cover Sales, Marketing and Branding

Five sessions in the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) Learning Forum will focus on what companies should know about sales, marketing and branding to be successful in today’s marketplace. The Learning Forum will offer more than 30 sessions, all at no cost, starting Monday, Oct. 29 – the day before the official start of AAPEX – and running throughout AAPEX, Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

Sales, marketing and branding sessions include “Sprechen Sie Brand?” with speaker Shawn Parr, Bulldog Drummond, which will cover how branding can make companies successful by providing strategic clarity. Jackie DeLise, Vermillion Consulting, will lead a session on “The Partnership Path to Brand Differentiation and Success” with a focus on how partnerships within the supply chain can work together to create, refresh and maintain a brand’s relevance over time. “Intellectual Property: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You,” with speakers Sarah Bruno of Arent Fox and Kenya Merritt of the FBI, will outline how companies can protect their intellectual property and brand. These three sessions will be offered on Monday, Oct. 29.

For companies embracing the newest in marketing technology, two sessions will be presented by Greg Sterling, Sterling Market Intelligence: “The Role of Mobile in Business-to-Business Marketing and Customer Relationship Management,” and “The Role of Mobile in Business-to-Consumer Marketing.” These two sessions will be offered on Tuesday, Oct. 30 and Wednesday, Oct. 31, respectively.

Learning Forum sessions will be held at the Venetian Hotel, on the Venetian/Palazzo Congress Center Level 1, Marco Polo Rooms 701-706. All sessions are accredited by the University of the Aftermarket toward the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) and Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) designations.

With the Learning Forum starting before the official opening of AAPEX, attendees are reminded to adjust their travel plans and schedules accordingly. To register for AAPEX, visit the event’s website, www.aapexshow.com. For a complete list of sessions, visit the Learning Forum on the AAPEX Website.