Reports following Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) 2011 was held recently in Orlando, Fla., have it pegged as one of the most successful in recent years, with attendance up 18% and strong sign-ups for 2012 already in evidence.
ASRW 2012 is scheduled for Oct. 11-13 at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La. (Educational sessions will begin Oct. 10, 2012.)
Ron Pyle, ASA president, commented on the event's outcome saying, "Since we've returned from the show, we've been inundated with an outpouring of positive feedback, success stories and personal testimonies of the impact of this year's event. It's evident a tremendous amount of business was transacted in Orlando last week, and we could not be happier with the upswing of ASRW 2011."
Total attendance for the 2011 event was 19,221, of which a third of the participants were from the east coast and another third were new attendees.
"By far the best NACE in our 11 year history. We expected we would have a good number of new shops stop at the booth and that was for sure what happened. We gathered twice as many leads as last year, and we closed 3 times as many sales on the floor as last year. Overall a fantastic NACE, and we can't wait for New Orleans," said Dave Henderson, AutoWatch.
"Congratulations to NACE. Great turnout. Manufacturers are jumping at the bit about New Orleans. Been a fabulous surprise," commented Bruce Mather, Dir. of Marketing HMS Warehouse (ChemSpec).
Additionally, advance exhibit space sales for ASRW 2012 began on-site and to date 20% of the show floor is already sold. Many verbal commitments have also been received and are expected to become firm commitments by the early-bird deadline of Nov. 15, 2011. For a complete listing of 2012 ASRW exhibitors, visit www.NACEexpo.com or www.CARSevent.com.
"Whatever you did -- it's working. We're local and we had a lot of people coming up to us thanking us for the invite to the show this year. It's been really good," said Ron Andress, R.M. Andress/Evercoat.
"What a great expo! We talked to a whole new group of collision repair owners at this expo and we look forward to next year in New Orleans to see a different group of collision repair professionals," stated Scott Saal, Auto Data Vin Labels.
"NACE allowed us the opportunity to showcase our services in a well-organized and exciting environment. Everyone was upbeat and enjoyed very engaging conversations. The networking opportunities for any exhibitor are great. We were glad to have this opportunity and are already getting excited for New Orleans next year!" said Matt Broyles, Operations Director, CARS.
"Autoshop Solutions experienced yet another spectacular year at CARS and NACE this year -- a remarkable event. One that I hope you benefited from. If you missed attending this year, I hope to see you next year in New Orleans!" Danny Sanchez, Autoshop Solutions.