For the First Time in the History of

Transcription

1 For the First Time in the History of Expo by Steve Bodofsky the first time in the history of Expo For That single line quite nearly defines this year s Expo. Virtually every scheduled event either began at a new time, a new locale, or was completely revamped until it was nearly unrecognizable from previous years. The result exceeded almost everyones' expectations. Expo began on Thursday evening, October 29 th, with the kickoff seminars at the top of the Monaco Tower in the Riviera. From that moment on, any concerns about attendance in this year of uncertain economic indicators floated out the window, as both the management and technical seminars played to nearly packed houses. That was just the beginning: Friday morning began bright and early with a light breakfast and a strong start. The management seminars were once again held consecutively in a single room. But this year, in addition to the more familiar faces, for the first time in the history of 36 GEARS December 2009

2 Your Technical Information Super Store To Order Call Latigo Ave Oxnard, CA Avoiding On Sale $40.00 The Yellow Pages Money Pit! An Insider Reveals How to Reduce Your Costs and Increase Your Response Presented by Thom Tschetter of Profitboost.com

3 ATRA's Powertrain EXPO Wrap Expo, Marc Slutsky from Street Fighter Marketing and Jay Gubrud from Jay Gubrud and Associates offered their exciting and unique marketing ideas for bringing more customers into your shop. The management speakers, both old and new, were joined by longtime automotive trainer Terry Greenhut, back for the first time after a long absence from the Expo stage. 38 GEARS December 2009

4 And this year, for the first time in the history of Expo, the technical seminar program followed suit by running all two-dozen-plus seminars together in the same room. No more picking and choosing which seminars to attend and which to miss: This year every technician had the opportunity to catch every seminar. But this year, for the first time in the history of Expo, ATRA s familiar technical trainers were joined by these new faces: Jon Rodriguez from ATRA; Joe Glassford from Vested, LLC; Jack Rosebro, hybrid technical instructor; and Bob White from Superior Transmission Parts. This year also marked the 6 th annual Red Girdly Memorial Golf Tournament, contested at the worldfamous Wildhorse Golf Club. Slauson Transmission Parts Right Part, Right Price, Right Now! Used, New & Rebuilt Hard Par ts, Soft Par ts, Electrical Components & Fly wheels Order online at Slauson.com Offering qualit y products from these fine vendors : Phone Hours: Open 7:00 am to 5:00 pm/ PST GEARS December

5 ATRA's Powertrain EXPO Wrap There is always time for good drink, food and friends at Expo! Transtar Industries hosted their annual industry reception on Saturday night (Halloween). But this year, for the first time in the history of Expo, the tournament took place on Saturday morning, concurrently with the seminar programs. This may have cut into attendance, but it certainly wasn t noticeable on the seminar floors on Saturday. For more on the golf tournament, refer to page GEARS December 2009

6 Ready to Shift to a Better Insurance Program? Get into Gear with Heffernan Insurance Brokers. We offer: Property/Casualty Garage Liability/Garage Keepers Property/Tool Coverage Auto Workers Compensation Employee Benefits Medical/Dental Vision/Life Disability HR Assistance Sunday morning began with a sumptuous power breakfast for the first time in the history of Expo. And from there the many attendees headed directly over to the show floor, which opened in the early morning for the first well, you know. And not just the old, familiar Expo. This year, for the first time in the history of Expo, the show floor was divided into two separate show areas: the ATRA Powertrain Expo, and the APRA Big R Show. Property/Casualty Earl VanBuskirk earlv@heffgroup.com Paul Wills paulw@heffgroup.com Contact us today! Employee Benefits Jani De La Rosa janid@heffgroup.com Shauna Gilbert shaunag@heffgroup.com License # ATRA program facilitated by Heffernan Insurance Brokers and Brant Watson. GEARS December

7 ATRA's Powertrain EXPO Wrap That combination made for some really interesting and valuable connections from both sides of the aisle. Most vendors acknowledged that they were pleasantly surprised by the number of attendees who visited their booths. As one supplier put it, I ve been asked questions I ve never heard before. The consensus seemed to be that this was the best Expo in recent memory was a year of firsts for Expo. And the dramatic success that these firsts provided has left us all with a new appreciation for Expo and what it can provide for the industry and our Association. We ll look forward to seeing you next year in San Antonio, Texas for the first time in the history of Expo! GEARS December 2009

8 2010 ATRA Powertrain Expo September 9-11 San Antonio, TX