When you're working day after day in the rebuild shop, providing the highest quality rebuilds you can, it can easily start to feel like you're isolated from the rest of the automotive world. The good news is that if some out-of-office time is necessary, there are plenty of ways you can learn from and connect with others in the industry at trade shows and training seminars.
The advantages of attending trade shows and seminars are monumental in the automotive sphere, and we encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities to attend and get involved. You might even benefit in ways you'd never expect, both professionally and personally. Here's our list of the reasons why attending trade shows and seminars every year benefits you as a rebuilder.
Why Rebuilders Should Attend Trade Shows
Trade shows are one of the most visible ways that automotive and aftermarket brands connect with shop owners, rebuilders, and technicians. These huge annual events (like ATRA, ATSG, NADA, etc.) feature exhibitor booths, presentations, training sessions, and more. But why should you take the time to travel and attend these trade shows? Some of the most important reasons include:
- Networking opportunities. Inevitably, you'll meet many folks you have a lot in common with professionally at any trade show. Building relationships with both brands and fellow rebuilders can lead to mutual support as well as valuable business opportunities down the road. The chance to create lasting connections with industry experts is a huge draw for competitive rebuilders.
- Training sessions. Your admission to the trade show should include access to exclusive training sessions with expert technicians and brand representatives. You and your team can take in these detailed, in-depth sessions that offer new tips, advice, and perspectives on the challenges you face in your shop every day.
- Product demonstrations. Visiting exhibitor booths and scheduled demonstrations at trade shows can give you the first look at brand new technology, tools, and industry developments, allowing you to stay ahead of trends as well as your competition.
The Benefits of Attending Rebuilder Seminars
Training seminars hosted by the industry organizations as well as brands you know and love generally take place over weekends throughout the year. If you're interested in more intermittent training as opposed to the once-a-year meet-up at a trade show, weekend seminars are just as valuable as those larger events. Some benefits of attending weekend training seminars include:
- Focused topics and attention: Seminars offer training in smaller groups with an instructor ready to answer your specific questions. All participants have the opportunity to discuss the focused topic of the lesson (and coffee and lunch are usually included, too).
- Hands-on experience: In a seminar setting, you get to test and try new products and techniques firsthand. If you're more of a tactile learner, weekend seminars are a great option for getting acquainted with the new developments in your trade.
- Take-home materials: You'll leave training seminars with reference guides, brochures, and other materials to keep with you in your shop. You can refresh your new knowledge and skills at any time using those resources.
If you're interested in weekend training seminars, check out these schedules from ATRA and ATSG.
TransTec in the Trade Show and Seminar Circuit
Exhibiting at trade shows provides aftermarket manufacturers and brands many of the same benefits as rebuilders. This year, TransTec attended the NADA National Convention to meet with other AAMCO dealers, discuss our businesses, and watch presentations by suppliers as well as top executives from both AAMCO and NADA on the state of our industry. Building these connections with others in the market as well as learning from experts is a valuable experience for us. Trade shows are also an important channel through which we can showcase our newest products and communicate directly with rebuilders and technicians.
We also value the important connections we make by attending seminars conducted by ATRA and ATSG. As a supplier representative, we get to talk directly to technicians -- our end users -- to answer product questions, get feedback on our kits, and learn about the challenges they face every day in order to inform out new product development. We also get the opportunity to meet with distributors through ATSG, which allows us to improve our supplier relations and ensure our end users also learn the benefits of asking for TransTec through their distributor. All in all, these in-person events, including trade shows, training seminars, and even more provide the opportunity for us to learn from and connect more deeply with the aftermarket community and technicians like you.
