As of Oct. 11, the number of independent repair garage owners and managers registered for the 2014 Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) – made up of the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) and the SEMA Show – was up nearly 9 percent compared to 2013, according to show organizers.

AAPEX co-sponsors – the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) – say they attribute the growth in part to the all-new Service Professionals Program set to debut at the 2014 AAPEX. The free program, sponsored by MAHLE Service Solutions, will provide customized AAPEXedu sessions to address service professionals’ biggest pain points, a Recruiting and Retaining Conference, facilitated roundtable discussions, in-booth auto parts and tool and equipment demonstrations exclusively for service professionals, a new General Session featuring keynote speaker Steve Forbes and the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Fall 2014 General Meeting. The AVI Training Conference also is part of the Service Professionals Program; however, separate registration and a fee are required to participate in the conference.

AAPEX takes place Nov. 4-6 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, with AAPEXedu sessions starting on Monday, Nov. 3.

AAPEX organizers also are reporting that many AAPEXedu sessions for service professionals are near capacity. Based on registrations thus far, sessions garnering the interest of service professionals include: “The Secrets of Social Media Marketing Success,” “How to Build an Online Marketing Machine,” “Brand Building for Your Future,” “Ready, Blame, Fire! Myths and Misses in Marketing,” “Motivating the Millennials” and “The 2015 Aftermarket Outlook.”

To register for AAPEX, visit: www.aapexshow.com.