LAS VEGAS – September 25, 2025 – Most people attend AAPEX to find innovative products or identify new suppliers. That’s one of the reasons why this particular show has earned a reputation as a place where business gets done. 

There’s also a significant interest in professional development and training sessions. From ADAS to telematics, maintaining and repairing cars is exponentially more technical today than it was even a few years ago. 

As Auto Care Association CEO Bill Hanvey recently pointed out in a contribution to Ward’s Auto recently, “Some modern vehicles have more lines of software code than even a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.”

Yet the value of professional development at trade shows extends far beyond sessions and presentations, according to reporting by Carol Badaracco Padgett for National Oil and Lube News (NOLN). 

Her piece, based on an interview with Director of People and Mission Ben Enns at Oilstop, identifies some of these overlooked benefits, including:

1. Expose new employees to the big picture  

“It gives the new person the opportunity to see there’s something bigger than the day-to-day they experience at work. They begin to understand they’re part of an organization deeply rooted in serving people,” said Enns in the article.

2. Find answers to pressing problems 

“Go with the desire to find a solution, and you’ll probably find one,” he noted, with one important caveat: have a plan. This is because, he continued, “if you attend without an end game in mind, without a clear picture of what you’re looking to find, the event will not be as valuable.”

3. Gain perspective for future planning

“Enns says that when Oilstop’s owners attend events, they get a better grasp of the importance of strategic planning for the future. For example, they gain new perspectives on operating a particular location, and sometimes fresh insight into how to best serve their local community.”

Such a perspective can also serve employees working in large global businesses, such as those with different divisions or business units. “For businesses with more than one component of service, attending industry events can help owners and employees understand the nuances of each.”

The full piece makes several additional and relevant points that are worth your while to read: Trade Shows Offer 4 Tangible Takeaways.

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Credentialed media are eligible to receive complimentary passes to AAPEX 2025, which is being held in Las Vegas from November 4-6, 2025. If you are new to AAPEX, start here; if you’ve received a media pass in the past, you can renew here. Questions? Send them to [email protected].

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