LAS VEGAS – October 2, 2025 – One of the most significant enhancements to AAPEX this year is the segmentation of exhibitors by product and service category. This change is based on a mountain of research and has been implemented over time.

The change benefits both buyers and suppliers. For example, it enables attendees to more efficiently peruse the areas of the show floor most relevant to their needs. Similarly, this benefits exhibitors by attracting qualified buyers.

On a recent episode of the On Air podcast by the Auto Care Association, Jacki Lutz, Ted Hughes and Mark Bodansky elaborated on this and other changes to AAPEX. While they covered a lot of ground in the conversation, including the AWDA conference that precedes AAPEX, the ‘winning moves’ section was one important piece that will stand out for exhibitors.

1. Reach out to customers in advance

Exhibitors should reach out to customers in advance of the show. This is a research exercise to find out what’s on customers’ minds.  Pay close attention to any issues – positive or negative – that are top of mind and start preparing how to address these. 

2. Prep your booth staff on the findings

Whether you are sending one person to staff your booth, or 50 people, develop a playbook and brief the team so everyone is on the same page. One best practice is to establish a cadence of meetings – say one per month starting several months out from the show date.

3. Develop a booth coverage plan

“Everyone can’t go to lunch at the same time.” That seems obvious, but it happens all the time, so making a coverage plan is essential. 

One of the things AAPEX is doing this year that will help is food trucks. Yes, food trucks! Right there on the show floor. We’ll have several food trucks with a different choice of cuisine. Your staff will no longer have to take a 20-minute walk to find food – and neither will buyers.  

4. Ensure the booth and booth staff are inviting

One pitfall to avoid is blocking the booth. This tends to unfold “later in the day” when the booth staff start talking to other booth staff.  Ted describes it this way in the podcast: 

“They just kind of gravitate to one another and start talking about customers in the industry, and then it moves to family and kids and, before you know it, this conversation with four or five people that are standing in the middle of the booth has essentially blocked” the entrance.

While it’s not intentional, Mark noted, this makes your booth feel “very uninviting.” He added another variation of this problem is when the booth staff get absorbed by looking at their phones or checking emails on a laptop. 

The point in both examples is that booth staff will miss the chance to make eye contact and extend an invitation to chat with that prospective buyer walking past your booth if you get too distracted. 

5. Put the ‘attention grabber” in the back of the booth

If you have a giveaway or tchotchke in your exhibit – put in the back of the booth so prospective customers have to physically enter your booth to get one.

The group mentioned one example where one of our international exhibitors was making European license plates for attendees. Ted noted that it was a very attractive attention grabber and the exhibitor had a line form for their booth. 

Additional Resources for Exhibitors

AAPEX also offers a few ways for exhibitors to get the word out at the show. These include the following:

• Contributed blog posts. We’d be happy to consider guest posts for publication on the AAPEX blog (this blog). These should be “thought leadership” in nature and not company, product or service promotions. 
• Digital assets for social media. AAPEX has made several digital assets available for exhibitors that wish to promote their attendance (and booth number) at the show. 

Listen to the Full Episode 

The full episode, titled, “AAPEX Uncovered: Updates, Insights & Winning Moves”, is packed with additional updates on the show and tips for attendees and exhibitors alike. You can listen the show on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon, or Apple podcast platforms. 

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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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