What’s New
What’s New at AAPEX 2026
New for 2026: a show floor redesigned to make AAPEX easier to navigate and more rewarding to explore. The new AAPEX Forum is home to the Undercar and Accessories & Lighting sections and a Product Showcase, along with headline education, celebrity appearances, and the all-new AAPEX Prize Vault. Over at the Venetian Expo, iFLEX at AAPEX, a partnership with the Preventative Automotive Maintenance Association (PAMA), is new this year, bringing an enhanced Oil & Lube section with more suppliers, education and networking. Joe’s Garage also moves to Level 2, and International Sourcing is back on Level 1. Scroll down to see everything else that’s new at AAPEX 2026.
New at the AAPEX Forum
Here’s what’s new at the AAPEX Forum, just steps from the Venetian Expo.
Roadside Attractions
Make a pit stop at the AAPEX Forum Roadside Attractions any time the show is open. Get a massage, catch celebrity appearances, and check out the Prize Wall for your shot at a Ford F-150.
Product Showcase
Get a look at some of the most innovative and noteworthy Accessories & Lighting and Undercar products, curated in one place just off the pedestrian bridge from Venetian Expo.
AAPEX Prize Vault
Scan your badge once a day at Roadside Attractions to enter that day’s drawing. Tuesday and Wednesday winners pick a prize package, from Rolex watches to Super Bowl LXI tickets. Thursday’s grand prize is a new Ford F-150!
Special Guests All Week
Mark Wahlberg is in on Tuesday, Jimmie Johnson on Wednesday, and Barry Sanders, Mia Hamm, Randy Johnson, and Grant Hill on Thursday. Each day includes a photo and autograph session plus a Q&A, fireside chat, or panel. View the full schedule here.
Famous Hollywood Cars
Get up close with real cars from some of the most iconic movies, including Fast & Furious, Back to the Future, Wayne’s World, and more! Don’t forget to snap a photo to share.
General Sessions Move to the Forum
Trends Impacting the North American Aftermarket, Aftermarket Outlook 2027 and the Joint Powertrain Trends and Outlook Forecast are all held at the Forum.
The Opening Reception Moves to the Forum
Join us on Monday, November 2, from 6 to 7:30 PM, for a first look at the floor. It’s the industry’s first chance to catch up the night before the doors officially open. Free to all.
NASCAR Racing Experience
Get behind the wheel of a NASCAR simulator. The top racer each day wins tickets to the NASCAR race of their choice, and the leaderboard resets every morning.
New in the Venetian Expo
Special guest appearances and autograph sessions are just the start. Explore attractions across the Venetian Expo, including multiple art activations, games and activities, and the second installment of the Student Engine Assembly Competition.
Food Truck Rest Stops
Food trucks are parked inside both halls, with shaded picnic tables for eating, getting work done, or catching up with peers. Food is available for purchase.
AAPEX Escape Rooms
Teams of up to five take on two 10-minute rooms: Escape the Parts Factory and Escape the Repair Shop.
Part Art Lounge and Attendee Art Wall
Artists turn car parts into original pieces in the Part Art Competition, which will be outside between the Venetian Expo and the AAPEX Forum. Add your own doodle to the giant coloring-book mural built by attendees.
Illustration Intake
The tunnel connecting the Forum stages will be lined with artwork inspired by this year’s sessions, drawn by artists in real time. It changes every day, so it’s worth walking through more than once.
Optimum Shop: Aftermarket Arcade
Play against other attendees on the Optimum Shop arcade monitors and try to take the top spot on the digital leaderboard.
Make sure to check out our three enhanced stages on the Venetian Expo show floor, bringing you quick, practical sessions. Catch a talk between meetings, then keep moving.
A Bigger Student Engine Assembly Competition
The Student Engine Assembly Competition is expanding and moving to the Level 2 show floor at the Venetian Expo. Watch as six to eight technical school teams race to tear down and rebuild a small block V8 engine live across two semifinal rounds and a final matchup on Wednesday, November 4. It’s free to watch, and a good place to meet your next technician.
- 10 AM: Semifinals, Part 1
- 1 PM: Semifinals, Part 2
- 4 PM: Finals
Schools Competing:
- Arapahoe Community College
- ATI
- College of Southern Nevada
- Ferris St University
- Heritage High School, Palm Bay, FL
- Humble High School, Humble, TX
- North Kansas City High Schools
