Moving NACE to Las Vegas during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week was a big gamble. NACE profits provide much of the annual operating funds for the Automotive Services Association (ASA) and represent a big chunk of change to the show management company, Hanley Wood Exhibitions. The convention center at Mandalay Bay is more expensive than former NACE venues such as Dallas, Orlando and Atlanta, and at the time the decision was made to move NACE to Las Vegas, the major paint companies had all quit the show, with no assurance they would return to Las Vegas. 

But return they did, as did 30,243 collision repairers - a 26% increase over NACE 2003 in Orlando. While falling short of their optimistic projection of 35,000 attendees, the show organizers were visibly pleased - and clearly relieved - by their Las Vegas debut. Vernon Crump of Dallas, Texas, serving his second year as NACE Chairman, called it a "smashing success."

Hanley Wood President Galen Poss, a usually reserved individual, was smiling broadly as he told the industry press "we are having an excellent show and it can only get bigger and better." Poss said the 507 exhibitors were very happy with the new venue; one reportedly called it "a brilliant move."

Poss noted that over 30 exhibitors came to the exhibitors' meeting "and that must be some kind of record. Most had very enthusiastic, positive comments." The only repeated complaint by exhibitors and attendees alike had to do with the floor plan, which many found hard to follow. Poss said that the shape of the convention center exhibit floor combined with the large number of floor supports made it difficult to lay out the floor plan of the show, and conceded "it needs some tweaking."

Joining Industry Week

Running NACE during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week seemed to help attendance, as many attendees on the NACE trade show floor wore badges from the aftermarket AAPEX and SEMA shows, which ended on Thursday. Seven busses stayed busy running between Mandalay Bay and the aftermarket shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

ASA President Ron Pyle said a contact at SEMA had reported over 99,000 people at that show, including 7,000 new buyers. "There's just a crush of people over there and we've had a lot of cross-over traffic from those shows, especially AAPEX," said Pyle.

As of Friday morning, 24,000 attendees had registered to enter the show, which meant a very busy Saturday to bring attendance up to 30,243. "Saturday was the busiest I've ever seen the last day of NACE," said one veteran exhibitor.

The educational programs at NACE also did very well, with education providers claiming over 9,000 total sessions (one person in a class is a "session"). I-CAR classes were visibly full, and ASE announced that it would be returning to NACE with its classes in 2005.

Let the show begin

NACE chairman Vernon Crump opened the 22nd annual NACE by acknowledging past chairmen and thanking them for their commitment to help NACE grow and prosper through the years. He spoke about the vital role NACE can play in preparing attendees for the future, citing the 50+ NACE training sessions that encompass every phase of collision repair. He also encouraged attendees to visit the NACE Exposition, which was 23% larger than the 2003 Exposition.

"Staying current and being more efficient is the difference between profit and loss," said Crump.

Expanding on the major issues facing the industry, Crump said new technology has moved ahead of the proper repair process. He talked about the increasing number of vehicles being produced with new composites such as aluminum, new lightweight steel, new plastics and carbon fiber, to name a few. According to Crump, new composites and new vehicle design not only call for a process change, but also require special tools, equipment and specific training and education for proper evaluation and repair. This information and training must be made available to all industry members.

"Auto manufacturers need to share this data with everyone. After all, the smaller shops are still the backbone of our industry and deserve the opportunity to be able to compete. If everyone has the opportunity to repair these vehicles we can close the gap between fast moving technology and the repair process. Without enough shops to repair these new vehicles, we could end up with a glut of wrecked vehicles and a run-away train," he said.

Crump encouraged attendees to take the necessary steps to ensure their place in the industry. "Services such as full detailing, mechanical, auto accessories, window tint, paintless dent repair, alarms and sound systems are among the many ways to expand profitability and make your shop a 'one call does it all' destination. Try also to develop a feature item, such as custom painting, striping, aluminum or fiberglass repair. Any of these can put a specialized signature on your business and you will be able to provide a unique product or service and raise your value above the competition," said Crump.