STAUNTON, Virginia – The annual KOI Auto Parts-Federated Cavalcade of Customs not only is one of the coolest car shows in the country, but it also has become one of the nation’s top training expos for professional service technicians, according to show organizers.
The 58th annual Cavalcade of Customs is scheduled for Jan. 5-7 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati.
“Our training expo at the Cavalcade has become a must-attend event for shop owners, professional service technicians and body shop personnel,” said Dave Wesselman, president of KOI. “Last year, we had over 1,000 participants in these informative training classes and we expect even more at this year’s show. In addition, our student day gets bigger and better every year.”
As part of the training expo, nearly 60 Federated/KOI vendor partners will participate in a booth show, displaying products and answering questions for attendees. Training for service technicians and body shop personnel will be available as well as courses for shop owners and decision makers.
“Last year we had a record crowd of over 55,000 attendees at the Cavalcade of Customs, and with the great lineup of one-of-a-kind custom cars and motorcycles, as well as celebrity appearances, special events, activities and good food, I bet we set a new attendance record this year,” Wesselman said.
On Jan. 5, KOI will host its annual Student Day, where approximately 300 students from local high schools, adult education programs and colleges will have the opportunity to attend a morning session in which they will hear testimonial presentations from successful auto care industry professionals. The balance of the day will be spent at the car show before it opens to the public.
“The Cavalcade of Customs is not only one of the premier car shows in the country, but it is also recognized as a one of the country’s best training expos,” said Phil Moore, senior vice president of Federated Auto Parts. “Dave Wesselman and his expert team have made this a first-class event and we thank our valued supplier partners for their support and participation in the training expo and Student Day.”
Celebrity guests at the event will include WWE superstar A.J. Styles, NASCAR driver Tony Stewart and actor Jerry Mathers of “Leave it to Beaver.”
