Informative panels, one-on-one meetings and industry initiatives highlight the Automotive Parts Services Group (The Group) National Membership Conference and Expo, being held virtually April 12-16.
“One of the best things about holding a virtual meeting is that so many more people can participate, including our newest members from The Network, who will be participating in their first national meeting as part of The Pronto Network,” said Larry Pavey, CEO of the Automotive Parts Services Group. “We have an informative lineup of presentations and panels planned and we look forward to our members, vendor partners and industry leaders participating in what we know will be an informative and fun four days.”
One of the conference highlights will be the one-on-one sessions held between members of The Group and supplier partners. Last year, more than 700 one-on-one meetings were conducted and this year, The Group is anticipating an increase of nearly three-fold with 2,000 one-on-one meetings planned.
A panel discussion for members will highlight next-generation ownership and will include Ashlee Arnold, Arnold Oil Company-Austin; Ryan Bickle, Warehouse Inc.; Ruben Dekhbachyan, Undercar Plus; Glenn Morreale, C&M Auto; Ryan Samuels, Samuels/Buy Wise; and Tristan Taylor, Tri-State Enterprises. In addition, several suppliers to The Group will participate in a panel discussion focusing on best practices to serve The Group membership as well as plans for the coming year and beyond.
The Group will welcome Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, and Paul McCarthy, president of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), to share an industry overview and discuss other topics pertinent to attendees, including an update on AWDA and AAPEX.
“The theme of our meeting this year is ‘Go All In with The Group,’ so we hope our members, their associates and our vendors really go all in and take part in all of the sessions they can during our four-day meeting,” said Pavey. “We also encourage everyone to register now to make sure they can participate in as many one-of-one sessions as possible.”
