No Excuse to Not Attend NACE

Posted 10/1/2008
By Darrell Amberson, AAM

Amberson

Have you made plans to attend NACE yet? It's coming up soon. This year's show promises to bring all of the networking, education, new product information and excitement plus some new features. A big change for this year is the co-location of CARS (Congress of Automotive Repair and Service) with NACE at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. We're calling it Automotive Service and Repair Week. Those collision repairers who are interested in diversifying by providing mechanical services will have a whole new venue to obtain the latest information.

Our keynote speaker is Archie Manning, former NFL MVP quarterback. He is the father of Peyton and Eli, both recent Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks. We look forward to a message of dedication, team effort, coaching, family and the desire to excel. As a person who grew up in the small rural town of Drew, Miss., Archie Manning struggled with his father's death and ascended to stardom in college and the pros. His message promises to be inspiring and relevant.

NACE is the world's premier auto collision repair event. Representatives from all major segments of our industry participate. You may be concerned over our economy and travel expenses. You may be concerned over changing technologies and repair processes. You may be concerned over a shrinking market with declining claims and increases in total losses. You may be concerned over insurance company influences or perhaps estimating practices. NACE is the place you cannot afford to miss if you are seeking solutions. The many educational sessions led by industry experts provide incredible resources. Information on new technologies and repair processes can also be found there. If you want to learn more about "lean" or other process efficiencies, NACE is the place to be.

For new equipment and technologies, you will want to visit the NACE exhibit hall. There, you will find hundreds of product displays and have the opportunity to talk directly with product representatives. Often you will find attractive NACE pricing specials. NACE provides networking opportunities that are second to none. It's where you will find representatives from manufacturers, jobbers, information providers, paint companies, insurance companies, education institutions and others.

Stay ahead of the issues and technology. Improve yourself. Improve your business. Share the fun and excitement of Las Vegas. Attend NACE.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Darrell Amberson, AAM, is the director of ASA's Collision Division and president of Lehman's Garage, Bloomington, Minn. He is serving as event chairman for NACE for the second year in a row. He can be reached at darrell.amberson@lehmansgarage.com.