The Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) is once again co-locating its annual iFLEX convention and tradeshow with the International Carwash Association’s (ICA) annual The Car Wash Show. The show will be held April 26-28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with a pre-show kickoff party on April 25.
The Car Wash Show brings together the leaders, innovators and decision makers of the professional carwash and fast lube industries. In 2017, the show boasted over 8,000 industry professionals and 157,000 square feet of trade show floor.
At the show, you can connect with hundreds of vendors on the trade show floor, network with other operators and discover new products and innovations.
Kick It Off With AOCA President’s Reception April 25
Kick off this year’s iFLEX at The Car Wash Show with your fellow AOCA members during the 2018 President’s Welcome Reception and Annual Membership Meeting. It will be held at the House of Blues (3950 S Las Vegas Blvd.)This event is free of charge and exclusive to AOCA members. Please RSVP to Jenna Bailey at [email protected] or 800.230.0702 if you are planning to attend.
Education
The Car Wash Show and iFLEX 2018 will feature a number of industry educational events geared to providing practical advice and real-life solutions for business growth and success.Take a look at the AOCA-focused sessions that will be offered:
Thursday, April 26
8-9 am: Tips for Hiring Technicians and Hourly Workers As any owner/operator knows, finding qualified technicians has never been more challenging than in the current labor market. Not only is it difficult to find competent talent, but keeping that talent is a struggle, as well. In this session, Claudia St. Jean will provide tips and ideas from industry recruiting specialists on creative ways to attract qualified talent and will offer some ideas on how to keep them engaged and satisfied. Participants will learn from recruiting experts about the best sources for qualified talent, develop strategies for onboarding new talent and identify affordable and effective ways to keep your talent engaged and happy.9:15-10:15 am: Options in Succession Planning and How to Get the Most Value for Your Business All businesses at one point or another will inevitably be looking for a succession strategy. Who are the future leaders or potential owners of your business? Don’t leave your company’s future in limbo by knowing the major do’s and don’ts of succession planning and how to best position your business to obtain top value. In this session, presented by Paul Richey, you will learn the importance of growth and profitability over an appropriate period of time; the elements of achieving growth and profitability; the importance of building staff and selection and training staff; and what other factors determine the value of your business in a sale.
10:30-11:30 am: Successful Transmission Maintenance Under the New Weights & Measures Regulation This is a must-attend session for service providers who want to offer transmission maintenance without triggering fines and fraud chargers under new Weights & Measures rules effective January 1, 2018, for transmission product labels and receipts. Installers may receive more scrutiny and larger fines than manufacturers and distributors, many of whom may not even know about the new rules. Pointing up the chain is not a defense, so learn what to look for in this session presented by Joanna Johnson.
12-1 pm: AOCA Government Affairs Committee Meeting Open to all AOCA members. Join the discussion on the most pertinent government affairs issues affecting AOCA members throughout the country.
Friday, April 27
9:45-10:45 am: How to Get Your Profits to Shine on the Quick Lube Side of Your Business Are you leaving money on the table in the quick lube side of your business? This session, presented by Les Reed, director of Sales at Valvoline, will focus on simple steps you can implement to increase oil changes per day, average ticket and consistently put more money into your pocket. This can be achieved without hiring expensive consultants or doubling your advertising and marketing spend.11 am – 12 pm: AOCA Talk Live Panel Discussion Join the AOCA in an interactive panel discussion, facilitated by Dave Everett of Service Champ, on the issues facing operators in today’s business environment. The one-hour session will be a chance to hear from industry experts throughout the country and provide an opportunity for idea sharing and best practices for successful business operations. From how to handle declining car counts to incentive programs and social media marketing, this will be a discussion you will not want to miss.
Keynote Presentation
Howie Long, National Football League Hall of Famer and former defensive end for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, will be delivering the 2018 Keynote Presentation. Long is currently best known as in-studio analyst for the Emmy Award-winning Fox NFL Sunday Show.The Keynote Presentation will follow the State of the Industry address given by International Carwash Association CEO Eric Wulf and president Haji Tehrani at 8 am on Friday, April 27.
Registration
AOCA members receive the best rate on admission to iFLEX at The Car Wash Show. For more information, visit www.aoca.org/iflex or call 800.230.0702 to secure the best registration rate.Hotel and Travel
The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is the official headquarters hotel for The Car Wash Show 2018. The cut-off date for the guaranteed group rate is April 1.The group rate is $136 plus 12 percent room tax per night. Included in the $136 rate is a mandatory $17 daily resort fee, which includes complimentary wireless Internet access and health club access.
Hotel reservations for the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino can be made through The Car Wash show’s website — www.carwash.org — or by calling 888.796.3564. If calling, please reference The Car Wash Show to receive the discounted group rate.
A limited number of rooms have also been reserved at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel at a rate of $170 single/double occupancy plus 12 percent room tax per night, which includes complimentary wireless Internet access in each guest room. The cutoff for guaranteed group rate is April 1, 2018.
Hotel reservations for the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel can be made through The Car Wash Show’s website — www.carwash.org — or by calling 800.750.0980. If calling, please reference The Car Wash Show to receive the discounted group rate.
Schedule of Events
The following is the schedule of events for The Car Wash Show 2018, as of press time. All events take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, unless otherwise noted.Wednesday, April 25 11 am – 5 pm: Registration 1-5 pm: Emerging Leaders Seminar and Reception 1-5 pm: New Investors Seminar and Reception 7-9 pm: AOCA President’s Welcome Reception and Annual Membership Meeting (Held at House of Blues)
Thursday, April 26 7 am – 6 pm: Registration 8-11:30 am: Education Sessions 11 am – 6 pm: Trade Show Open and Quick Hit Sessions 4:30-6 pm: Welcome Reception (On the trade show floor)
Friday, April 27 7 am – 5:30 pm: Registration 7-7:45 am: AOCA Morning Prayer Service 8-9:30 am: State of the Industry Breakfast and Keynote Presentation 9:45 am – 12:15 pm: Education Sessions 10:30-11:30 am: Trade Show Floor Open, VIP Access Only 11:30 am – 5:30 pm: Trade Show Floor Open 4:30-5:30 pm: Booth Crawl (On the trade show floor)
Saturday, April 28 8 am – 2 pm: Registration 9-10 am: Education Sessions 9-10 am: Trade Show Open, VIP Access Only 10 am – 2 pm: Trade Show Open and Quick Hit Sessions
