Are you trying to make sense of all the aftermarket car shows? This guide will help.

Aftermarket Car Part Association - AAIA

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association is the industry's internal organization that promotes high standards of value within the industry.

Automotive Aftermarket Car Parts Association - Aces

Aces is short for (Aftermarket Catalog Enhanced Standard.) Aces is the industry standard for the management and exchange of automotive catalog and vehicle data. Using Aces, suppliers can publish automotive data with standard coded designations for vehicle attributes, parts classifications, and qualifier statements.

Aces provides a machine-readable format (XML) for trading partners to use in exchanging vast amounts of information. The Aces Vehicle Configuration Database is updated monthly and available only on a subscription basis from AAIA. The Qualifier Database and parts Classification Database are updated as needed. The Aces specification and database design is updated annually to include features and functions required by the car parts aftermarket..

The archive includes the Data delivery Specification ver 2.0; the Vehicle Configuration Database, VCdb Field Definitions; XML files; the Qualifier Database ER diagram and approved Abbreviations.

The major changes in the 2008 Aces are the addition of a new and improved Qualifier database for standardized comments, footnotes, and qualifier statements; full validation of all vehicles aftermarket car parts history from 1985 and newer; and the addition of components to support multiple Units of Measure and multilingual descriptions and qualifiers.

Aftermarket Car Parts - AAPEX Show

AAPEX is held every year during the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is limited to automotive professionals. No other event or trade show offers as many qualified buyers and distributors from all segments of the car parts aftermarket. More than 125,000 professionals from every corner of the global community aftermarket attend this show, and over 2,250 exhibitors display their products here.

The different groups and associations that attend this show include manufacturers, wholesalers, warehouse distributors, jobbers, retailers, independent service providers, technicians, parts stores, manufacture's reps, exporters, importers and packagers.

Aftermarket Car Parts - SEMA Show

The SEMA show is held every year in the Las Vegas Convention Center and represents the fastest growing segment of the specialty automotive aftermarket industry. Eleven miles of aisles packed with profit-making products for several niche markets including, light truck, street rod, wheel/tire, restoration, on-board technology, street performance, off-road, restyling, racing, mobile electronics, and import/sport compact performance.

At this show you will be able to meet over 4,000 aftermarket car parts international exhibitors and share the most current industry trends with them. Over 7,500 new products are introduced at this show every year; no wonder that visitors came from 113 countries last year. If learning about the future of the aftermarket is one of your goals, you are in luck because 100 educational seminars, workshops, and product demonstration clinics are offered.