New technologies, product launches and money saving business systems will abound at the 2013 Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo to be held at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour from 11 to 13 to April.

The Expo is hosted by the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) and Executive Director Stuart Charity said exhibitors are enthusiastically capturing the Expo's spirit of information sharing and education. "The 'how to improve your business' theme will promote a range of innovations new to Australia," he said.

Direct Digital Manufacturing and rapid part prototyping

Among the high technology products on display will be Tasman Machinery's demonstration of the new Stratasys Mojo 3D Print Pack, a Fused Deposition Modeling technology for Direct Digital Manufacturing and rapid prototyping of products.

This technology makes prototypes and products by adding material layer by layer ("printing") and binding it using heat, chemicals or other processes.  Tasman Machinery managing director Dermid McKinley said this technology is going to be a game changer for the automotive aftermarket.

"Mojo saves time and money when designing and prototyping new parts, accessories, tools and equipment, producing one-off components, or replacing worn components. Depending on the part, the 3D printer can be used to create a plastic replica that will be installed as-is, or take the plastic part to a machinist to have it duplicated in metal," said Dermid McKinley. 

Diagnostic data service

Showing Expo visitors how to quickly solve under bonnet issues will be on line technical data service Autodata Australia. The company will offer workshop owners and managers the opportunity to "test drive" its new Pre-paid Instant Access cards at the Expo. Sales Manager Adam Cohen said mechanical and auto electrical workshops especially will want to learn how the Autodata website can quickly provide access to a wide range of critical technical data at a pre-determined cost.

Sophisticated lubricants

From complex electronics to sophisticated lubricants, the 2013 Expo will cover vehicles from front to rear. The Australian owned oil blender LubriMaxx Marketing will display its full range of petrol and diesel engine oils, greases and cleaning products. National Sales Manager Mat van Heerden said the company's exhibit will highlight the new EuroMax 504 5W30 engine oil, which is engineered to provide excellent deposit control to enhance engine cleanliness.

Hitching up new sales

Focusing on the rear of the vehicle, Intertrade Global Products Imports Director Steve Nicholson said his Expo stand will introduce the company's new dual purpose tow hitch that tows a trailer or caravan, while also holding a bike carrier. Other new products on display will include Mister Hitches anti-rattle hitch pin and locks, towing kits, and their ball weight scale.

Designing a "hard working" stand

In addition to investing significant funds in marketing and promotion to attract visitors to the Expo, the organising committee provides an important service with workshops designed to help exhibitors maximise the effectiveness of their stands. "There is a lot of psychology applied to the design of a successful exhibition stand," said Stuart Charity.

"Our popular exhibitor workshops provide basic hints for first timers and those on small stands, as well as advice for large exhibitors. Those with smaller stands must take care to minimise clutter. A stand with open space is welcoming. A crowded stand says 'I'm too busy to talk now, come back later'. Of course, people may not come back, so you can lose potential customers.

"A good balance is about 50% product display and 50% open space. Use lighting to highlight key products and signage. Signage must be clear, concise and the messages must be consistent across all signs - as well as with the messages in your printed literature. Conflicting messages on marketing material generates confusion rather than sales.

"To attract visitors and promote recall, the key to good stand design is branding. Your brand must dominate your stand design, and be highly visible. So make sure your brand and key messages can be seen even when you have a 'full house' on your stand.

"Nothing beats the 'big idea' - and it does not have to be on a big stand. A great example was the Australian Clutch Services (ASC) stand on the AAAA pavilion as the recent Automechanika Trade Show in Frankfurt. To launch the new 'clutches with bite' slogan for their Xtreme Outback product range, ACS had a life size animatronic crocodile on their display. It growled and moved as people walked past.

"That crocodile was a huge drawcard - people stopped dead in their tracks, gaped at the croc and started conversations with the ACS team on the stand. Then the visitors went away, got their friends to come back for a look and the whole process was repeated.

"ACS managing director Brenton Jordan said their stand was a 'roaring' success," said Stuart Charity. "And thousands of show visitors will long remember his brand”.

The special Expo Exhibitor Workshops will be held on 27 February 2013 in Sydney and on 28 February 2013 in Melbourne.