Caesar’s Palace was home to the 2019 edition of the Powertrain Expo held October 20th through November 2nd. Words and photos really can’t capture the experience that is Expo – you really do have to be there. For the over one thousand people that were, you know what I am talking about. For those that missed the biggest event of our industry, these words and photos will have to sustain you until next year’s show.
Technical and management seminars kicked off on Wednesday, October 30th. On the tech side, attendees had two tracks to choose from – Transmission and Diagnostic. On the management side, GEARS Managing Editor, Rodger Bland presented Lessons from the Trail sharing his experiences from an annual horse pack trip providing practical advice for both business and life. ATRA CEO, Dennis Madden’s Escape to Simplicity showed audience members the power of keeping it simple when running one’s business. All seminars were well-attended and well-received, paving the way for a full day of training ahead.
Halloween in Las Vegas is a story unto itself with tricks and treats galore. An unusually cool Thursday morning provided somewhat of a trick for the dozens of golfers who headed out to the Angel Park Golf Course for the annual ATRA Golf Tournament (see the story on page 48). Meanwhile, back at the Palace, conference attendees were being treated to a full day of topnotch training. Both the Diagnostic and Transmission tracks provided the technical attendees with the latest in transmission technology and repair. On the transmission side, ATRA’s Keith Clark presented All Wheel Drive Systems, A Foreign Affair as just part of the 6 presentations that day. Not to be outdone, the Diagnostic track offered 5 separate classes including Scott Shotton’s Diagnosing Vehicle Networking Issues. Maylan Newton from ESI and GEARS Magazine’s Thom Tschetter each conducted doublesession seminars for management attendees. Maylan’s Excellence is a Habit focused on the importance of mindset, and Thom presented a new spin on some old marketing methods with his Turning Outside Sales Inside Out seminar. Both programs received high marks from all those in attendance.
The ATRA Member Meeting started the events bright and early on Friday morning. Among other discussions, ATRA Board Member, Brad Benrud, and Ron Lingenfelter of the Mid-West Chapter presented Lance Wiggins and Bill Brayton with their Circle of Excellence award (see story on page 54).
With over 14 hours of technical and management training already conducted, one would think that the training portion of Expo would be complete, but we were just getting started. On Friday morning, John Parmenter and Francisco Moreno presented two more technical seminars. Management sessions featured Scott Johnson from Profitboost and Dr. Coyte Cooper. Both presentations informed and entertained with highly engaging thought-provoking topics.
After a morning of meetings and training, it was time for some exceptional food! This year’s ATRA luncheon, co-sponsored by Whatever It Takes Transmission Parts and Raybestos Powertrain featured food as the main attraction with a variety of food stations and a beer garden!
Lunchfest was a smashing success as everyone enjoyed food, drink, and participated in several games that were set up throughout the ballroom. The festivities got off to a hilarious start as ATRA CEO, Dennis Madden welcomed everyone decked out in his beer garden Lederhosen (see photos) – you really had to be there!
Raybestos announced the Grand Prize winner of their yearlong contest for a NASCAR Driving Experience at Daytona International Speedway. This year’s winner was Brian Gwizdala from Lansing Transmission, Michigan.
WIT recognized John Myers and Don Stone of the Transmission Brotherhood for their contributions towards the betterment of our industry through the founding of the organization and the sense of community it promotes among rebuilders from around the world.
Following Lunchfest, we headed down the escalators to the opening of the Trade Show Floor! Hundreds of attendees flooded the Show Floor Friday afternoon to check out the latest tools and services provided by the companies that keep our industry running.
Meanwhile, the ATRA Chapter planning meeting was taking place to discuss chapter events, membership involvement, and future projects. Both members and nonmembers who are interested in ATRA chapters attended the meeting.
There is no better way to cap off a full day of Expo than enjoying great food, music, and conversation at the Transtar reception. The lavish ball room was filled with delicious food, drink, and friendly faces as far as one could see. Indeed, it was great way to end a great day.
Bright and early Saturday morning training resumed as Mike Cargill of Transtar and Joe Rivera from Pro Torque teamed up to present The Golden Age of Muscle Cars: 1955-2019, and Bob Warnke of Sonnax presented Isolating Circuits: From the Converter to the Solenoids. The Management sessions began with Bill Haas and Sara Fraser showing attendees how to Create the Value Every Phone Shopper Is Looking For, which was followed by Ron Hurst’s seminar on Problem Solving for Business Success: It’s Not JUST About Transmissions.
The Show Floor opened at 11:00 on Saturday morning and went until 4 o’clock that afternoon. There was plenty of drive-in traffic as well as Industry week visitors to keep the floor busy until we wound down another Powertrain Expo.
The ATRA Long-timers Meeting was the last official event of the show taking place on Saturday afternoon at 4:00. And just like that – another Expo was in the books.
Again, words and photos can’t recreate the experience of the Powertrain Expo, but they’ll have to do until next year’s show. Now would be a great time to start planning to join us in Nashville, October 10th through the 13th, where new experiences will be created, and you can take your very own pictures!
