This year marks a significant milestone for ATRA in several ways. Most notably, our annual EXPO will be unlike any other in our history. Since our inaugural event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 1994, ATRA has always independently organized EXPO. This involved selecting ideal locations, securing dates, negotiating contracts for room rates, food, beverages, meeting rooms, and more.
However, this year, we are proud to partner with AAPEX for EXPO. Recognizing the critical role that automatic transmission repair plays in the automotive industry, AAPEX has chosen ATRA as the only representative for this vital sector. As a result, our event will now be part of AAPEX’s annual schedule, with the prestigious Venetian Resort as the recurring venue—a place previously beyond our reach to host the EXPO alone. AAPEX will manage all the logistics, from room blocks to meeting spaces, allowing us to focus on what matters most: delivering value to our attendees.
With over 150,000 technicians and shop owners attending Industry Week, this partnership will expose ATRA to a wider audience than ever before. All ATRA EXPO vendors will be featured in a dedicated Transmission section, clearly marked with signage to guide attendees. Our area will be adjacent to Joe’s Garage, where in-car demonstrations using hoists will be conducted—a fantastic opportunity to showcase our expertise.
This new collaboration with AAPEX represents an exciting evolution for ATRA. Despite this shift in platform, our commitment to delivering top-tier technical training remains unwavering. If you’ve never attended AAPEX or SEMA, you’re in for a treat. These events are an immersive experience, offering everything a “Car Guy” could dream of, from groundbreaking tools and solutions to stunning custom cars. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes—you’ll need them!
In addition to this exciting new chapter with AAPEX, I’m thrilled to announce that ATRA has officially moved into our newly remodeled, 15,000-square-foot facility as of June 2024. After operating remotely since 2020, beginning with the pandemic and continuing through the sale of our Oxnard property, we are now all under one roof again. This state-ofthe- art space allows us to better serve our members and the transmission community. Our fully operational studio is producing high-quality VTS videos, podcasts, and more, while our dedicated training room will host in-person seminars and research activities like transmission teardowns. External tech companies are already showing interest in utilizing our facilities, further solidifying our position as a hub for transmission expertise.
Additionally, we are launching a new chapter handbook, designed to guide members in forming local chapters. These chapters will address specific needs in their regions, such as additional training and recruiting efforts to bring new talent into the fold. Our AREA Directors will be reaching out to shops, facilitating small roundtable discussions to solve problems and share best practices. A critical focus will be on addressing the technician shortage. By broadening our training to include fundamental skills and in-car diagnostics and repairs, we hope to attract and develop new talent for the industry. Reach out to myself, Lance, your area board member or any staff member if you are interested in having a gathering like this.
Finally, we are planning 2-to-3-day training events in major cities, reducing travel burdens and incorporating local vendors. These will be similar to the Transmission Conference (Trans-Con), like a mini-EXPO that was held several years ago. The goal is to make high-quality training more accessible to technicians nationwide while helping shops grow their businesses.
I look forward to seeing you at AAPEX and SEMA and am excited about all that 2025 holds for ATRA and the transmission industry.
Dave Wilkes,
ATRA President
