AAPEX 2026 Guide: Dates, Registration Fees & Attendees
By Ilyas Kerbal,
AAPEX 2026 runs from 3 to 5 November at the Venetian Expo and AAPEX Forum in Las Vegas, the same week as SEMA. It is the main event for the replacement-parts side of the automotive aftermarket, with more than 2,500 exhibitors and visitors from over 120 countries.
Parts manufacturers, distributors, retailers and repair shops all attend. Where SEMA leans toward performance and customisation, AAPEX is about everyday maintenance, repair and the data and software behind parts distribution. Here is what to know.
AAPEX 2026 at a glance
| Next edition | 3-5 November 2026; 2027 expected early November |
| Venue | Venetian Expo + AAPEX Forum |
| City | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Typical month | Early November |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Attendance | ~47,000 attendees from 120+ countries |
| Exhibitors | 2,500+ exhibitors in 5,500 booths (550,000 sq ft) |
| Industry | Automotive aftermarket, parts, service & repair |
| Organizer | Auto Care Association and MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers |
| Official website | aapexshow.com |
About AAPEX
AAPEX is the main event for the ‘replacement parts’ side of the automotive aftermarket: parts manufacturers, distributors, retailers and repair shops. While SEMA focuses on specialty and performance, AAPEX covers everyday maintenance, repair and parts distribution, including data, e-commerce and shop software.
Training sessions for technicians and shop owners run alongside the show. In a post-show poll, 86% of attendees met product-discovery goals and 92% met relationship goals.
Where does AAPEX take place?
Venetian Expo and the AAPEX Forum, Las Vegas.
Does it change location? No. Las Vegas every November, co-timed with SEMA.
Visitors at a business exhibition talking at a booth. Photo by Trans Russia on Unsplash.
Who you’ll meet at AAPEX
- Parts manufacturers and suppliers
- Warehouse distributors and retailers
- Independent repair shops and service chains
- Fleet operators
- Students and media
Many visitors are operators, dealers or practitioners rather than corporate buyers, so not every badge is a lead. A filtered attendee list helps you find the distributors, chains and larger companies worth talking to.
Going to AAPEX with a sales target? Start with the actual list of people who will be there. Enriched profiles, CRM-ready format, delivered before the show. Contact Prospector
Industries and niches covered
- Replacement parts and components
- Collision and repair tools
- Service-shop software and diagnostics
- Parts distribution and e-commerce
- EV service and repair
- Data, catalogs and supply-chain services
Why B2B teams should care about AAPEX
AAPEX attendees come to do business: in a post-show poll, 92% said they met their goals for maintaining relationships. Suppliers meet distributors, distributors meet retailers, and repair-shop chains look for parts and software partners.
For vendors of catalogue data, e-commerce, diagnostics and shop management software, the key contacts are distributor executives, retail chain buyers and multi-location repair groups. Because they also visit SEMA that week, their schedules fill quickly, so early outreach matters.
Is AAPEX right for your team?
Best for: companies whose customers are the operators, dealers and distributors that AAPEX attracts, and who want to see a whole industry in one place.
Less ideal for: enterprise software vendors targeting C-level buyers only. The crowd at AAPEX is broad, so the attendee list has to be filtered hard before outreach.
Passes and pricing
| Option | Price / details |
|---|---|
| Also good to know | $50 to 26 June 2026 → $75 to 25 Sept → $100 after |
| Training sessions | $150 each (bundle discounts) |
| Vocational students and media | free |
| Typical cost | $50-100 per attendee. |
Prices change between editions and by registration date, so treat these as a guide and check aapexshow.com before you buy.
Does AAPEX have an app?
AAPEX offers an official mobile app/online planner each year for exhibitors and schedules.
Event apps are built for attendees, not for sales teams. You can usually browse profiles one by one, but connection requests are capped, many profiles are half empty, and there is rarely an export button. That makes the app useful on site and frustrating for planning.
Pros and cons of AAPEX
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Global aftermarket buyers in one place | Same-week overlap with SEMA splits attention |
| Cheap registration | Las Vegas costs |
| Same week as SEMA, two shows in one trip | Traditional industry; sales cycles via distributors |
| Business-focused culture |
A pre-show prospecting plan for AAPEX
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 6-8 weeks before | Get the attendee and exhibitor list. Segment it by job title, company size and industry, and remove existing customers and competitors. |
| 3-5 weeks before | Start outreach on email and LinkedIn. Mention the event, give a specific reason to meet and offer two or three time slots. |
| Show week | Confirm every meeting 48 hours ahead, keep a short list of walk-in targets, and log every conversation in your CRM the same day. |
| 1-5 days after | Follow up while the event is still fresh, then add non-responders to a nurture sequence. |
Registration goes up to $100 after late September. If you want prospects to attend a specific training session or demo, invite them early so they can add it to their registration.
Already exhibiting at several shows this year? I can track the same buyers across events so nobody falls through the cracks. Talk to me about AAPEX and your other shows.
Frequently asked questions
When is AAPEX 2026?
3-5 November 2026; 2027 expected early November. Dates can shift, so confirm on the official website (aapexshow.com) before booking travel.
Where is AAPEX held?
Venetian Expo and the AAPEX Forum, Las Vegas.
Does it move? No. Las Vegas every November, co-timed with SEMA.
How much does a AAPEX ticket cost?
$50-100 per attendee. See the pricing table above for pass types.
Who attends AAPEX?
Mainly parts manufacturers and suppliers; warehouse distributors and retailers; independent repair shops and service chains; fleet operators.
Can I get the AAPEX attendee list?
Event organisers rarely sell attendee lists. Prospector builds one for you from the event app and website: attendees, exhibitors and speakers, enriched with job title, company, company size, industry, LinkedIn profile and work email where available, delivered as a CRM-ready file before the event. Ask about AAPEX here.
Get the AAPEX attendee list
Whether you are exhibiting or walking the floor at AAPEX, the teams that win are the ones who arrive with meetings already booked. Get in touch through Prospector and I’ll put together the attendee list for your event.
Related event guides
- SEMA Show 2026: Dates, Badges, Who Attends & Buyer Lists
- NADA Show 2027 Orlando Guide: Dates, Fees & Attendees
- Work Truck Week 2027 Guide: Indianapolis Dates & Attendees
Photo credits
- Cover image: Photo by Crosby Hinze on Unsplash
- In-article image: Photo by Trans Russia on Unsplash
Sources
Event details were last checked in October 2026. Dates, venues and prices can change, so confirm them on the official event website.