AAPEX lands in top 1% of U.S. tradeshows in two industry rankings

AAPEX earned spots on Trade Show News Network’s Top 250 and Trade Show Executive’s GOLD 100, putting the automotive aftermarket event in the top 1% of U.S. tradeshows by performance. The rankings underscore AAPEX’s role as a major business marketplace for the global aftermarket ahead of its next annual show.

Why it matters: - AAPEX’s dual ranking recognition signals strong exhibitor demand and sustained scale in a crowded U.S. tradeshow market. - The placements reinforce AAPEX’s status as a business-to-business marketplace for the automotive aftermarket, where buyers and sellers meet to close deals and build relationships. - The recognition also matters because U.S. tradeshows exceed an estimated 10,000 events a year, making top-tier placement a narrow distinction.

What happened: - AAPEX said it was named to two industry rankings compiled by Trade Show News Network and Trade Show Executive. - The rankings put AAPEX in the top 1% of its peer class. - AAPEX is produced by MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers and the Auto Care Association. - The event has been held annually for more than 60 years. - AAPEX is closed to the general public and operates as a trade-only event.

The details: - TSNN’s Top 250 Trade Show List ranked AAPEX 25th overall by square footage in its 2026 list, announced in late May. - TSNN says the list is its most comprehensive ranking of top U.S. trade shows. - TSNN and TSE both base their rankings on net square footage of exhibit space sold in the prior calendar year. - Both publications also weigh secondary measures such as attendance and exhibitor volume. - TSE’s 2026 GOLD 100 Honorees List, published in June, placed AAPEX among the 100 largest U.S.-based trade shows. - This is the fifth straight year AAPEX has appeared in TSE’s rankings. - AAPEX has been included in TSE rankings more than a dozen times overall. - AAPEX won TSE’s “Fastest-Growing Gold 100 Transportation Show by Blended Percentage of Growth” award in 2023. - AAPEX also ranked among the 50 fastest-growing trade shows in 2023, its second straight year on TSE’s Fastest 50 list. - Post-show surveys from last year’s AAPEX event found nearly seven in 10 attendees already planned to return. - AAPEX says the show draws thousands of exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees from around the world. - The event serves suppliers, manufacturers, remanufacturers and technology solution providers. - Buyers include service and repair professionals, auto parts retailers, quick lube businesses, warehouse distributors, program groups, service chains, dealers, fleet buyers and engine builders. - AAPEX says it unites the $2.3 trillion global automotive aftermarket that keeps 1.6 billion vehicles on the road. - AAPEX says it also offers technical and business training sessions during the show. - The event is one of the longest-running and largest automotive aftermarket shows in the Western Hemisphere. - AAPEX says it has more than 40 years of history. - More information is available on the event website.

Between the lines: - Top exhibitor counts increasingly point to shows that function as industry marketplaces rather than pure exhibition spaces. - That dynamic appears to fit AAPEX’s model, which centers on concentrated buyer-seller interaction and structured business appointments. - Auto Care Association President and CEO Bill Hanvey said the ranking reflects an industry homecoming where people collaborate to solve hard business problems. - MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers President Emily Poladian said AAPEX’s top-1% standing reflects the dedication of the thousands of people working in the aftermarket. - AAPEX’s repeated placement across multiple ranking systems suggests consistent exhibitor interest rather than a one-year spike.

What's next: - AAPEX will continue to leverage its ranking momentum as it heads toward its next annual show. - The event is expected to keep emphasizing business matchmaking, product discovery and professional training. - The automotive aftermarket is forecast to grow 5.2% to $457 billion this year, which could support continued exhibitor and attendee demand. - AAPEX’s next ranking cycle will likely depend on continued exhibit-space sales, attendance and exhibitor participation.