July 28, 2014—The Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) board of directors announced on Monday that it will defer its 2015 educational event.
The GAAS education fundraiser has taken place the past eight years each May in Chicago. The proceeds of the event are used to fund industry scholarships for students in school for careers in the automotive aftermarket.
To date, the GAAS Scholarship Fund has given $1.9 million in education awards to over 1,900 students.
“Since its inception in 1996, the GAAS platform has hosted many notable speakers both within and outside our industry,” Denny Welvaert, GAAS chairman, said. “But the market has changed in the last 20 years and it has been increasingly difficult to attract attendees with the growth of program group meetings and other industry events. The board would like to take this next year to talk to industry leaders and study the event’s purpose, location, and format.”
In response, the associations sponsorting the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), held in Las Vegas on Nov. 3–6, recently announced a new fundraising General Session on Nov. 5 to raise money for scholarships.
“The GAAS Board is glad to know that our most important endeavor of raising funds for industry scholarships will be supported by this new event at AAPEX,” Welvaert said.
Visit the AAPEX site for more information about the event, or the GAAS website for more information about its scholarship program.
