When the Automotive Service and Tire Alliance Expo wrapped in Raleigh, North Carolina, Executive Director Ryan Ragan deemed the show a “smashing success.”
The event, which ran from September 25-27, saw an increase in attendance from the previous year, climbing from 856 attendees in 2024 to 1,293 in 2025, Ragan noted.
“For me, seeing that number was a big thing for me because right up to the last minute, we were kind of talking about, ‘What do you think? And we were kind of zoned in on 1,100 (attendees) and so we missed that part,” Ragan explained. “It was a good problem to have and that was a biggie for me. Standing at the top of the escalators, looking down on the show floor, it was pretty remarkable, remembering where we had come from, from the Sheraton, and what the floor looked like then, to what it looked like now, that was pretty remarkable.”
ASTA relocated this year to the Raleigh Convention Center—just across the street from the Sheraton where it was previously held.
Among the highlights in education sessions were the number of leadership classes offered this year—a trend Ragan attributes to owners taking pride in their shop and their team.
“I think it's finally kind of hitting the fact that what retains staff, what brings staff to your shop is a leadership, so I think a lot of shop owners are really starting to invest more time and listening and kind of looking inward to say, ‘Hey, you know what? What are we doing that's going to separate us? How are we going to stand out?’ Because it's tough competition out there to get to get good technicians, so I think I'm seeing a lot more of them embrace that.”
And while 2025 invited attendees to square off in sumo wrestling, ride the mechanical bull, and go toe-to-toe in inflatable bumper balls, Ragan has a few ideas up his sleeve for next year.
Among his list of to-do’s is to integrate meals with the show floor to encourage attendees to visit vendor booths as well as expand the show floor. His goal is to reach 1,500 attendees and become a mini AAPEX of the east.
“We don't want to get too crazy large, because we never want to lose our personal touch and our southern hospitality that people like, so we're never going to get that crazy,” he noted. “But as long as we can keep all of the key components of our show together, we'll keep growing.”
And although the theme has already been selected for 2026 (and 2027), Ragan isn’t ready to let the cat out of the bag just yet. All we can say is tricycle races and obstacle courses are being considered.
“It’s gonna get pretty goofy,” Ragan promised with a laugh. “Nothing's off the table. I'll try anything once.”
About the Author
Christine Schaffran
Editor-in-Chief
Christine Schaffran is the Editor-in-Chief for Ratchet+Wrench magazine at Endeavor B2B. She is an award-winning journalist, having covered both commercial and industry magazines and newspapers during her career. She previously served as Editor-in-Chief for another publisher for 17 years prior to joining Endeavor. When she's not spending time with her husband and son, you'll find her in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes and delicious dishes to try.
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