Inside the ASTA Expo 2026: Training, Technology, and Tribal Networking [RR 1104]

0:00This is the Automotive Repair Podcast Network. Welcome, welcome everyone. Carm Capriato, Remarkable Results Radio. Today we're gonna talk with Ryan Reagan. He's the executive director of the Automotive Service and Tire Alliance out there in North Carolina, covers all those great southeastern states. And we're gonna talk about, uh, the ASTA Expo that's coming up. But first we have our app out. I want you to be sure that you download it on your phone, arpn.app.

0:31It is really so cool once you get to know it, build a category library, download stuff. If you're on an airplane and you have no wifi, it's for your smartphone, Apple or Android. So when you go to that particular web thing, you can scan a QR code or just click on it. It'll take you to the Apple Store or the Google Play Store and download that.

0:51Remember, as we go through today's episode, I know you're gonna learn something. You're gonna learn something really cool. Because Ryan promised me he was going to teach you all some good stuff. Yes. We'd love to pay great homage to our great sponsors, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA Trucks. I know NAPA is a great big sponsor of VASTA this year. They're a great sponsor every year and all year for us.

1:13I mean, we do a lot of things with them behind the scenes, you know, that a lot of people don't realize. But yeah, we have a fantastic relationship with NAPA and I couldn't give them enough credit if I tried, to be quite honest. My biggest memory of last year was the big tool truck, and then I'm guessing 1,000 pails. Oh yeah, easily.

1:34Probably more. Yeah, it was probably more. If you wanted to take home a 5-gallon plastic Napa pail, that was the place to get it at. They're gonna, they'll be there again this year too. And I was wondering how I was gonna get that on the airplane, so I never got one. Well, that is the heck. I didn't think about that, but yeah, they'll be back this year.

1:54I mean, the truck won't be because it was promised to a race that's going on that same weekend, but there's still a huge presence. NAPA will have, Advance will have a huge presence. We're waiting to hear back from O'Reilly, what they're actually gonna do. And, you know, Hunter and the usual suspects, you know, BTS Tire. We have a great relationship with Black's Tire.

2:14They're gonna have a great presence there as well. Well, what I do know is that the schedule for all the training classes is in place as you work on the rest of the details, and we're going to cover that in just a minute. Hey, stay ahead of the curve with NAPA Autocare's newest auto tech initiatives: Fast Track Assessments, Accelerator Immersive Training, and Tech Assist Smart Support.

2:36The future of technician training is here. Connect with your local NAPA representative for more information. Hey, let's face it, your shop management system is the most critical tool in your shop, and NapaTracs will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with on-site training, 6 days a week support, and local representation. Find NapaTracs on the web at napatracs.com. Hey, welcome back. As I said, Ryan Reagan, the executive director Wow.

3:08200 exhibitors. How do you corral all of them? It's like herding cats. I'm not gonna lie, because you start plugging in your floor plan and the floor is completely different this year, you know, completely changed because, you know, we wanted to do more on the floor. So last year, you know, we had a 56,000 square foot expo floor. This year it's double that.

3:27So we expanded it out to 2. And in the middle of the trade show is a courtyard. There'll be a small stage there. It's also where everybody's gonna eat lunch Saturday during the expo. We have the owner's dinner Friday night, you know, for which just owners out on the trade show floor where they'll eat dinner and as, as they roam around. And so it's kind of expanded and, you know, as you're filling in the floor plan, it looks good.

3:47And then somebody pops up and says, well, I want 10 booths. And then you get a call and they wanna be next to this person and this person and this person. And so it's a lot of movement. I'm got a couple things we're gonna do this year. We've got a golf simulator we'll have kind of at the back of the floor. The money booth we use in the casino night will be on the back of the floor.

4:06I wanna lure people back there. I wanna make sure people spend some time and, you know, closest to the pen, you might win a free trip to next year's show. We do some things just to kind of change it up, but, uh, a lot of, we are kind of stunned how many first-time vendors we have this year. We are getting bombarded by people who have never been at our show.

4:23Well, that's a good thing. Never bad. Never bad for me. There's a lot of booth space, so. Never bad. You are always doing different things, Ryan. 80+ seminars. Let me tell the listener, asta.org, and when you're there, you could go just about any place you can join. You can actually see all the details about the expo. And when it goes to an area, Ryan, I believe the level of detail is the expo schedule, forward slash expo dash schedule.

4:54And you can see a lot of great stuff about what's going on and you can see all the classes. I've had a chance to peruse that. You have some of the top instructors in the US. Yeah, we're pretty fortunate. You know, I always tell people, look, I can make you have a great show and, and we'll have great food and the lobby and the staircase, it's gonna blow your mind again this year and it's all gonna be crazy.

5:17And the pre-party will be the most insane thing you've seen in a long time. You know, stretch and wear tennis shoes. That's one thing I would tell you. But in the end, all that's fun and all that's great, but it really comes back to the training. I want people to walk outta here saying, not only did I have the best time, not only would I have the best networking and a lot of fun and met new people and the food was great, but I got the best training I've had all year.

5:41That's what I want them to say. Well, I'm the biggest fan in the entire world of the words continuing education, and we can't get out of our industry without— I know people love the word training, but What I think about training is the repetitive things that we need to do to learn how to do something. And in our world, as things change each and every day and the high tech that comes at us at a blasting speed, we have to educate ourselves as to what we're doing, what we're seeing, and how we're going to react to things.

6:14And yeah, I think it's important to take notes and to have networking and all this really cool software that exists out there to help us be better specialists and diagnosticians, but you can't get through it. I'm sorry, if you're an owner of a business and you're a CEO and you're constantly going to leadership classes, you're continuing your education. Because one of the cool things is, let's draw an analogy to the newer generations and we're hiring younger people.

6:43Well, they have a completely different look and an attitude of life, what their expectations are. How they live. It's no different than all the different technology that we're having. And when I looked over all the course titles and the people that you're having, it's off the charts. It is a different generation coming. I have an 18-year-old son that's completely different than my 30-year-old daughter, just how they view things and the way that the technology influenced our life.

7:07And AI is the buzzword of the world right now, you know, and it's everywhere in our industry, everywhere. And it is, look, This is no— I look at these folks in the shops and this is no different than working at Microsoft or Google or this and that. You constantly have to keep learning new things, keep adapting, keep evolving because it changes so fast.

7:28Okay. I'm gonna guess that out of all those 200+ vendors on the show floor that you can't go by past 2 booths without somebody saying, yes, we have some new AI features. 100%. I mean, look at, I mean, you know, NAPA and the stuff that they're doing on the virtual reality and just some crazy stuff. It's fascinating to see how it's evolved and where it's come.

7:52And we have a new group called OnRamp. I believe you know them and Alex, and Alex is going to be at the show. And, you know, we talked the other day and we're talking about you and there's just so many things that are coming out there with this AI. It's fascinating to me. Yeah, he was just recently on an episode and it was a few weeks ago.

8:11And, you know, I do the episodes, Ryan. I'm into 'em 110%. And then a few weeks later it comes out and I go, oh my God, I remember that. Let me go and relisten to it again and get educated as a listener would, not as the person who's trying to orchestrate and, and ask all the right questions and bring all these people together.

8:31And I learned even more after I listened to it the second time. Yeah, I'm fortunate because, you know, they kind of, when they want to come to the show, they'll kind of demo the products for me and show me different things. So I get learn a lot and, you know, how it works and why they do it this way. So it's always fun for me.

8:46So at the Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, the hotel's the Marriott. It's attached to the convention center. It was a great venue last year. I enjoyed it. It certainly comes with a lot more cost. You know, when you're looking at the food and beverage and things, you're kind of like, oh wow, okay. But it is a lot more cost than years past where we used to be in, you know, hotels and things, but we've completely outgrown it.

9:11Already, or the previous one? The previous place we completely outgrown. And I mean, eventually, you know, as we're trending, we were actually talking about some of these numbers the other day. You know, we'll have to get it to a point where we cap it or we'll outgrow it because of just what's happening. I mean, I think on Thursday is the only day that I have 2 spaces available to add an extra class.

9:32Everything is booked the entire time. There are no other rooms available there. It is just booked to the hilt. I had to expand the pre-party this year. Last year we did it in 2 ballrooms. This year it's all 3. And I have a 100-foot-long obstacle course. I have ninja walls. I have jousting. I have boxing. I have ax throwing. I've got the DJ.

9:54It's a, you know, another crazy, crazy, because, you know, we're going with the Survivor kind of TV show theme. And so I had to get some obstacle courses and some things for people to do. Is that something that people really wanna do and enjoy? It's a kind of a break up the education piece. I think it is. You know, it's that first night, it's Thursday.

10:12You know, we let 'em, you know, hey, you're out of the shop. You just had a great first day of training. Come in here and blow off some steam. Get back the next day and, and, you know, start plowing through Friday. And then the owners come out on Friday night and, and meet all the vendors. But then Saturday, you know, the floor opens to everybody.

10:29We'll do lunch out on the floor. We're not doing a closing dinner this year like we did last year. You know, we just started polling people, looked at some numbers, and it just comes to the point where, look, this is your last Saturday night. You're in downtown Raleigh. You gotta get up next day and go back to the reality of, you know, being in the shop and what this takes to do this kind of work.

10:50We wanna let people go out and explore the city. We have a great relationship with the downtown Raleigh folks, and so Won't let them get out and enjoy themselves. The automotive world is changing fast, and customers are expecting speed, accuracy, and confidence in every repair. To keep your shop competitive, your technicians need training that's smarter, faster, and future-focused. That's why NAPA Autocare is excited to introduce 3 new auto tech initiatives: Fast Track Assessments, the Accelerator Training Program, and Tech Assist.

11:21It all starts with Fast Track Assessments. This tool pinpoints a technician's exact skill level, whether they're a student, job applicant, or a new hire, so you know their strengths and where they need improvement without putting a customer's vehicle at risk. Then comes Accelerator Training Program. Using immersive technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and AI-driven simulations, it compresses years of technician development into just months.

11:49Trainees practice real-world jobs— alignments, brakes, diagnostics— in a safe, virtual-first environment with instant feedback. Instead of tying up your senior techs, they can focus on customers while new hires become billable, competent team members in record time. And once they're on the job, TechAssist keeps that support going through AR-capable smart safety glasses. Your technicians can instantly pull up torque specs, wire colors, component locations, and even connect with a live expert who sees exactly what they see, providing guidance step by step.

12:23System integration with information platforms and DVI streamline workflow and boost efficiency. This assess, accelerate, assist approach helps your shops deliver better quality repairs, faster training, and long-term success. The full solution launches March 2026, but beta registration is now open. Want your shop to lead the future of automotive training? Connect with your local NAPA representative today. Hey, let's face it, your shop management system is the single most important tool in your shop, period.

12:54NAPA Trax has made selecting the right shop management system easy by offering the industry's best, most comprehensive SMS. Now, it all starts when a local representative meets with you to learn about your business and how you need to run it. After all, it's your shop, so it's your choice. And having local representation is a huge plus. Customizing Trax to your business, whether you're a one-person shop or a large multi-bay or multi-location company.

13:21A representative consults with you to help optimize your shop's workflow efficiency and profitability. Traxx always has the flexibility to do business how you need to do it, which means it can also grow as your business grows. And unlike the other guys, we'll be there for you after installation with the best training and support in the business. Yes, a learning management system tailored to each role in your company.

13:47Simply put, Trax was designed and built for shop owners just like you. Visit us on the web at napatrax.com. That's napatrax.com. Ryan, who should go? I'll be honest with you, anybody in this industry should attend, from the newest tech, an apprentice, up to the most seasoned shop owner. I had this conversation the other day. Sometimes, you know, you can be in this business a long time and that experience will actually work against you.

14:15You know, because it is such an evolution in this industry that happens every month, every year. And so getting these folks here, but the other great thing about our show, I think we always like to say separates us out is it is the networking. We want you to come meet people because there's nobody shy here. There's no competition. You're gonna be able to go up and meet people, talk, have open, honest conversations about your struggles, their struggles, where they've been, where they are.

14:40One of the things we're doing this year is the survivor neck gaiter type things. We have 3 different tribes. So when you get your bag, you know, you'll have your, whatever color that is, that's your tribe. You know, we have tribal names like Rents Nation and stuff like that. And, but I purposely, they'll be so random in these bags cuz I don't want you to only hang out with the people you came with.

15:00I want you to see people you don't know wearing the same tribe that you're in, and I want you to have conversations with 'em. I want you to move around and connect to people. I mean, that's what makes this industry grow. And that's what I love about our show. The networking is fantastic. So tribes, that's interesting. Where did that come from? Well, you know, my wife was a huge fan of the TV show Survivor, and when they get on there, the island, they put them in these different tribes and stuff.

15:26And I thought we should do that because if I come in with 4 people from my shop and there's 4 bags, 3 of them are going to be different tribes. So I'm not just going to hang out with them. I want to force you to go interact with other people. I love the idea. I'm such a proponent for networking and this really, I mean, I guess what you have to do is, again, you get your bag.

15:47If someone at the registration desk says, uh, don't be bashful, meet the people from the other tribes. Is there something that explains that inside the bag? We'll have some stuff in there. There's gonna be a lot of unique features. Again, we'll have the hidden immunity idols hidden around the expo. That NAPA is actually sponsoring. And like when you find them, you can bring them up.

16:06We'll give you a tool, but we will have a display in the lobby with each of the tribal banners that you can do photo ops. And we'll also have kind of, it'll look like you're on a desert island in the lobby. And there'll be some promotional things there, some giant blowup things from certain auto shops and things. The staircase is going to be a huge photo op again.

16:28Advance actually took the staircase this year. So we're in the process of doing the artwork with them. To create what that will be. But there'll be a lot of photo ops and a lot of things driving folks to interact. You know, the fastest obstacle course time will get the immunity piston. Uh, it is a giant piston trophy that you will get to represent and take home with you, and then you're the person that won it.

16:51And then we might throw some extra benefits on for winning that immunity piston. I'll promote it, you know. I love it. Good for you. One more reminder, ASTA Expo, September 24th through 26th. Now, it's not too late to sign up. We almost have what, 45, 50 days left as the moment we're recording. Yeah, it's funny to me when, you know, when you pull all the data from last year, it kind of drives you nuts because you're looking at it and you run early bird specials and you do this and you do that.

17:24And then last year, 62% of the people signed up within the last 30 days. When I'm thinking you could have saved a bunch of money if you would've just, you know, signed up a few weeks earlier and it starts to really ramp up. I mean, and we're ahead of pace where we were last year by over 100 folks. So we're like 150 tickets ahead of where we were last year.

17:44And so it tells you we're gonna have more people. It's just, it's getting there. I encourage people, get out and buy your tickets, get 'em as early as you can. Take advantage of those spots. Yeah, you're right. I think of the word compression when I hear you say that people don't sign up for the last 30 days. And I believe in so many, we make decisions about what we're gonna do tomorrow, today.

18:03And I had a chance because I knew about this concert, this event, this community program that's out there. I knew about it a month ago and I just never did anything about it until the day before. There's so much going on in our worlds and in our lives. And I guess the reason we're doing this episode, you know, we'll be there with our podcast booth and we'd love to see all of our great friends and so many God, I know 80% of the people that are training and so many great instructors that are going to be there.

18:31I guess the reason that I'm encouraging, I wanted Ryan to come on is to be sure, don't hesitate, make a decision because as life goes on, you've got to make plans for your shop, for your family, for your travel. You got to make plans. Don't make plans the day before. Yeah. Let's face it. Nothing's getting cheaper waiting to buy a ticket, waiting to buy an airplane ticket, doing this.

18:53Nothing gets cheaper. So the earlier you get out in front of it, the better. Like I said, the trainers we have, very lucky and fortunate to have 'em. And we, you know, kind of being towards the end of the year, it's kind of good for us because I can look at other shows. I can see what was said, you know, taught. Some of those classes will say, yeah, we want to bring that here.

19:10Other ones will say, you know, we want a new class from you. What are you working on? What's the latest you got? What's cutting edge? And so we're kind of able to get a new class. So that kind of helps. But the trainers we have, you know, they're second to none. As you said, we do have some great folks and You know, it's a lot of moving pieces, you know, to be putting this on.

19:27But, you know, I was telling Callie and my wife last week, like, it's just, I'm ready for the show to get here. I'm ready for it to be here. So where are you going on vacation after the show? You know, I don't know. I'm actually in Ohio right now visiting, uh, kind of a working, uh, visiting my daughter and my grandsons. We were talking about, you know, we've been kicking around running up to Ottawa, Canada and hanging out and, and doing some stuff up there and, uh, Odensburg, New York and stuff and.

19:53My wife's never been up that way, but then the fires were going on, so I was waiting to see all that play out. And then, but we've also talked about going to Reykjavik, you know, heading up there. And we're always talking about going back to Italy. So, because I would move to Italy probably, but my wife will not let me. I so badly want to go to Italy here.

20:12I'm an Italian purebred and I haven't been there yet once in my life. And so many friends around me have gone and That's one of the things that I regret. Spectacular places to go to when, with, kind of off the beaten path. So Ottawa, you say you go to Ottawa yet this month. Would you drive there? Nah, I'd just fly up. You know, it's just one of those things that you can get some cheap flights up to that direction right now.

20:38And it'd just be one of those things we'd fly out, rent a car, we got there and just kind of hang out. Got it. Oh, so you flew into Ohio? No, here I drive up because I have to have a car in Ohio and I don't want to rent one because they're just, I like to have my Jeep with me all the time.

20:53So I always drive my Jeep here. Uh, but it's only about 7 hours, you know, so it's not really that bad. I was going to suggest since I live in Buffalo, if you were going to drive, you were going to go right by me on the way to Ottawa. Never know. I might stop in and see you regardless. I might make a run down there.

21:10So you never know. Talking about hitting Niagara, you know, and all that stuff. So, yeah, well, that's where I am. That's where I am. How much, you know, you're gearing up for football season, you know, hopefully. You think so? Brand new multi-billion dollar stadium here. It's opening this season. Yeah. You guys better win. That's all. That's all. Oh yeah. Well, the politics over that money and of course the Bills yet to win a Super Bowl.

21:38But it's a great town. We have football fever everywhere. Yeah, I can imagine. I can imagine. I don't know how we got off onto football, but we did. Let's go over ASTA one more time. Okay. The website is astausa.org, Automotive Service and Tire Alliance. The expo is going to be September 24th through the 26th, 2026. You got to be there because I have seen these incredible seminars that you're putting on.

22:08And I love your point earlier. A lot of the instructors that are there, you basically pick up the phone and says, hey, we'd love you to come back and submit a class, but can you do something different? What are you working on? I love your point. And as I looked at the listing of a lot of the topics, there's some really cool, neat, new, fresh stuff there.

22:26Yeah, it's a lot. I'm still adding a couple. Uh, had one today that we're looking at. Because there's a lot of things going on, you know, in our industry with healthcare and insurance, and a lot of these shop owners don't know how to navigate those waters. And if you've got, you know, shops in different states, there's a lot of hoops you have to jump through.

22:44So we're talking about bringing in one of those classes to kind of go over some of that stuff. But it's not the old days where it was just all I need to do is know how to turn a wrench and balance a checkbook and I can run a shop. It's nothing like that. So. This is, you know, a technology-driven business, you know, to that point.

23:02And you're basically, you know, working on rolling computers and it takes a lot to retain and hire the right talent and keep them. It's a different world. That was the greatest summary in the world if I could ever point toward the reason to go to the ASTA Expo. Wow. Perfect. Always good to come on and see you. Yeah. Ryan Reagan, Executive Director of the Automotive Service and Tire Alliance, ASTA.

23:27I hope to see you at the expo in September. You'll definitely see me. Uh, to my listener, I hope to see my listener. We both hope to see you there. Get off your finger, your mouse, and your wallet and get there. Yeah. Come see me. Thanks so much, Ryan. Thank you. Thanks for being on board to listen and learn from the premier automotive repair business podcast, Remarkable Results Radio.

23:50Get your episodic education on the ARPN listening app. At automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com. Also enjoy the podcast on our Carm Capriato YouTube channel. Carm is all for advancing the professional automotive service industry. Until next time.