From engine builders to shop techs, media relations folks to race car drivers, the spectrum of automotive aftermarket careers is immense—which is why large industry trade shows like the High Performance Expo (HPX) are such a valuable asset to the automotive and motorsports industries.
Whether it’s refreshing the incoming talent pipeline or incubating new product innovations, these automotive meetings-of-the-minds play a key role in recruitment, knowledge share, and comradery.
We sat down with Dr. Jamie Meyer, a consultant for the aforementioned HPX Show to learn why these trade shows are such a big, big deal to anyone in the racing, aftermarket, or performance industries.
Not only is Dr. Meyer an automotive professional with decades of industry experience, he’s also a gearhead himself with plenty of time spent under the hoods of his own project cars.
“The biggest problem right now is that we need people. This industry is growing so quickly, and so rapidly.”
Dr. Jamie Meyer
All told, if you’re looking to start a career in the automotive industry, broaden your expertise, build your network, or accelerate your business, then attending one of these shows offers plenty of upside. You can catch the entire podcast episode in the embedded player below, and we’ll also include some excerpts from our conversation here as well.
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A Conversation with Dr. Meyer on the Value of Industry Events
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How’d You Become a Gearhead?
“I grew up as an enthusiast in upstate New York. My grandfather was a stock car racer. My dad was a ’55 Chevy fan, and my mom was a racer with a big block Monte Carlo.
“I graduated from the medical school in Syracuse with a PhD in anatomy and cell biology, but I was racing in Syracuse with my ’88 Mustang notchback. So I went on to Cincinnati and started writing for a lot of different car magazines, and then I left science and started working for General Motors.
“I got to do a lot of cool stuff, like launching the LS crate engines and even helped with the COPO Camaro and the Stingray. And toward the end of the run in 2020, I was on the SEMA Board of Directors, and I was asked to take over PRI.
“I went to PRI for three years, was on the executive team at SEMA, helped with all the great advocacy work that that group does. I’ve done a stint with private equity and right now I’m a consultant to the industry.”
Why Are Trade Shows So Valuable to Our Industry?
“What a passionate group of people that makes up this industry. And, you know, there’s a really big number out there—north of $50 billion of annual sales—in the automotive aftermarket industry.
“And there are a ton of jobs that that make that possible, right? From marketing folks to finance folks to engineers that dream up all these crazy things that make our cars perform better or look better.
“Education is a key component of what we’re talking about at the High Performance Expo. If you’re a young person and you want to know how to get in the industry, or if you’re more seasoned like you and me, and you want to improve your leadership game, you’ve got to be around people that have done it and people that are looking to expand their teams.
“The High Performance Expo is a really great chance—these trade shows that bring people together are a really great chance to up your game, take your company and take your personal skills to another level.”
How’d You Settle on Charlotte for a Location?
“Well, in Charlotte for over 20 years, founded by Richard Petty and Rick Hendrick, is the North Carolina Motorsports Association. And the NCMA has done an incredible job of growing motorsports in North Carolina—the manufacturers there, the teams, the OEMs.
“And what some folks know in the financial world, is that Charlotte, North Carolina is the second biggest financial hub in the United States. And candidly, they just have a lot of financial capabilities that other cities don’t.”
Explain Some Benefits of Attending a Trade Show Like This.
“Well, if you’re a small manufacturer, you get exposure to big companies like Summit Racing that might be able to help you with marketing and distribution and product ideas. If you’re a big established company, you may be looking to acquire small companies, or you may need a media partner.
“The biggest problem right now is that we need people. This industry is growing so quickly, and so rapidly.
“Endless numbers of companies have come to me, as a consultant and said, ‘Hey man, I could double my business if I had another five technicians. Where do I find these people?’ These types of shows have to be on your radar for people, for capital, and the networking to grow your company.
“Now, what if you’re a small shop? Or what if you’re a consumer that side hustles and does brake jobs and supercharger installations? You can get a direct relationship with the manufacturer, maybe get a deal on what those parts cost. Maybe you see the latest in technology and tools and equipment and what’s coming down the line. And that’s really where the growth of business takes place, getting smart people together, solving problems, and helping each other around you.”
“These are the type of resources you can find at the High Performance Expo.”
What Advice Do You Have for Folks Looking to Get Their Foot in the Door?
“Do your homework, you know, make sure you’re going to the right show. Make sure it’s affordable for you.
“If I was walking around with a new member of this industry, anybody that’s going to a show like this for your first time, absolutely have business cards. But also a lot of folks like higher tech ways to connect, right? So LinkedIn has a really cool way you can hit the app in the search bar. Your QR code comes up and you can get linked on LinkedIn real quickly.
“Work on your pitch, what you do, what value do you bring—because ‘I like cars’ isn’t enough. ‘I like cars, I’ve been trained, my dad runs a shop, and I’ve worked in there since I was ten. And I really love this segment of the auto industry,’ whatever the pitch is like, work on that.
“And then also think about the schedule. So for the High Performance Expo, we want B2B interaction. So we’ve scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday to be specific for B2B activities.
“But on Thursday, we open it up for consumers, so that would be a great place for someone that’s really not sure, and they might want to ask around.”
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You can catch the full interview in The OnAllCylinders Podcast section, where you’ll also find dozens of other episodes featuring famous celebrities, friendly gearheads, industry veterans, and really (REALLY) smart technical experts.
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