ARA 2020 convention will be online event

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) has announced that its 77th Annual Convention & Exposition will be a 100 percent “virtual,” or online event. Originally scheduled to take place in person Nov. 11-14 at the Peppermill Resort & Casino in Reno, Nevada, association leaders say they will instead “transition into an all virtual event, due to ongoing concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Ultimately, the health and safety of the membership and staff is our top priority,” says ARA Executive Director Sandy Blalock. “After many discussions, serious consideration, and with the safety of all attendees at the forefront, we have decided to redirect all of our efforts into transitioning the 77th Annual ARA Convention and Exposition into a virtual conference. We were hopeful that this year’s convention could remain a live event, but the current state of affairs simply presents too much uncertainty and risk at this time.”

The dates of the event remain unchanged, and ARA says it is in the process of adapting the full schedule of educational programming, exposition hours and networking events into a program that will “showcase automotive recycling at its best.”

More details on the new format will be released in the coming weeks, says the Manassas, Virginia-based association, which has additional information on the format change on this web page.

“For 76 years, the ARA Annual Convention and Exposition has been the gathering place for the professional automotive recycling industry and an incredible place to network, learn and conduct business,” says ARA President Scott Robertson of Robertson’s Auto Salvage Inc., Wareham, Massachusetts.

Adds Robertson, “ARA is the voice of the professional automotive recycling industry, and it is our duty to provide information, education and opportunity to automotive recyclers from around the world–even in the midst of a global pandemic. Yes, it will look different, but it will still be the extraordinary experience that our attendees have come to expect year after year.”