Suppliers, staff and stakeholders come together in massive week of conferencing to celebrate

One of Australia’s largest automotive retail groups, containing Repco, NAPA and Repco Authorised Service (RAS), celebrated its 100th anniversary with a huge conference in early November.
Held at the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre, the four days of conferencing was attended by 3,000 store managers and delegates and was accompanied by a huge suppliers’ exhibition – known as the Repco Xpo – and culminated in a gala dinner at Crown Palladium.
The Xpo hosted 1500 customers on Wednesday evening and included 100 stands, with Repco suppliers such as AAAA members Narva, Gates Australia, Penrite, Bendix, Century Batteries, IM Group, Viva Australia, Clutch Industries, Monroe, REDARC, Bosch, Milwaukee and many more.
The AAAA also had a stand where staff, including Head of Membership and Marketing, Tiffany Conway, and Membership Development Manager, Daniel Nelson, talked to Repco and NAPA representatives, suppliers and RAS franchisees about skills shortages, the EV transition, and data sharing.
AAAA Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Charity, also presented to the conference while Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, Lesley Yates, was a member of the ‘Thriving for the Next 100 Years’ panel.
Repco Australia General Manager Marketing, Kym Sutherland, described the conference as “a huge success.”
Kym said he was particularly pleased with the Xpo and its accompanying Repco vehicle museum display.
“The Xpo was incredible… there was an amazing atmosphere, and the displays were very impressive. The car museum and our Repco history displays were a real hit,” Kym said.
“The Xpo was an integral part of our week of conferencing, which was capped off with the Repco 100 Gala Event at Crown Palladium on Thursday, which was a beautiful night of celebration and storytelling of Repco’s unique and unrivalled automotive history in Australia and New Zealand, and at some points in time, globally!”

The car museum display featured a number of iconic cars that are very important to Repco’s history, including the BT19 of late three-time World Formula One Champion, Sir Jack Brabham. Designed by renowned Australian designer Ron Tauranac, it was powered by a Repco V8 engine built by well-known engine builder Phil Irving.
Amongst the other cars on display was Brabham’s Torana LH L34 which he shared at Bathurst in 1976 with fellow F1 champion, Briton Stirling Moss, the Brabham BT17 sportscar, a Elfin MR8, and a 1946 Maybach MK1.
A number of Supercars drivers attended the Xpo to sign posters and memorabilia for the visitors, including Shell Racing’s Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale as well as Penrite Racing’s David Reynolds, while most of the suppliers provided door prizes for some lucky attendees.

For more information, visit www.repco.com.au