​Expanded technical expertise, new specialty classes highlight training evolutionTEMPE, ARIZ., March 18, 2022 (MEDIAWIRE) – The premier MasterTech EXPO took place March 6-9 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Ariz. The combination tradeshow and tech training event welcomed hundreds of automotive aftermarket industry professionals to learn new fabrication and build strategies as well as experience products from exhibiting vendors. MasterTech EXPO will be back in the same location in 2023, spanning four days beginning March 5.

“Our first EXPO exceeded our expectations in every facet,” said Bryan Schmitt, event founder and producer. “We surpassed our audience and exhibitor targets while maintaining the unique learning and networking environment we wanted for everyone. We’re especially grateful to the staff at the Mesa Convention Center and the Delta Hotel for accommodating our needs due to expanded participation from the automotive aftermarket industry. Most importantly, we’ve built a new blueprint for process-driven, large-scale technical training unlike anything the industry has experienced.”​

“For 2023 and beyond, we are committed to providing our attendees a broader range of technical expertise and exhibitors,” added Schmitt. “What we offer as an experience has to reflect the changes in the automotive aftermarket. Shops are diversifying to provide a single source of expanded services to their clientele. We want to continue to fuel that change with access to top-notch companies and focused education.”

Press Release: MasterTech EXPO, which held its first combination trade show and technical training event this month in Mesa, Az, announced plans for next year’s show to be held in the same location, the Mesa Convention Center, for four days starting March 5, 2023.
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The 2023 MasterTech EXPO event will add more diverse exhibitors and hands-on activities for education workshop attendees. Since the workshop format is based on what one would find at a university, the 2023 curriculum will continue that direction by adding electives, so an attendee can choose an additional class outside of his or her selected core workshops. In addition, attendees will have more opportunity to use tools and emulate the steps and techniques taught by expert instructors.

In conjunction with the annual show, MasterTech-branded events will continue to educate professional technicians and fabricators. The monthly School of Fab series on YouTube, featuring Bryan Schmitt and Mark from the popular Car Audio Fabrication series, will continue on first Thursday of each month. Schmitt will also announce 2022 dates for the return of specialty training classes at the Mobile Solutions facility in Tempe, Ariz., under the MasterTech brand. Each in-house MasterTech session at Mobile Solutions will comprise more intimate, project-focused versions of the School of Fab and Master Design courses taught at MasterTech EXPO.

“For 2023 and beyond, we are committed to providing our attendees a broader range of technical expertise and exhibitors,” said Bryan Schmitt, event founder and producer. “What we offer as an experience has to reflect the changes in the automotive aftermarket. Shops are diversifying to provide a single source of expanded services to their clientele. We want to continue to fuel that change with access to top-notch companies and focused education.”
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“Our first EXPO exceeded our expectations in every facet,” added Schmitt. “We surpassed our audience and exhibitor targets while maintaining the unique learning and networking environment we wanted for everyone. We’re especially grateful to the staff at the Mesa Convention Center and the Delta Hotel for accommodating our needs due to expanded participation from the automotive aftermarket industry. Most importantly, we’ve built a new blueprint for process-driven, large-scale technical training unlike anything the industry has experienced.”

Mobile Solutions announced that its first annual MasterTech Expo has reached capacity for both exhibitors and attendees. The four-day exhibit and education conference scheduled March 6-9 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Ariz., sold out with just under two weeks remaining until its opening day. The Tempe, Ariz.-based fabrication tools and training provider also announced that the second MasterTech Expo event will take place March 5-8, 2023 at the Mesa Convention Center.
 
MasterTech Expo was originally limited to the interior exhibit hall and adjacent breakout rooms but expanded to include the outdoor pavilion due to additional exhibitor interest. The final exhibit space tops 50,000 square feet and will include more than 30 show vehicles and over 25 exhibitor booths. Attendees will also complete 10 to 12 hours of quality education workshops and have access to additional training from exhibiting partners. 
 
The event kicks off with a welcome party featuring singer and musician Justin Hopkins, fan favorite from The Voice television show and music competition. Attendees will then be prepped for training with a “swag bag” containing gifts, tools and training materials, and a daily complimentary buffet lunch.
 
Education for MasterTech Expo features highly qualified trainers teaching relevant courses that address the changing needs of today’s professional fabricators. Courses are grouped into tracks to provide a logical and progressive learning arc. Attendees select two tracks and must complete all courses within each track to earn an achievement award. Attendance for each course is limited to the number of seats in the room to ensure everyone has complete access to all educational content. Exhibiting partners will also hold exclusive training workshops to present new product and feature training to attendees.
 
Special events for MasterTech Expo start with a behind-the-scenes design session with TV personality and renowned vehicle designer Dave Kindig. Throughout the show, two teams will compete on fabrication craftsmanship in the MasterTech Expo Build-Off sponsored by Rockford Fosgate. The final day culminates with a special keynote presentation by fabrication legend Mark Fukuda, and state-of-the -industry presentation by Rockford Corporation CEO Bill Jackson. 
 
“I’m thrilled that, through the support of the automotive aftermarket industry and the belief and trust placed in us by our exhibiting partners, we have exceeded our targets on both fronts,” said Bryan Schmitt, founder and president of Mobile Solutions. “We anticipate a high-impact, high-value show that will elevate our retail professionals.”
 
Registration for the 2023 MasterTech Expo will open in April. 

Mobile Solutions / MasterTech Expo is excited to announce that Bill Jackson, president, and CEO of Rockford Corporation, will present a State of the Industry address at the first annual MasterTech Expo, scheduled for March 6-9 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Ariz. The presentation will take place on the last day of the show, preceding the MasterTech Build-Off awards ceremony sponsored by Rockford Fosgate.

Jackson will share his thoughts on the keys to success in our complex and constantly evolving business landscape. He will also discuss the benefit of assessing your business to create change through focus, investment, and execution so that retailers identify and adopt new methods of business.

“I was honored when Bryan asked me to share my insights with the attendees of the first MasterTech Expo,” said Jackson. “We think MasterTech Expo is brilliant because it focuses on where our industry is going: away from the content itself and more toward how content is personalized and experienced. Rockford fully supports this event’s mission of equipping our retailers and their staffs with the knowledge and skill to meet new market possibilities, and we look forward to being a part of it.”

Upholstery is the final step in any interior design and fabrication process. All of the previous sessions lead participants into this critically important finish. Watch a custom hot rod seat be fabricated and upholstered in real-time by instructor Tracy Weaver. Learn some of the important secrets to using sewing machines to create seams and join patterned sections for a highly custom look.
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Tracy Weaver's interiors are found in award-winning hot rods, restomods, modern vehicles, and classic, period-correct restorations. His one-off interiors are in all the major show competitions including the Good-Guys Top 12 Awards and Ridler Award contests. Tracy is considered a master of his craft, an innovator, and a business leader in the field of automotive upholstery.

​• Working from an initial design sketch or rendering
• Upholstery materials of choice – for hard and soft panel finishes
• Patterning and stitching different seams
• Full seat fabrication from foam to upholstery
• Finishing techniques to ensure a cohesive appearance

​Presenters: Andy Wehmeyer and Dean Beyett
Location: Palo Verde 1 & 2
First Group: Monday March 7, 2022 – 9:10am-10:40am
Second Group: Tuesday March 8, 2022 – 9:10am-10:40am
Total Time: 80 Minutes

Description
Learn audio system design principles and practices that deliver incredible results. Whether you’re starting from scratch or integrating with a complex factory system, great performance requires careful planning. This session covers speaker placement considerations, sound deadening, 2-way versus 3-way components, an overview of OEM system configurations for newer vehicles, and much more. This also includes important Pro Tips for effective system design and the tools you’ll need to maximize your end result!

Topics Covered
• Planning the system
• OEM audio system types
• Speaker selection and location
• Power requirement and configuration
• Signal processing and onboard integration

​ANDY WEHMEYER
Andy Wehmeyer is President of Audiofrog, Inc., a high-end car audio, pro audio, and audio measurement equipment company based in Pasadena, CA. Andy’s had a 35-year career in-car audio as a retail installer, product manager, category manager and company president. He is well regarded as one of the most knowledgeable people in the aftermarket car audio sector and routinely shares his depth of knowledge with the specialist car audio installation community.
Picture Andy’s strengths and specialties are in product management, car audio system design, and audio system calibration/tuning. He is also a patent co-holder for inventions in digital signal processing and speaker design. Andy is co-presenting a session in the Modern Tech educational track at MasterTech Expo.

​DEAN BEYETT
Dean Beyett is the lead installation technician at Five Star Car Stereo in Clearwater, FL. He has over 30 years of car audio installation experience that encompasses a wide range of skillsets and in-depth product knowledge. Along with leading the installation team, Dean is responsible for Five Star’s website, Instagram page and managing the company’s custom installation sales. His company, Smash Force Productions, produces the successful "Five Star Car Stereo",” Dean and Fernando’s Car Stereo Clips” and "The Boring Life of Dean and Hailey" YouTube shows. Creating thousands of videos on the subjects of car audio and being a dad, Dean has an impressive following online and is one of the driving forces behind car audio on social media today.

Mobile Solutions® announced it is going beyond its planned exhibit floor space at the Mesa Convention Center to accommodate the increasing interest in its first annual MasterTech Expo, scheduled March 6-9 in Mesa, Arizona. An adjacent outdoor expanse will essentially double the exhibit area, providing attendees access to more vendors and new product experiences.

The outdoor portion of the venue makes room for more than 25 additional demo vehicles as well as large-scale product showcases and demonstration areas. The space will be closed to the public and engage attendees with new hands-on, visual, and audible experiences in a spacious, uncrowded environment.

The outdoor expansion adds to an overall exhibit floor with several high-value attractions. Twenty-four well-spaced vendor booths will feature special demonstrations of product applications. The stage will spotlight the Rockford Fosgate®-sponsored MasterTech Expo Build-Off and its accompanying awards presentation with featured speakers, plus a technical drawing session with celebrity vehicle designer Dave Kindig. And the in-hall dining space will cater a complimentary buffet for attendees daily.

“When we first envisioned MasterTech Expo, our priority was always to create the highest possible value for attendees,” said Bryan Schmitt, president of Mobile Solutions. “Our attendance numbers show that our message has resonated with the industry. And equally important, the need to expand our exhibit space shows our message has resonated with automotive aftermarket brands as well. We look forward to welcoming attendees this March to our first of many shows.”

For more information, or to register for MasterTech Expo, please visit MasterTechExpo.com.

​Presenters: Jeremy Carlson and Matt Vowell
Location: Theater
First Group: Monday March 7, 2022 – 11:00am-12:20pm
Second Group: Tuesday March 8, 2022 – 11:00am-12:20pm
Total Time: 80 Minutes

DescriptionA natural continuation of the 2D CAD/CAM automation is graduating to 3D modeling and machinery to create complete 3D parts (or sections of parts). This is common in rapid prototyping and saves hours of failed design attempts once the principles are understood and implemented effectively. Learn about the use of 3D scanning technology to capture real-time dimensional data from a vehicle or individual parts. Apply these tools and processes in your own small-batch production for highly customized solutions your clientele will simply not find elsewhere! Pro Tips from seasoned experts are a big part of this session!
Topics Covered▪Terminology of 3D automation such as five-axis CNC routers and 3D printing
▪Choosing the proper 3D modeling software
▪Scanning tools to capture the vehicle or part’s 3D dimensions
▪Examples & applications of applying 2D and 3D automation