The Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association announced a new component to the Heavy Duty Dialogue conference series, the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue conference, which will be co-hosted with MacKay & Co. on Jan. 21.
The conference will be held in Las Vegas, Nev., and will immediately precede Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week 2013.

Registration for HDAD'13 is open for the new conference and can be completed on the HDMA website, www.hdma.org .

Traditionally, this time block has been occupied by HDMA's Heavy Duty Dialogue conference, from which the recently announced Heavy Duty Dialogue Conference Series was spawned. The HDD Conference Series, new in 2013, will include Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue, Heavy Duty Dialogue and Off-Highway Dialogue.

The First Annual HDAD conference will feature segments including the HD Industry Forecast, presented by Stu MacKay of MacKay & Co., and the North American Economic Outlook, presented by Dr. Bob Dieli, economist and owner of RDLB Inc.

These segments will be accompanied by three panels including one with suppliers, one with distributors/dealers and one with fleets. Each will focus several components, including:
- Consolidation - Distribution, Dealers, OEMs, Suppliers
- Utility and Complexity of Components - 300K mile-plus parts, extended warranties
- Balance of Power in the Market - Pricing, terms, repair and distribution practices
- Globalization of Supply Base - Counterfeiting, white box, private label and pricing
- The Uncertain Value Chain - Brands, distribution, end-customer access and representation

The conference will include breakfast, two breaks and a luncheon, each intended to facilitate networking with industry peers, as well as conference books containing presentation materials.

"The structure of the program will provide us the opportunity to focus on the key issues driving both the current and future heavy-duty aftermarket. Our research indicates that fleet customer practices are changing - and often quite significantly - as many sectors of this customer base continue to consolidate," said Stu MacKay, President of MacKay & Company said.

"Vehicles are being retained longer by the first owner prior to trading as product durability and reliability continue to improve. Maintenance practices continue to improve as well. Both independent and dealer distribution channels also continue to consolidate - creating a changing competitive environment for suppliers. With $22 billion in aftermarket business at stake, the opportunities are major - and so are the challenges," MacKay concluded.

For more information or to register for the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue conference, or any of the other conferences in the HDD Conference Series, please visit www.hdma.org .