The Value of Diverse Training at ASTA 2025: From Finance to Mental Health [RR 1068]

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS Watch Full Video Episode

Recorded Live at ASTA 2025, Ryan Ragan, Executive Director of ASTA, discusses the explosive growth of the event, Ragan’s long-term vision, the wildly creative opening-night party, and the industry-wide push to elevate professional language in the automotive field.

Episode Highlights

• Record-Breaking Growth:ASTA 2025 moved to a larger venue and saw a 34–35% increase in registrations, reaching four-digit attendance. Ragan restructured the expo for better vendor ROI, including a shop-owner-only show-floor window on opening night. His biggest hurdle wasn’t logistics—it was convincing people that such a massive upgrade was even possible on a tight timeline. The payoff came when an attendee told him the show felt like the “SEMA of the East.”

• “Out of This World” Theme:ASTA’s first themed expo featured an alien-inspired opening night with a mechanical bull, giant dartboard, sumo matches (announced by Carm), and 10-ft champagne-serving aliens.

• Education & Professionalism:Ragan stressed the importance of ongoing training in an era where cars are “rolling computers.”A major topic: shifting industry language—embracing titles likemechanical specialistto elevate professionalism and attract new talent.

Ragan hopes every attendee left with three things:

1. New knowledge to solve future shop challenges

2. A fun memory to brighten tough days

3. A new connection they can call for advice

https://astausa.org/pages/asta-expo Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Connect with the Podcast: - Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ - Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters - Join Our Private Facebook Community: