There are moments in industry life that feel bigger than the event itself. For me, one of those moments happened at this year’s Australian Automotive Aftermarket Expo

Yes, the show floor was full. Yes, the stands looked fantastic. Yes, the technology, training, equipment, and innovation on display reminded us once again why this industry is so capable, resilient and forward-looking.
But there was something else happening too.
Women were not just present at Expo. Women were visible. Women were connected. Women were being celebrated. And, importantly, women were being integrated into the mainstream story of the automotive aftermarket. That matters.
Of course, women have always been part of Expo. They have always been part of our businesses, our workshops, our supply chains, our customer service teams, our management teams, and our industry networks.
But historically, the presence of women in automotive has too often been treated as something adjacent to the “real” industry story. This year felt different.
The AAAAWomen networking drinks were not a side conversation. They were part of the fabric of Expo. They created a space for women and allies to meet, connect, encourage each other, and recognise that our industry is changing – not because someone has imposed change on us, but because our own people are stepping forward and building it.
Around 100 people came together for the networking drinks, and the energy in the room was genuinely wonderful. It was warm, generous, and practical.
There was none of the stiffness that can sometimes come with formal industry events. It felt like people were ready for this. Ready to connect. Ready to be visible. Ready to support one another. And that is really what AAAAWomen is about.
AAAAWomen is not about separating women from the industry. It is about ensuring women are properly included in it. It is about visibility, leadership, and connection. It is about creating pathways for women who are already working in automotive, whether they are on the tools, in parts, in management, in sales, in manufacturing, in distribution, in technical roles or in family businesses.
It is also about making sure women entering the industry can see a future for themselves here. Because you cannot be what you cannot see.
The aftermarket has always been an industry built on relationships, trust, capability, and practical problem-solving. Those are exactly the strengths that make AAAAWomen so important. It gives people a way to find each other, learn from each other, and build confidence across the sector.
It also sends a very clear message: women are not guests in this industry. We are part of its future.
That message was reinforced beautifully through the Women at the Wheel Award, and I want to warmly congratulate Chelsea Lawson, the 2026 award winner.
Chelsea represents so much of what is exciting about the next generation of automotive talent. As an auto technician, she brings technical skill, credibility and enthusiasm to the trade. She has also been a visible and positive advocate for the value of coming together as an industry – for training, networking, learning and sharing ideas. That combination matters.
Awards like Women at the Wheel are not simply about recognising individual achievement, although Chelsea absolutely deserves that recognition.
They are also about showing the broader industry what leadership looks like in many different forms. Sometimes leadership is standing on a stage. Sometimes it is mentoring a colleague. Sometimes it is showing up, doing excellent work and encouraging others to believe they belong here too.
Chelsea’s recognition is a reminder that the future of automotive will be shaped by people with skill, curiosity, generosity, and courage. And that future will include more women – not as an exception, but as an expectation.
This is why the Expo moment felt so important.
The automotive aftermarket is facing enormous change. New technology, new skills, new customer expectations and new regulatory pressures are reshaping the way we work. If we are serious about building a strong future, then we need every part of our talent pool engaged.
We need women in workshops. We need women in leadership. We need women in technical training, product development, manufacturing, sales, business ownership, policy and advocacy. We need women who are new to the industry, women who have been quietly holding businesses together for decades, and women who are ready to lead the next chapter.
And we need the industry to see that inclusion is not a “nice to have.” It is part of workforce development. It is part of business resilience. It is part of attracting talent. It is part of keeping good people in our sector.
That is why AAAAWomen matters. It gives structure and momentum to something that has been building for a long time.
The networking drinks at Expo were a milestone, but they were not the destination. They were a signal. A signal that the industry is ready for more connection, more visibility and more deliberate support for women across the aftermarket.
And if the response at Expo is anything to go by, we are only just getting started.
To everyone who came along, thank you. To the AAAAWomen Steering Group, thank you for shaping something meaningful. And to Chelsea Lawson, congratulations on being named the 2026 Women at the Wheel Award winner.
It was a proud moment for Chelsea, a proud moment for AAAAWomen, and a proud moment for the industry.

To learn more about AAAAWomen, please email Lesley Yates on advocacy@aaaa.com.au