
Registraiton open for OK, IL, Northeast and Southeast collision repair trade shows
By onAnnouncements
Four upcoming trade shows will allow those in the collision repair industry to network, visit with vendors, and learn about current topics important to the industry.
Oklahoma Autobody Association (OKABA) 2025 Tradeshow
The Oklahoma Autobody Association 2025 Tradeshow is Feb. 7 and Feb. 8 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, 100 Mick Cornett Dr., Oklahoma City.
Registration is $75 after Jan. 26 and includes the Friday night vendor social, comedy night, continental breakfast, breakout sessions, and lunch. The trade show floor is free.
To register click here.
Ementi Coary, OKABA executive director, said local trade shows are an easier option for repair shops to send their entire staff. At the same time, many of the same bigger vendors often come to the OKABA event, he said.
Coary said this year he brought a presentation on the Society of Repair Specialists benefit package because he’s found the program impactful.
Richie Seaberry will present on the package as a breakout speaker on Saturday.
Through the SCRS benefits center, industry employees and their relatives have access to a marketplace of unique healthcare coverage options through Gravie and others, to improve the way people buy and access healthcare.
“The biggest impact is ‘You don’t know what you don’t know,’ meaning you have to pay attention to what is going on in the industry to grow your business,” Coary said about the importance of trade events.
The event’s vendor social event starts at 6 p.m. Friday followed by the comedy show at 8:30. Comedian Jerry Wayne Longmire will headline the evening with Barry Laminack opening and Billy D. Washington hosting.
Breakout sessions will be held Saturday from 9-10:30 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Each breakout room is limited to 50 people. Attendees can register for sessions at the time of event registration.
Speakers include:
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- Richie Seaberry, “SCRS Employee Benefits Package, Why Benefits Matter!”
- Kena Dacus, Dacus Body Shop, “How to Catch Talent and Keep It”
- Josh Dorris, Collision Safety Consultants, “Educating the Consumer”
- Daniel Buckholder, Body Shop Marketing, “Your Shop’s 2025 Online Marketing Plan”
- Rick Selover, Garmat, “Understanding the Power of Mindset”
- Jerry Gastineau, Mitchell International director of database development, “AI Estimating: Removing Some of the Mystery!”
Collision Training Institute will provide a tech training class titled “Collision Crucible: Researching for Profit” at 8 a.m. The I-Car Norton Class will hold a tech training class on shop material consumption and management at 10 a.m.
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Illinois (AASPI) Annual Meeting Conference & Trade Show Expo
The AASPI Annual Meeting Conference & Trade Show Expo is Feb. 22 at Northern Illinois University (NIU), 1120 East Diehl Rd., Naperville.
Costs for the event vary depending on educator, member, or non-member status along with which pass is purchased. General attendee tickets include six speakers. À la carte, all class pass tickets can be purchased on top of the attendee ticket for three additional speakers, the legislator session, and post-event recordings.
To register click here.
Event rates at the Hampton Inn Chicago/Naperville, 1087 East Diehl Rd., Naperville are available through Jan. 31.
Those in the collision industry in Southern Illinois can participate via a remote broadcast held at Lander’s Collision Center, 2325 Benton Rd., Mt. Vernon. Register for the Southern Illinois event here.
The Naperville event starts at 7:45 a.m. with registration, check-in, and breakfast. The trade show opens at 8 a.m. with presentations starting at 8:35 a.m.
Event speakers include but are not limited to:
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- Mike Anderson, Collision Advice CEO, “Parts Best Practices”
- Tom Zobelein, Vaultoniq, “From Dent to Delivery: Automating Your Body Shop with AI”
- Pete Tagliapietra, DataTouch, “Are You Unknowingly Contributing to the Industry’s Dirty Little Estimate Data Secret?”
- Matt DiFrancesco, CExP, High Lift Financial, “Building Value to Exit on Your Terms”
- Carl Dumele, Aeromotive Services Inc. Technologies, “Impact on Evaluating Wire Damage”
- Cole Strandberg, Focus Bankers, “The Era of the Single-Store Generalist Body Shop is Coming to an End”
- Yanni Koutmos, EagleMMS, “Inflation and Margins Analysis of Materials in the Collision Industry and What YOU Can Do About It”
The AASPI also will hold its annual conference legislator session at 10:15 a.m. The session focuses on informing legislators about consumer rights, the collision repair process, and the Illinois Automotive Collision Repair Act.
NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP-NJ) NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show is scheduled for March 14-March 16 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center (MEC), 355 Plaza Dr., Secaucus, New Jersey.
The tradeshow is free for those who register online before the event. Register here.
Education classes held during the event are $35 each, or $249 for a full weekend pass. Attendees must have a valid NORTHEAST badge ID to register for seminars. Those who sign up are able to bring a friend to classes for free.
“We are excited for our 48th annual NORTHEAST 2025 and will be welcoming back a number of things our attendees look forward to every year, including our East Coast Resolution Forum & Leadership Meeting, our Bodywork Bowl Collision Repair Skills Competition and of course our educational slate,” said Alicia Figurelli, spokeswoman for the event.
Figurelli said this year’s schedule will include a full-day CCC “boot camp” presented by Mike Anderson with Collision Advice and Craig Stevens with CCC Intelligent Solutions. It also will include ADAS and OEM panel discussions, insights from SCRS’ Aaron Schulenburg, and many more classes, she said.
To see a full class schedule, click here.
Pre-show events from OEC, Elite Body Shop Solutions, and CCG will be held March 14 and March 15 ahead of the event, Figurelli said.
To see more details about pre-show events and to register, click here.
“Events like NORTHEAST are important for the industry because they are where change and evolution happen,” Figurelli said. “NORTHEAST provides an opportunity for repair professionals to better themselves, whether it’s through over a dozen educational offerings, networking, or making a more educated purchasing decision by talking with vendors. NORTHEAST has the additional benefit of being a long-running event run by an established group of professionals for nearly 50 years, who have adapted to the changing needs of the industry as it evolves.”
Southeast Collision Conference
The Carolina’s Collision Association (CCA) and the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) will be holding the Southeast Collision Conference May 1-3 in Richmond, Virginia at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 North 3rd St.
“Our associations working together has been a huge win for the Southeast Collision Conference and all of our area repairers,” says CCA President and Director of Fixed Operations of K&M Collision, Kyle Bradshaw, in a press release. “The endeavor is to focus on opportunities for shops to grow their insights, education and connections. I’m proud to be a part of the group putting together this amazing tradeshow and education program for 2025!”
Jordan Hendler, executive director for WMABA, said in a release that it is important to reach as many shops in the east as the organizations can.
“The alignment of the Collision Industry Conference to this SCC is also exciting, because it brings added discussion and networking, as well as other associations and pivotal industry groups,” Hendler said. “Higher representation of vendors, OEMs, insurers and more will be present. As always, it’s going to be the not-to-be-missed event this side of the country!”
The tradeshow floor is free during the event. Collision Prep (education) pre-registration for non-members of CCA or WMABA is $179 and $99 for members. Register for the event here.
An awards dinner will be held on May 1 at 6:30 p.m. with education classes held Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3 at 8:30 a.m. and the tradeshow at 10 a.m.
Details about speakers and classes will be released soon but a press release notes that the event will once again bring a full slate of nationally recognized speakers. It also plans to focus on leading edge topics that are pertinent to advancing the repair industry.
Images
Featured image: The floor of NORTHEAST 2019 is shown. (Provided by Thomas Greco Publishing)