Along with the custom builds, new products and tools packing the Las Vegas Convention Center halls at the 2024 SEMA Show, there will be opportunities to learn from collision repair industry experts who can help develop new skills and ideas to improve every aspect of an auto body shop.
Both the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and I-CAR have a full slate of demonstrations, panel discussions, interviews and presentations on a wide range of topics scheduled for Nov. 5-8.
“A big part of going to a national event like this is acquiring information, and surrounding yourself with people who can really inspire you to do more in your business to serve your customer, your employee,” said Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS. “If you're not going to education sessions, you're missing out on a big aspect of what makes shows like SEMA so important.”
“We understand the demands on everyone’s time, particularly when running a shop,” said Arianna Sherlock, associate vice president of marketing for I-CAR. “SEMA is a major gathering point for the industry annually and an opportunity to get some education.”
James Rodis, process, procedure and training manager for Woodhouse Collision Centers and OEM Calibration in Nebraska, said he went to the SEMA Show for the first time solely for the education sessions. He has returned every year since and makes sure to attend a class in every time slot available.
“Not every presentation is the right one for you and your business, but if you can’t pick up one or two nuggets from every presentation, you’re not trying,” Rodis said.
SEMA always brings in the “best in the industry,” Rodis said. “We’re all in different aspects of our journey in our collision shops. You have to listen to the people who are ahead of you.”
Jill Tuggle, executive director of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), said SEMA presenters often bring their newest content about products, services and procedures, which she then takes back to her association’s membership through social media, webinars, magazines and live events.
“Shops are busy right now and everyone’s dialed in to being at the shop,” Tuggle said. “It’s more important than ever to attend things like this to hear new speakers and gain new perspectives.”
SCRS
SCRS is again hosting its Repairer Driven Education (RDE) track, a series of education sessions on Nov. 5-7 covering everything from rethinking shop employee roles to using new tools and equipment, like ceramic coatings and laser welders.
Schulenburg said “a ton of work” goes into planning RDE. “We've actually already started conversations about what the next SEMA Show will look like,” he said. “We normally start a little over a year in advance, even prior to the next to the current show occurring.”
SCRS is fortunate to receive several submissions from speakers interested in presenting.
“The work is normally more in narrowing down the topics and the speakers to the available time slots that we have,” he said.
Schulenburg encouraged everyone attending SEMA to consider registering for education sessions in advance.
Danny Gredinberg, left, and Mike Anderson, right, presented during the 2022 SEMA Show.
He also urged attendees to register for the RDE full series pass, which grants access to one education program in each time slot, as well as SCRS’ after party the evening of Nov. 7.
“Even if you can't make it to all of [the time slots], that full series pass creates a more flexible show experience,” Schulenburg said. “It's the best value. Unless they're only looking at going to one individual session, I encourage most people to really take a look at that full series pass.”
Of this year’s RDE lineup, Schulenburg said “it's all can't-miss.”
On Nov. 5, Sheryl Driggers, of Collision Advice, is a first-time presenter. She will be talking about how to provide an extraordinary customer experience.
Kena Dacus, of Dacus Auto Body and Collision Repair in Kansas, participated in a panel discussion at the 2023 SEMA Show, and did such a great job, SCRS asked her to come back as a standalone speaker. She will be presenting “How to Catch Talent and Keep It.”
Schulenburg said he is also looking forward to Nick Schoolcraft’s marketing presentation, and one on total losses hosted by Tim Ronak and Tony Adams.
“It's so hard to pick because there's so many different sessions that I think are worth looking at,” he said.
On Nov. 6, Frank Phillips, of ADAS Solutions, will be moderating a panel discussion on the realities of restoring ADAS safety systems and consumer confidence through the calibration process. Panelists will include Joel Adcock from Revv, Christina Supelveda from SPARK Underwriters, and Scott VanHulle from I-CAR.
Schulenburg said he also enjoys the classes that involve collision repairers. This year, Michael Bradshaw, Barry Dorn and Kris Burton, all shop owners, will lead “Efficiency Unleashed: Rethinking Roles in Collision Repair.”
Andrew Batenhorst, body shop manager at Pacific BMW Collision Center in California, and David Ghodoussi from Opti-Coat will talk about the benefits of offering ceramics coating services to collision customers.
The IDEAS Collide Showcase “is a series of short, thought-provoking sessions from thought leaders in the industry who want to want to share their vision for what the industry could look like,” Schulenburg said. “It's basically like a series of TED Talk-like presentations."
The IDEAS Collide Showcase is the only RDE session scheduled in its time slot, “so it's a kind of a standalone that gives everybody an opportunity to attend,” Schulenburg said.
Tuggle is presenting at SEMA for the first time, as part of the IDEAS Collide Showcase. She will talk about the longstanding divisions that have hindered collaboration and education in the collision repair industry for decades.
“Body shops were made to think that if they communicated [with each other], they would be breaking an anti-trust law or be subject to fines,” Tuggle said. “Shops have sat on their own islands, afraid to talk to one another. That means they don’t always have access to repair info and prevailing practices. They’re made to think they’re the only ones wanting to perform certain practices.”
Tuggle said she’s feeling some “nervous trepidation” before the show, but she is happy to have been encouraged by SCRS to apply to speak.
“It’s really a big deal to speak at SEMA,” she said. “I’m honored and humbled.”
On Nov. 7, SCRS is hosting three OEM Summit sessions.
“The first two sessions are really about looking at ideas that I can take back and put into play in my business,” Schulenburg said. “The third is really about looking at the future of the industry, how things are evolving, how technology is evolving, how that changes what we're looking at.”
A panel discussion on ADAS calibration during an OEM Summit session at the 2023 SEMA Show.
In the first session, Dan Black, Kelly Logan and David Sosa from Rivian will talk about a case study in which they developed a front frame rail replacement procedure that didn't exist. It was developed based on industry feedback.
“It'll give people insight into the amount of work that goes into procedure development and the level of specificity involved in making those procedures accurate and reflect the same expectations that the factory had when they designed the vehicle,” Schulenburg said.
The second session, featuring Hilary Cain with the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, John Eck of GM and OnStar and Ryan McMahon of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, will look at telematics technologies.
“It's going to be a really interesting conversation that looks at real world solutions that exist today, that are connecting consumers with their vehicles and the repair ecosystem in a different way,” Schulenburg said.
The third session will look at laser welding in automotive and aerospace manufacturing, and repair procedures that may come from that. It will feature Rex Alexandre, of the Handheld Laser Institute, and lately of SpaceX, as well as Jeff Poole from I-CAR and Dean Brennan of IPG Photonics.
Though laser welding is not currently prevalent in the repair space, research indicates there could be a future possibility.
I-CAR
This year, I-CAR is offering seminars every day on ADAS or EV overviews and considerations, and MIG welding, which includes the chance to practice it hands-on by appointment at the Upper South Hall's SEMA Stage after completing the course.
New this year is I-CAR’s booth (#33139) adjacent to the Collision Repair and Refinish Stage (Booth #32145) in Upper South Hall. There, I-CAR will be demonstrating its new virtual reality (VR) learning courses, focused on EVs, which allows students to wear VR goggles and learn from anywhere.
“There’s a lot of opportunity in that VR space,” Sherlock said. “I-CAR has been working on it, to bring training in a virtual but hands-on way.”
More VR-based areas of instruction are on the horizon, said Elizabeth Prosser, senior marketing manager.
The I-CAR booth will also host panel discussions and interviews throughout the show, which will all be broadcast live for everyone who can’t attend the show in person. The videos will be uploaded to I-CAR’s site and YouTube channel so they can be viewed later.
Find the full lineup of discussions and interviews, along with live links, on the website.
“We are featuring everyone from OEs to suppliers and repairers, doing a lot of tandem presentations and bringing partnerships to life with an informative talk style,” Sherlock said.
I-CAR is also “dialing up the social media presence this year,” Sherlock said. It rolled out its RTS mobile app earlier this year, and will be streaming live on its RTS website, Facebook and Instagram to “bring training in snippets.”
Among I-CAR’s big focuses at SEMA this year will be connecting with its Gold Class shops and Platinum technicians, and spreading the word about its new I-CAR Academy curriculum for both schools and shops, developed to offer more consistent entry-level technician training.
“We will have full meals and snacks of education for everyone’s appetite,” Prosser said.
Abby Andrews