autotechnician July/August 2022

The first UK Garage & Bodyshop Event hits the mark

Show organisers Automechanika UK and aftermarket suppliers of training, equipment & tools were hoping for a good turnout at the first ever UK Garage and Bodyshop Event and they were not disappointed, welcoming 3,538 business owners into Hall 20 of the NEC over the two days in June.

Gavin White, CEO of Autotech Group told AT it had probably been one of the best shows they’d done in the last 12 years, and although the event was compact in size, visitors were able to take in equipment demonstrations and get technical, training and business advice from some of the dominant players in the trade and take advantage of the many presentations and thought-provoking panel debates to gain both practical advice and suggestions on how to improve repair efficiency and prepare for upcoming challenges. Technicians and garage owners had direct access to over 100 suppliers, showcasing their latest service and repair products, diagnostics, and garage equipment, highlighting the skills and know-how to futureproof their business and career.

“It has been great to get back out there at events and inform members and the wider aftermarket on the extensive work we are doing, from working with colleges and universities to bring in new talent, to highlighting the extensive effort with UK govt to protect our sector.”

Mark Field, IAAF Chief Executive

Over the two days, the training hubs provided more than 100 hours of seminars across its workshop, bodyshop, EV and Hybrid training areas, covering ADAS, customer communications, diagnostics, and reflecting on the demand for workshops to upskill in a post-combustion era. The key message from the event is that the automotive aftermarket is on the brink of real change, and if garages and bodyshops are to thrive, they will need to invest to be able to service and repair an increasingly digitalised and diversified vehicle parc.

The event began with Andy Hamilton of LKQ Euro Car Parts providing his take on the changes, challenges, and opportunities ahead of garages, citing mobility trends post-pandemic, the duty of care to be considered especially with ADAS recalibration, shared mobility and rise of vehicles subscriptions rather than ownership.

“There’s a good buzz and atmosphere around the whole event”

Darren Darling, DPF Doctor Network

He also discussed the increasing number of restrictive issues with OEMs and the possibility of an MOT frequency change. “It is a fallacy that this is a household saving,” Andy said, urging everyone in earshot to sign the online petitions against the MOT change, “over a two-year period, this is going to mean an increased cost to the motorist over two years.” Andy then moved onto the issue of taking on EV work – stating that there will be no big explosion of EV uptake over the next couple of years due to the lack of infrastructure and that by the 2030 new sales deadline, ICE powered vehicles will still dominate. “It is going to grow, but at a steady pace,” he reiterated, suggesting there were real opportunities ahead for the aftermarket in end-of-life EVs, in recycling, repair and remanufacture.

“It’s been a jam-packed two days of training, tools and technology. It’s been an extraordinary event, an important one for any garage owner to attend with so much on offer”

Hayley Pells, Avia Autos

Another presentation that particularly struck a chord with AT and the many technicians who attended, was hosted by Quentin le Hetet of GiPA, who was joined by Hayley Pells of Avia Motors, Jessica Potts of Book My Garage and Bob Wiffen of LKQ Euro Car Parts, providing stats and practical tips on the digitalisation of the modern garage and how to keep up with the times when in comes to effective, and convenient, customer communication. We will be covering this section in greater detail on www.autotechnician.co.uk and www. facebook.com/Autotechmagazine as this featured real-case scenarios and practical tips, backed up by online statistics from the past two years on how customer behaviour is changing, and how workshops need to catch up with this online model to compete with the main dealers.

There were many purely technical presentations taking place across the two days, with the likes of Bosch discussing secure diagnostics, Darren Darling on DPF repairs, Tom Denton on EV & Hybrid servicing, James Dillon, Andy Crook, Snap-on, ZF [pro] Tech and many more. The team at autotechnician met many of the speakers and technicians within the Meet the Experts Lounge and it was fantastic to finally meet up in person. We’re now looking forward to the Big Weekend get together in Warwick this September to carry on where we left off, with old friends and new. Visit https://autotechnician.co.uk/training/ to find out more!

That’s all folks?

The format and focus of The UK Garage & Bodyshop Event were a hit with visitors and exhibitors alike, and will now become a permanent fixture in the alternate years to Automechanika Birmingham, which takes place at NEC Birmingham from 6 to 8 June 2023.

Find out more about the debates, industry news & views from the UK Garage & Bodyshop Event on www.autotechnican.co.uk and www.facebook.com/