SCRS & CIC REVEAL COLLISION INDUSTRY EVENTS AT SEMA

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SCRS & CIC REVEAL COLLISION INDUSTRY EVENTS AT SEMA

As the nearly 200,000 automotive enthusiasts who attend the legendary event already know, the SEMA Show in Las Vegas is one of the world’s most exciting vehicle-related gatherings. For more than a decade, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) have brought relevant auto body-specific education, training, discussions and networking opportunities to the Show, leading to unforgettable experiences beyond the stunning visuals found in and around the Las Vegas Convention Center. After producing a virtual version of its Repairer Driven Education (RDE) series in 2020, SCRS is thrilled to once again partner with SEMA to deliver a week-long schedule of live seminars and industry gatherings this November 1-5.

“I cannot begin to express how excited we are that we will be returning in person this year,” SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg shared during the association’s recent Open Board of Directors Meeting in Cleveland, OH. ”Last year, we had some great alternatives to delivering information, but there’s nothing that replicates collision repairers going to a show to spark energy back into themselves and their businesses.”

As collision repairers across the country work to resume normal activities, SCRS has created an RDE agenda that aims to identify and address many of the key issues impacting today’s industry. WMABA veteran and noted speaker Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) will be back for the 2021 Show, joining Danny Gredinberg of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) to present “Capture Everything! Using Estimating Resources for Thorough Repair Planning.” Those who sign up for this high-powered presentation will learn how to use resources like SCRS’ award-winning Blueprint Optimization Tool (BOT) and the DEG to guarantee the accuracy of their estimates and make sure they aren’t forgetting anything. Unlike more traditional sessions, this class will encourage attendees to engage in an interactive approach by visiting the SCRS booth on the SEMA floor to review vehicle damage and bring inspection notes to class. In the classroom, Anderson and Gredinberg will dive into the specific process of repair planning using OEM procedures, owner’s manuals and more.

During “Scanning and Calibrations – Make Them a PROFIT Center of Your Business,” Eric Newell and Aaron Clark of AirPro Diagnostics will explore whether scanning and calibrations should be a business cost or a separate revenue-generating profit center. Additionally, they will guide attendees on how to prepare their business to embrace in-house diagnostics and calibrations to positively affect their shops’ P&L statement, prompt a fast return on investment and streamline repair processes. Naturally, RDE will also provide avenues for shop professionals to gain a realistic view into COVID-19’s impact on how they conduct business. For some facilities, the pandemic prompted the unexpected loss of at least one major revenue source. Whether such a change is by choice or by edict, repairers need to evaluate and (in some cases) prepare for sudden changes in their market business strategy. This is where “Severing or Surviving the Loss of a DRP or Key Account,” an RDE course by AkzoNobel Coatings Senior Services Consultant Tim Ronak, comes into play. Specifically, this session will focus on evaluating the effect of two types of change – voluntarily choosing to sever a Direct Repair or key account business relationship or involuntarily losing such a connection – and the strategic and tactical plans associated with both.

The 2021 SEMA Show will also feature the return of SCRS’ OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, an all-day series of special panel discussions featuring experts in automotive innovation and design. This year’s Summit will feature individual sessions

devoted to electric vehicles (EVs), vehicle research/trends and ADAS and safety.

The RDE series will conclude with the IDEAS Collide Showcase, which SCRS says will feature “10 fast-paced presentations designed to stimulate thought, innovation and resolution of business challenges with brash, outspoken and provoking concepts from thought leaders both in and out of the industry.” In addition to providing five days’ worth of stellar education and training, SCRS’ involvement at this year’s SEMA will come with a major change to the industry’s presence on the Show floor. For the first time ever, the Collision Repair & Refinish section – previously held in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center – will be hosted in the Upper South Hall.

“We view this change as a really positive thing,” Schulenburg remarked in Cleveland. “The Upper South Hall is a tremendous area of the Show; it historically has a ton of traffic, and it puts the entire collision repair industry and the Tools & Equipment [section of SEMA] together under one roof in a very focused area. We think that is going to be a very positive experience for the industry.”

A valuable time for the auto body community will also be found at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, which will host the final Collision Industry Conference (CIC) of 2021 on November 2. CIC is a quarterly forum made up of participants from all industry segments for the express purpose of discussing and exploring the issues that occur among them. Through discussion and research during meetings and extensive interim committee work, CIC attempts to form consensus on various issues, aware that all such findings are non-binding and voluntarily accepted. Meetings are open to all interested individuals from all segments of the industry, including repairers, insurers, paint/ material companies, equipment, vehicle manufacturers, data providers, representatives of trade associations and more.

More information on the events/programs discussed in this story is available at the links below:

SEMA: semashow.com

Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS): scrs.com

SCRS’ Repairer Driven Education: scrs.com/rde

Database Enhancement Gateway: degweb.org

Collision Industry Conference: ciclink.com H&D

Executive Director’s Thoughts

The SEMA Show, especially after a two-year hiatus, will be a massive homecoming with tremendous opportunities to educate, connect and expand the possibilities for what we hope will be a comeback year in 2022. With the ups and downs since the pandemic, many repairers are still finding themselves in “pivot mode,” where they are ducking a barrage of claims changes and employee health issues. It’s been a struggle for so many; we hope these SCRS and CIC events will bring a sense of empowerment and encouragement for all attendees. Make your plans to be there, and lay down all the

excuses! - Jordan Hendler

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