Register to attend the 2011 BodyShop Business Conference & Trade Show by April 28, and you'll be eligible to win one of three gift certificates to spend with one of the 30-plus vendors exhibiting at the BodyShop Business Trade Show on May 5 in at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Ill. One lucky winner will receive a $1,000 gift certificate. Two other winners will each receive a $500 certificates.*

*Winners must be present at the conference or trade show on May 5 and must be employees of a collision repair shop.

The BodyShop Business Conference & Trade Show features a full day of education for just $129. Attendees will get to attend their choice of 13 different breakout sessions, plus two keynote presentations. Register to attend the seminars by clicking here.

If you're just hoping to browse the exhibits, you can attend the trade show for free – just be sure to sign up in advance to qualify for our drawing! Register for the free trade show by clicking here.

Here are the companies slated to exhibit at the show:

Companies sponsoring the trade show include BASF, DuPont, Global Finishing Solutions, PPG, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes and Transtar Autobody Technologies. Other companies signed on to exhibit at the show include: • Accudraft/SAIMA     • Aeromotive • ALLDATA • Anest Iwata • Auto Body Tool Mart • CARSTAR • CCC • Collision Automotive Repair Services Inc. • Elektron • Garmat USA • Induction Innovations • Island Clean Air • Ketone Automotive • Killer Tools • Light-Up Customs/Gator Glass • LKQ Corp. • MAACO • Matrix System Automotive Finishes • Mitchell International • Nupla Corp. • Pro Tools • RealParts.com • SATA Spray Equipment • Spray-Tech • Tsunami Compressed Air/Suburban Manufacturing • Urethane Supply Co. • Valspar

Here's a sneak peak of our schedule:

8-8:30 a.m. – Keynote Presentation: Creating and Maintaining Strategic Relationships
• Presented by Bill Sefcek, owner, Stan Mitchell Enterprises. Sefcik has over 40 years of combined experience in the insurance and collision repair industries.

8:30-5:30 p.m. – Free Trade Show Open. Featuring on-the-floor training and demonstrations, custom cars, a VirtualPaint training station and more.
    
8:45-9:30 a.m. – Breakout Session 1
• Demystifying 6H – Erin Conley, Small Business Environmental Assistance Program
• Waterborne – Jeff Peevy, I-CAR
• Staffing for Tomorrow – Darren Fristoe, The Fristoe Group
    
9:45-10:30 a.m. – Breakout Session 2
• Environmental Compliance – Dan Heinen, Illinois OSHA
• Lean Concepts – John Sweigart, The Body Shop @
• Franchising – Is It for You?  Dan Bailey, CARSTAR
    
10:30-11:00 a.m. – Break for seminar attendees
    
11:15-Noon – Breakout Session 3
• Search Engine Optimization – Mark Claypool, Optima Worldwide
• Lessons Learned from North State vs. Progressive – Erica Eversman, Vehicle Information Services
• Franchising – Is It for You? Dave Schaefer - MAACO
    
Noon-12:45 p.m. – Lunch
    
12:45-1:30 p.m. – Keynote Presentation: Waterborne Panel
• This panel will feature industry expert Mark Clark and representatives from major paint companies discussing and dispelling myths about waterborne/low-VOC coatings and addressing collision repairers' most frequently asked questions.
    
1:45-2:30 p.m. – Breakout Session 4
• Low VOC – How Did We Get Here? - Mark Clark
• Social Media – Mark Claypool, Optima Worldwide
• Staffing for Tomorrow – Darren Fristoe, The Fristoe Group
    
2:45-3:30 p.m. – Breakout Session 5
• Demystifying 6H – Erin Conley, EAP
• Waterborne – Jeff Peevy, I-CAR
• Sales and Marketing – Jeanne Silver, CARSTAR Mundelein

3:30 p.m. – Gift certificate drawing on the trade show floor

3:45-4:30 p.m. – Breakout Session 6    
• Environmental Compliance – Dan Heinen, Illinois OSHA
• Insurer Relations – Dan Risley, Allstate
    
4:30-5:30 p.m. – Mixer on the trade show floor

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More information:

Register to attend the seminars by clicking here.

Register attend the free trade show by clicking here.