The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) and the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) have announced the full list of classes for the inaugural Collision P.R.E.P. (Professional Repairer Education Program) at the 2018 NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show.
The NORTHEAST-exclusive program features 17 classes. The NORTHEAST show will take place March 16-18 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J.
Todd Tracy, the attorney who represented the Seebachans in their multimillion-dollar lawsuit against John Eagle Collision Center, will headline the program. He will present “Anatomy of a Lawsuit: Crash Testing for Evidence,” on March 17.
“His fiery personality is guaranteed to instantly hook all in attendance,” AASP/NJ and WMABA said in a news release. “There will be additional details to his post-win crash testing and insights into liability that repairers can avoid in their daily operations. In addition to Tracy’s presentation, there are multiple sessions that include use of documentation and understanding repair processes better that lend toward mitigating liability and negotiating with insurance personnel.”
Industry favorite Mike Anderson will return to the show, and attendees will have two chances to catch “Write it Right, with Life Nuggets to Live by.” Anderson is the founder of Collision Advice and creator of the “Who Pays for What?” surveys.
Collision P.R.E.P. also will be hosting two unique panel discussions.
The first, “Becoming a Certified Repairer and Understanding the OEM Repair Procedures,” will include Dave Gruskos (Reliable Automotive Equipment), Aaron Clark (Assured Performance Network), Larry Montanez (P&L Consultants), Barry Dorn (Dorn’s Body & Paint), Bill Hawkins (BMW of Annapolis) and Mark Allen (Audi USA). Gary Wano Jr. (GW & Son Auto Body) will moderate the panel.
The second panel, “Diagnostics, Calibrations and Programming: Understanding Shop Liability in this New Era and How to CYA!”, will feature Chuck Olsen (AirPro Diagnostics), Aaron Clark (Assured Performance Network), Paul Sgro (Lee’s Garage), Larry Montanez (P&L Consultants) and Greg Potter (Equipment and Tool Institute).
Show organizers emphasized that the education sessions will provider expertise and insight only available at NORTHEAST.
“Our WMABA board and membership are excited to team up with AASP/NJ to host the Collision P.R.E.P. program and give the Eastern U.S. the opportunity to participate in national-level learning from the industry’s leading experts,” said Jordan Hendler, executive director for WMABA. “It may be a bit of a drive or a short flight, but it will be well-worth the effort. If you missed going to SEMA and SCRS’ Repairer Driven Education, then you want to make sure to get you and your team to NORTHEAST.”
To register for NORTHEAST and the full slate of Collision P.R.E.P. seminars, visit the NORTHEAST website.
