The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has announced that its Repairer Driven Education series will now feature an issue-specific forum for the collision repair industry called the "OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit." The inaugural program will take place Wednesday, Nov. 5 during the SEMA Show.
"There is really no topic more captivating of everyone’s attention right now than the rapidly changing landscape of automobile technology and how it is driving adaptation in the collision repair marketplace," said SCRS Chairman Ron Reichen. "It is a topic that has broad-reaching impact on everyone in the industry, and it was important to both SCRS and SEMA to develop a forum that would address the significant interest from all who are making the investment to join the industry in Las Vegas this fall."
Added SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg, "We are really excited about how this program has come together, and the unique nature of the participants. We have speakers coming in from all over the world, and participation from a wide variety of well-respected automakers such as Ford, GM, Toyota, Tesla, BMW, Audi and Mercedes – but we will be hearing from representatives that we often don’t have a chance to interface with."
The panelists represent companies with rich histories of producing sophisticated structural designs and technological advancements, and will be bringing technical insight into the design, architecture and development of their vehicles and how advancements in those areas intersect with the repair process. The discussion will be moderated by Jason Bartanen, director of industry technical relations for I-CAR and one of the lead representatives from the training organization involved in their work as an "OEM linking pin."
The program will also include separate panel discussions with representatives from certified repair facilities, equipment suppliers, certifiers/auditors, and special presentations from the aluminum and steel industries.
"SCRS really crafted a completely unique networking and learning forum with this event, and we are convinced it will put repairers in an interactive environment with subject matter experts who simply can’t be found in any other event," said Peter MacGillivray, vice president, events and communications for SEMA. "As a show organizer, we are keenly focused on how to enrich the attendee experience, and this partnership with SCRS continues to deliver toward that objective."
"Every participant in this industry can benefit from better insight into how vehicles and materials are evolving, what that means in the repair process and what will be expected of those who are performing these repairs," added Schulenburg. "The future of our collision repair industry is highly skilled professionals, working on highly sophisticated automobiles that require the industry to embrace the necessary investments in training and equipment, but also relies on informed business owners who understand how to define for themselves what a sustainable and successful business model to support that investment looks like."
The OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit is made possible through support from PPG Refinish Products, Ford Motor Company, BASF, Toyota Motor Sales and The Hertz Corporation.
More information:
For more information about SCRS’ Repairer Driven Education (RDE) series, and to register for the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit and other RDE sessions, click here.
