More than 80 BASF collision repair centers will be represented at BASF’s VisionPLUS Performance Group Business Conference, with seven receiving 2017 Shop of the Year designations within their respective groups.

The event will take place May 10-12 in Litchfield Park, Ariz.

Attendees will discuss best practices, attend training workshops and hear guest speakers and panelists present on industry issues and trends.

Guest speakers will include:

• Buddy Hobart, author of “Gen Y Now,” discussing the unprecedented workforce of four generational groups
• Dave Roberts of The Romans Group, presenting on big data in the aftermarket industry
• Philip Dana from Honors Foundations, discussing how to help veterans acclimate in the private sector and work in the collision repair industry

In addition, a BASF Advanced Process Solutions (APS) panel will take place, consisting of Performance Group members that have gone through the APS program. There also will be an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) panel, to discuss how their companies will adapt to more certifications and technology in terms of collision repair.

“The business conference is a time for all Performance Group members to network with some of the best-run collision repair centers in North America,” said Craig Seelinger, BASF VisionPLUS program manager. “This year’s focus is to help our customers find good talent, provide insight into the future from industry experts and discuss continued improvement of shop KPIs and processes.  And it’s a time for celebration to recognize the hard work they have done.”