The 7th Midwest Auto Body Trade Show will be held Feb. 3-4, 2017 at Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa.
The theme of the event, “Focus On The Future II,” reinforces the show’s belief that training and communication is paramount to the future of every collision repairer today. This event offers the opportunity to network with key decision makers, share business ideas and gain an advantage moving forward.
This year brings back popular venues and offers new programs. On Friday, the Collision Repair Education Foundation will be bringing students from all over the state to its Cars, Careers & Celebrities Expo held in conjunction with the show.
“This is a fantastic addition to this show,” says Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA) President Dick Merron. “We need to reach out and welcome these young people into our industry and show them what great opportunities are here for them. We are honored to work with the Collision Repair Education Foundation.”
The Expo is in addition to the third annual Community College Refinish Contest. In 2016, seven community colleges competed. Hoods were furnished by Keystone Automotive to the colleges to show off their refinish projects.
On Friday night, there will be a welcome reception with the Iowa I-CAR Committee featuring a silent auction with proceeds going to student education.
“Last year was our first welcome reception, and it was a huge success,” said ICRA Secretary Christy Jones of RJones Collision. “This year, we are expanding the reception to be in the trade show area.”
Also on Friday, a panel discussion of industry experts led by Lou DiLisio will explore “Up-to-Date Manufacturer’s Recommendations, Repair Processes, Pre- and Post-Scan, Certification: What is Right For Your Shop?” There will also be a talk on “Cycle Time Reduction” given by Lee Rush of Sherwin-Williams, who will offer a comprehensive cycle time reduction strategy.
The trade show, which will feature 70 display booths with more training and product displays, will take place on Saturday. Show specials, gift certificates, special show discounts and door prizes will be offered during the show, along with a display of new car models.
On Saturday morning, there will be four breakout sessions covering technical, estimating and management. The popular discussion, “There Is No Free Lunch,” will be back this year with another packed agenda. Industry speaker Lee Rush will bring important industry trends and insight into the future. John Yoswick, editor of CRASH, will bring his unique perspective on today’s collision industry. ICRA Lobbyist Scott Weiser will bring the industry up to date on Iowa legislation and offer an overview of association legislative activities.
The Midwest Auto Body Trade Show is a free inter-industry event where all collision repairers, insurers, manufacturers, vendors, recyclers, OEMs and students from the Midwest are welcome to participate.
“We look forward to bringing critical education and new equipment information to the industry,” said John Arnold, ICRA legislative liasion. “This is vital to everyone.”
For more information, contact Janet Chaney at (480) 720-2565 or [email protected] or visit www.iowacra.com.
