The auto body associations of Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa have announced that the dates of the 2023 Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show and Conference will be May 19-20, 2023 in Overland Park, Kan.

Following the huge success of the inaugural Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show last year, the associations are doubling the size of the event for 2023. The associations have once again selected the Overland Park Convention Center to be the host venue.

Janet Chaney and Gina Cotton, co-coordinators of the event who manage the associations involved in hosting the show, were thrilled with the success of the inaugural event.

“As we expected, the 2022 show was indeed a high-energy event focused on the future of our industry,” said Chaney. “We helped shop owners, managers and technicians by providing the information and tools needed to take charge of the next steps ahead in our rapidly changing industry.”

Added Cotton, “This year’s theme pays tribute to the technician, without whom our industry could not exist. We’re calling it, ‘The Year of the Technician’. Given our current workforce development challenges, what could possibly be more on point?”

Education sessions, from technical to managerial, will be offered from highly respected industry leaders and professionals, including confirmed presenters like Robert Grieve of Nylund’s Collision Center in Englewood, Colo.; Ron Reichen of Precision Body and Paint in Beaverton, Ore.; Danny Grendinburg of the DEG and Collision Advice; and web marketing expert Mark Claypool from Optima Automotive. The trade show floor will include companies like Solidus; Axalta; Car-O-Liner; asTech; Optima Automotive; and others. Exhibit space is expected to sell out fast even with the space being doubled.

“It was amazing to see how good the 2022 Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show came together,” said Jared Nicholson, president of the Missouri Auto Body Association and owner of Collision Leaders, a group of six shops located in Kansas City. “It far exceeded everyone’s expectations. As good as it was, 2023 is set to exceed that. Twice the space, more training opportunities and a technician-centered show! You won’t want to miss this.”

Pete Stemper, owner of Stemper Auto Body who serves as president of the South Dakota Auto Body Association, said: “Success comes from knowledge and knowledge comes from education, networking and teamwork. We experienced the best of all these things at the 2022 Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show. Continue on your ladder to success by learning, networking and seeing all the new products that will be at the 2023 Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show.”

“Our first show last year was a great success, proving that our states can all work together to provide fantastic education opportunities and great vendor show for the benefit of all collision repairers,” said Dick Merron, president of the Iowa Collision Repair Association and president of Iowa Auto Rebuilders in Waterloo, Iowa.

Dillon Lapp, manager of Twin Rivers Body Shop in North Platte, Neb., and president of the Nebraska Auto Body Association, is just as excited as the rest of the associations heads about this year’s show.

”The Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show of 2022 was an excellent example of what can happen when organizations come together and make an event successful,” he said. “Year 2023 will be no different; the amount of experience and knowledge that will be coming this year will greatly improve every shop and every technician. The trade show of 2023 is being based around the shop technician, and we are excited to provide vendors that have the most up to date equipment and the how-to guides. Hope to see everyone in Kansas City!”

To register as an attendee or reserve exhibit space, visit midwesttradeshow.org. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Janet Chaney at (480) 720-2565 or Gina Cotton at (402) 304-2140. Hotel arrangements can be made here. A special trade show block rate is available until April 27, 2023. However, Cotton suggests booking rooms as quickly as possible since the hotel was full quickly for last year’s event, making it necessary to add three additional backup hotels.