Messe Frankfurt UK says its UK Garage and Bodyshop Event has received widespread praise from the automotive aftermarket community, attracting 3538 business owners over two days. Held from 8 to 9 June 2022, the event drew visitors from workshops, body shops and the wider UK automotive aftermarket sector to the NEC in Birmingham to learn about the latest industry technology, tools and training.
“The overwhelming take-away from the first industry face-to-face event on this scale since 2019 was that the automotive aftermarket is on the brink of real change, and if garages and body shops are to thrive – not only survive – they will need to invest to be able to service and repair a digitalised and diversified vehicle parc,” Messe Frankfurt UK said.
Simon Albert, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt UK, said the first UK Garage and Bodyshop Event was a resounding success and achieved its aim of providing a training platform for the sector.
“Our exhibitors have told me how happy they were to meet serious garage and body shop owners, and also that they have come from all over the UK and Ireland. “We now look ahead with an even greater sense of purpose to Automechanika Birmingham, which brings together the entire automotive industry with a dedicated section for garages and body shops, replicating the success of the UK Garage & Bodyshop event,” Albert said.
Featuring access to more than 100 leading suppliers, the event showcased the latest in service and repair products, diagnostics, and garage equipment, which Messe Frankfurt UK said offered business owners and technicians the skills and know-how to “futureproof” their business.
The event began with Andy Hamilton of LKQ Euro Car Parts presenting the opening discussion, followed by training sessions and demonstrations from exhibitors such as Alliance Automotive Group, Bosch, Carlac, Castrol, Liqui Moly, Repairify, Snap-On and ZF.
“The event was a great opportunity for garages and body shops to get face to face with suppliers and specialists that they would not normally get to meet with,” said Andy Hamilton, Group Chief Executive Officer at LKQ Euro Car Parts.
Over the two days the training hubs provided more than 100 hours of seminars across its workshop, body shop, EV and hybrid training areas, covering ADAS, sustainability and collision repair, reflecting demand for aftermarket businesses to upskill in a post-combustion era.
The UK Garage & Bodyshop Event is now a permanent fixture in the alternate years to Automechanika Birmingham, which will next take place from 6 to 8 June 2023.