Do we expect to see new earth-shattering products every year? No. But we do recognize trends and future changes impacting our market much earlier than those who never venture out to such events.
In just a few weeks the collision repair industry will gather for the largest event our industry has each year – The International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE). This marks the third year that the event will be hosted by the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas during Industry Week. The combined Industry Week events make this week one of the busiest in Sin City each year. Along with NACE the week features the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) at the Sands Expo Center; The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center; Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) Business/Education Conference and One-on-One meetings scheduled at the Venetian Hotel; and the 2006 Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) at The Mirage.
I have attended every NACE show since approximately 1987, when the event took place in Las Vegas and I couldn't convince my school administrator that I was really going to Las Vegas "strictly for business." It seems, in ways, like that was just yesterday, but in other ways that was a lifetime ago. At the first NACE show in Nashville, I remember walking the entire tradeshow in just a couple of hours. From that early beginning, the biggest collision industry event has grown and grown. Even though budgets have been slashed by some of the vendors that participate, it is still our biggest event in North America, and I highly recommend it to anyone in our industry.
Amazingly, over the past few years, I have talked with many owners, managers and technicians who have never been to NACE – or for that matter, any vital industry event, such as Collision Industry Conference, I-CAR annual meetings or the National Industry Issues Forum. Many of us take for granted that we will attend NACE every year, but there are many who never get the experience and knowledge that comes from being actively involved.
Many ask me why I go every year? My answer is simple: It is a habit and a commitment to continue to seek knowledge and remain competitive in this quickly changing industry. Do we expect to see new earth-shattering products every year? No. But we do recognize trends and future changes impacting our market much earlier than those who never venture out to such events. It is amazing what you see when the subtle changes begin to show themselves. And usually this is months if not years before others begin to even hear rumors about these changes.
But today we also have the Internet and plenty of online sites that can provide a great deal of information and insight to better run and manage our businesses. But even then, there are scores and scores of those in our industry who never see the world beyond their own parking lot. And it often shows how their business is struggling and the owner is unable to see the future. When I state, "actively involved," I am not referring to working every day in your collision repair business, but rather participating in our industry. Working every day in your business does little to prepare you, your staff or your business for the future. In fact, it has a tendency to keep you stuck and focused on the past, which is not what you need for a prosperous future.
It is not critically important that you attend national events, even though it is by far the best-spent time you may devote to your business. The important thing for your survival is that you stay abreast of the changes that are taking place some way, some how. This is critical so you can plan for changes and not just react to requirements that seem to appear without warning, even though they were very predictable.
That being said, it is hard to begin, but once you do, it is like your eyes have been opened. I am not trying to describe a religious experience here. Just know that once it happens there will be awareness that you are not alone. There are thousands of owners, managers and technicians with the same challenges facing them.
We are going through an interesting time in which technology in vehicle design and business is causing a great divide within our market. It is more difficult to repair vehicles today with the special steels, aluminum, electronic systems, and more to come. The business model has been changing for almost a decade or more, and business technology, standard operating procedures, quality assurance and internal training have become critical areas to consider just to keep your doors open.
New products and service are being introduced to help us be better, faster and even cheaper. There is no better place to learn about these than at a national event such as NACE. There is no better place to begin improving yourself than the educational classes offered at many regional and national events. For management and operations, there is no better place to begin an industry-recognized specialized degree from the Automotive Management Institute (www.amionline.org). For technical changes, I-CAR provides a number of programs, both online and on-site at national events.
Hopefully I'll see you at NACE and other regional and national events in the near future. Your own business's future may depend on how actively involved you become. Change will happen with or without all of us.
Please send your comments, questions and potential discussion topics you would like to see addressed in future columns to [email protected]. For additional information you can also visit www.aeii.net.
