October 2021

T he organisers of Automechanika Birmingham, Messe Frankfurt UK, recently announced the launch of a new two-day event for 2022, The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event. Taking place on 8-9 June 2022 at the NEC Birmingham. We spoke to Marketing Manager Chloe Hyland about the upcoming show. Tell us about the UK Garage and Bodyshop Event – what can we expect? Designed to meet market demand from the UK automotive aftermarket, The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event presented by Automechanika will be the first major national exhibition for the UK aftermarket since 2019. Held in the heart of the automotive industry, the NEC, Birmingham, the event will take place across two days 8-9 June 2022 and will bring together leading suppliers, experts, business owners and technicians from the garage and bodyshop sector. The market is entering possibly the biggest shift in living 14 AFTERMARKET OCTOBER 2021 BUSINESS www.aftermarketonline.net THE BIG UK GARAGE AND BODYSHOP EVENT The organisers of next year’s event tell us what we can look forward, and what surprises are in store memory with the accelerated development of electric and hybrid vehicles, the growth of ADAS enabled technology and the impact of CAAVs on the skillset of business owners in the aftermarket. Pair all of this with the ongoing advancements and development of core repair and maintenance competencies, there is a need for technicians and business owners to upskill and keep up to date from the latest training, tools and technology. From our research, many of the market have missed product launches, live demos and hands-on training throughout the past two years. There is a need for businesses to get support for post-covid recovery, Brexit and challenging business legislation too. We can’t wait to bring the industry together again in the UK and offer a unique opportunity for suppliers to support this increasingly important audience. It is a chance to establish relationships and to influence those purchasing decisions by delivering live demonstrations, technical seminars and high-value training.