Top Awards news 7 For peace of mind always use a Garage Equipment Association member. GEA accredited engineers work to an industry code of conduct. Your assurance their skills and knowledge have been independently assessed. IS YOUR EQUIPMENT ENGINEER GEA ACCREDITED? Ask your engineer for his accreditation card ! The Upholders of Industry standards since 1945 The Garage Equipment Association www.gea.co.uk GEA ACCREDITED ENGINEER Name Company Discipline Exp Date ID Number XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 issue of Aftermarket, alongside our full preview of finals day. Come and see it for yourself This year you don’t need to be a finalist, judge or sponsor to experience the competition’s finals. For the first time, the Top Awards Finals are being opened to the wider aftermarket. Garage owners, technicians, apprentices and anyone else working in the trade are invited to come along and see what happens when some of the best people in the industry are put to the test. If you’ve ever wondered what Top Technician is actually like – or thought you might fancy having a go yourself – this is your chance to find out. But the day isn’t just about standing around watching other people work. A host of Top Awards partners will be at the finals showcasing products, equipment and technology and talking to visitors. The 2026 competition is supported by industry partners including Snap-on, TOPDON UK, VARTA, Delphi, JLM Liquid Tools, Garage Hive, OMODA & JAECOO, HELLA, Hofmann Megaplan UK, LKQ Euro Car Parts, Mechanic Mindset, Garage Services Online, Castrol and The Race Group. There should be plenty of opportunity to talk shop, pick up some ideas and catch up with other people from across the trade. Breakfast is on HELLA Don’t worry if you arrive hungry. Ben’s Big Breakfast will be at the finals, sponsored by HELLA and served from a bright yellow American school bus provided by Yellow Bus Catering. HELLA is funding the first 250 meals, with visitors encouraged to make a donation to automotive charity Ben. As well as grabbing some food, visitors will be able to find out more about the health and wellbeing support Ben provides for people working throughout the automotive industry. And then there were winners… Once the tools are down and the judging is complete, attention moves to the DoubleTree by Hilton Coventry for the Top Awards Gala Dinner. That’s when we’ll discover who has done enough to take home the 2026 titles, with the winners of Top Technician, Top Garage, Top Apprentice, the Service Advisor Award and the Ben Health & Wellbeing Award all revealed during the evening. Whether you’re supporting somebody competing this year, thinking about putting yourself forward in 2027, or simply fancy spending a day with other people who care about doing the job well, we’d encourage you to come along. We’ll have the full finalist line-up, news from the Top Technician semifinal and our complete Finals preview in the next issue of Aftermarket. In the meantime, for more details on the competition, the finals day, and how to book tickets for the gala dinner, follow the link below. aftermarketonline.net/toptechniciantopgarage
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=