UKGBE 2024 reveals it attracted record visitor numbers
The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event 2024 saw a significant increase in attendance from its inaugural edition in 2022 and it attracted record visitor numbers.
Over the two days, the event welcomed an impressive 5,125 industry professionals, which were mainly technicians and bodyshop professionals, garage and workshop owners, the NEC in Birmingham on 5-6 June.
The event provided attendees with access to dynamic training, cutting-edge technologies, and essential tools. With the automotive aftermarket undergoing significant transformations, particularly with changes in vehicle technology and the use of data, the importance of such an event has never been more crucial.
Record visitor numbers
Visitors participated in interactive exhibitions, live demonstrations, and workshops. There were more than 100 hours of seminars led by 80-plus renowned industry experts, covering topics such as skills, diagnostics, ADAS and electrification.
The event sparked multiple discussions among participants, including conversations around upskilling the workforce and helping to plug the skills gap, by embracing industry training and aftermarket recruitment strategies. Other topics included best-practice business management and efficiency advice, monetising new technology and maximising profitability, and preparing for future mobility.
UKGBE 2024 featured 120 exhibitors that combined to a total of 180 suppliers, including Bodyshop Magazine, Core Diagnostics, PPG, Sherwin-Williams, INDASA Abrasives, Primrose Radar Calibration, Bosch, A1 ADAS Solutions, Hella, Snap-On, LKQ Euro Car Parts, the NBRA, Thatcham Research, AutoRaise, Absolute Alignment, Albatross Spray Booths, Halo Accident Repair Centres, ALLDATA, Sagola, SATA, PartsXchange and Walcom, among many others.
Exhibitors chose UK Garage and Bodyshop Event as the place to launch more than 25 new products, showcasing the latest advancements in service and repair products, diagnostics, and equipment direct to visitors.
Body Repair Live
Key highlights were the Bodyshop Training Hub, in partnership with Bodyshop Magazine, and Body Repair Live which provided hands-on demonstrations and practical insights.
Joanne Knowles, event director for the UK Garage and Bodyshop Event, said:
“The second edition of the UK Garage and Bodyshop Event has surpassed all expectations. The growth in attendance and the overwhelming positive feedback from both exhibitors and visitors demonstrate the event’s importance in the automotive industry. It’s clear that garage and bodyshop professionals very much welcome the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge technologies, expert training, and invaluable networking opportunities in the alternate Automechanika Birmingham years.”
The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event continues to grow as a vital platform for the automotive aftermarket after attracting record visitor numbers, with plans already underway for the event to return in 2026. Automechanika Birmingham will return on 3-5 June 2025.
