The UK collision repair industry’s most respected and prestigious expo and awards event – bodyshop Live! 2019 (19-20 September) – hosted a series of informative Workshops, exciting Auto Showcases, first-class networking opportunities and two awards ceremonies celebrating the best and brightest in our industry.
The first evening started off with a bang from bodyshop magazine’s 30 under 30: rising stars, where the bright and talented youth of the aftermarket automotive sector were celebrated in front of peers and industry leaders.
The 2019 winners (click for the full list of 30 under 30: rising stars 2019 award recipients) came from across the full spectrum of job functions in the industry – including paint, panel and MET technicians, administrative staff, recruiters and future bodyshop managers.
Day two of the event was filled with exciting workshops surrounding topics such as skills shortages, bodyshop changes and the repair customer. In the exhibitor area, attendees had the opportunity to visit a variety of industry players, from the IAEA to charities AutroRaise and Ben. Not only that, but in an adjacent room, live vehicle demonstrations were carried out with some of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers including Bentley, BMW, Volkswagen Group and Volvo.
Later on the Friday evening, bodyshop magazine celebrated the movers and shakers in the collision repair industry with a glamorous end-of-conference awards dinner.
After months of debate and jury deliberation, 19 independent awards were handed out to individuals and organisations from across the entire collision repair industry, including apprentices and senior technicians, assessors, insurers, customer service providers, educators, and bodyshops both large and small (click for the full list of winners at the bodyshop Live! 2019 Awards Dinner).
The host for this year’s bodyshop Live! Awards Dinner was Andy Collins – the warm-up man for Strictly Come Dancing, Britain’s Got Talent and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway – whose quick-witted, off-the-cuff comedic style had the audience in stitches.
bodyshop magazine is grateful to the bodyshop Live! 2019 sponsors for helping to make the event such a triumph this year Special thanks go to our headline partners Axalta, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Solera Audatex and Vizion Network; solus partners CAPS, Car-O-Liner, IAEA, NIBS Group and Remit Group; and expo partners Eclipse, EMACS, Enviology, FLP, GYS, LKQ Coatings, OEC Connection, Outsorc, Symach, Thatcham Research, Toyota First and Tractable.
