UKGBE hailed a success by Bodyshop Magazine team

Bodyshop Magazine was up front and centre at the UK Garage and Bodyshop Event last week (5-6 June) when we joined our friends, partners and other stakeholders from the bodyshop supply chain to champion the UK accident repair sector.

A four-strong Bodyshop Magazine team was on hand at the trade show to meet and greet the 500-plus visitors to the Bodyshop Magazine Lounge and 200-plus guests who made it along over the two hours of the BODYSHOP BUZZ networking party powered by Core Diagnostics.

UKGBE hailed a success

Bodyshop editor Simon Wait said:

“The Bodyshop Magazine Lounge was humming throughout the two days of the event. It seemed like everybody from our industry was represented as we welcomed bodyshop owners and managers, technicians, apprentices and SMART repairers, major paint and distribution executives, insurers, and many others from the supply chain.

“Some really productive meetings were had and the coffee wasn’t bad either. I’ve always said our industry needs to get behind events like this otherwise they would cease to exist, and last week the repair sector turned out in force so thanks to everybody who came to the stand to see us.

“I managed to find time to visit the other stands and sit in on some of the Bodyshop Training Hub sessions, which were a great learning opportunity. But for me the highlights were the Body Repair Live demos being conducted in the Masterflo spray booth and the opportunity I had to host three brilliant young repairers – Rosie Smith from Steer Basingstoke, Lucy Dent from Dents HQ in Sheffield, and Luke White from EV Bodyshops in Enfield – who provided some fantastic ideas for how our industry can connect with their Gen Z peers. Thank you to the three of you for your participation and insights.”

The Core Diagnostics-sponsored BODYSHOP BUZZ networking party, in association with the Refinishing Crew, was a great way to close day one at the UKGBE. Wait added: “In true bodyshop industry style we succeeded in drinking the bar dry, but thanks to the generosity of Automechanika UK we were able to restock to keep going until the end.”

Summing up the Bodyshop Magazine experience at UKGBE 2024, head of sales Suzie Scott said:

“There was a real buzz in the Bodyshop Magazine Lounge, in the Bodyshop Training Hub which was sponsored by Bodyshop Magazine, and throughout our BODYSHOP BUZZ party. Thank you to everybody who came for a coffee and a chat and, especially, to the team at Core Diagnostics who supported the networking event. The enthusiasm for our industry during the party was palpable.”