Bodyshop Magazine LIVE 2026 triumphs at The Belfry
Bodyshop Magazine LIVE 2026 has been hailed as a huge success with nearly 500 people converging at The Masters Suite at The Belfry Hotel & Resort for the two-day event.
Following a Welcome Party on Wednesday evening, Bodyshop Hub on Thursday featured key presentations, panel discussions and product demonstrations, before the 30 Under 30 and Bodyshop Awards 2026 winners were celebrated during a gala evening hosted by comedian Dominic Holland.
New to the event this year was Collision Intelligence, which saw industry leaders share their insights into the repair sector and address some of the most prevalent issues through individual sessions and panel discussions.
Kicking it off, Jana Siber, CEO of Steer Automotive Group, joined Bodyshop editor Simon Wait on stage to discuss the future for her company.
She said: “We will continue growing, just not at the rate we have been. But mergers and acquisitions are not the only way of growing, We’re also looking at adjacent services and innovation and considering where we can get the most growth – but it’s not necessarily either or.”
She was then joined on stage by Marc Holding, CEO of Vella Group and Precision Repair Group CEO Victoria Turner for a panel discussion titled ‘Consolidation in UK Accident repair – the State of the Industry’, before Rob Goddard, chairman of S-Cubed Advisory, focused on the challenges of buying and selling a business during his presentation, ‘Scale up or Sell up’.
He was followed on stage by Andrew Marsh, technical director from AutobodyBible, who considered the repair challenges posed by Chinese models in the UK.
Meanwhile, ‘The Lightning Sessions,’ moderated by Robert Snook from Business Success Global, addressed five key issues in six-minute presentations delivered back-to-back. Taking part were Paul Glover from the Stellantis Accident Repair Programme, Dane Hyland from Fylde Coast ARC, Tony Baker from Motofix Group, Parwinder Dhutty from Clarke and Evans, and Simon Kenny from Liam Kenny Body Repairs.
Attendees were also able to book face-to-face sessions with some of the sector’s most influential players during the KnowledgeXchange, which included Steve Silverwood, ECA Business Energy, Paul Edwards and Rob Goddard, S-Cubed Advisory, Andy Pennell, Estimate Coaching, Eleanor Baker Barnes, Apprenticeship Central, Nicola Sutherland, NS People Partners, Robert Snook, Business Success Global, and Martyn Rowley and Rachel Meenaghan from the NBRA.
After lunch, Emma Speed and Wendy Turner-Hargreaves of AutoRaise led far-reaching conversations around the skills challenge and potential solutions, before Bodyshop Magazine LIVE 2026 concluded in the evening with the prestigious awards ceremony followed by the Primrose Gin Garden sponsored by Primrose Radar Calibration and the Core After Party sponsored by Core Diagnostics.
