For the first time, many of the Expo’s seminars were brought down to the show floor

The comprehensive and free-to-attend seminar program held over the three days of the 2022 Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo (AAAE) provided unparalleled education opportunities for automotive businesses.
For the first time, the Expo – proudly sponsored by Repco – incorporated a stand-alone seminar stage on the show floor in a move which proved hugely popular with show attendees and exhibitors.
A hand-picked selection of respected industry experts offered practical knowledge on the topics that matter most in engaging and thought-provoking seminars which were designed for everyone from workshop owners and managers who wanted to gain an edge in business, through to automotive technicians looking to upskill their knowledge and further their careers.
Amongst the line-up was the highly anticipated “Our skills shortage: attracting great staff and keeping them” seminar which featured a solutions-focused panel discussion by AAAA Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, Lesley Yates; mycar Chief Executive Officer and AAAA Board Member, Adam Pay; Capricorn Group Chief Executive Officer, David Fraser; and the Automotive Dealer Association’s Chief Executive Officer, James Voortman.
Another topic that inspired workshop owners was the “How high performing workshops use data to boost performance” presentation by Ben Selwyn of ACA Research and AAAA Head of Membership and Marketing, Tiffany Conway.
Providing insights into how workshops can use data to make better decisions to improve their performance, this seminar proved popular and included the demonstration of a number of the AAAA’s data tools, which attendees also had the opportunity to try for themselves throughout the show at the AAAA expo stand.
Another banner topic was the new Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme, which will become Law on 1 July 2022.
AAAA’s Lesley Yates presented the ‘Fair and Open Competition in the Automotive Industry’ seminar, explaining how the new law will work, how it will increase competition and choice for consumers, and how it will guarantee fair and open competition in the industry.
Meanwhile, NASTF Executive Director, Donny Seyfer, provided an exclusive first-look demonstration of the new secure data release model that will be used by Australian automotive businesses come July 1 in the ‘Demonstrating Australia’s Mandatory Data Sharing Release Model’ seminar.
In keeping with its theme, ‘The Future is Here,’ the Expo also presented a number of educational opportunities around Electric Vehicles, including the “Electric Vehicles Trends and Opportunities” presentation hosted by AAAA Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Charity.
This seminar discussed the answers to a wide array of questions in this space, such are EVs a business opportunity or will they result in a smaller independent repair network? Are EVs the end of our industry as we know it or a new beginning? When will customers start asking if you can work on their EV? What should you do to prepare? And what can government do to support you and future EV owners?
Workshop success and customer service was also addressed as part of the seminar schedule, with ‘The Workshop Whisperer’ Rachael Evans presenting “Five steps to workshop success” addressing the biggest mistakes workshops make and providing the action steps you need to take to grow a profitable auto repair shop.
Each seminar ran for approximately 45 minutes and entry was free of charge to all registered visitors for the 2022 Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo and Collision and Repair Expo.

For more on the Expo, visit www.autoaftermarketexpo.com.au