October 2021

NEWS The organisers of Automechanika Birmingham have announced a two-day live event taking place next June; The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event. Taking place on 8-9 June 2022 at the NEC Birmingham, the event will provide the opportunity to get up close with suppliers, as well as access to three training hubs and three feature areas. There will be live demonstrations and accredited training across three key areas: EV Hybrid, Workshop and Collision Repair, each offering technical seminars from industry experts covering ADAS, MOT, safety/service and repair, collision repair, diagnostics, plus more. Feedback in a survey of 300 garages performed by organisers Messe Frankfurt UK saw 78% of garages wanting a return to face-to-face events, and participants supported the concept of a dedicated garage and bodyshop event to run in 2022. Associations already supporting the event include the IMI, the IAAF, the SMMT, the IGA, the NBRA, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Repair Association (HEVRA), and Automotive Bodyshop Professionals Club (ABP Club). The show will run three months before the full Automechanika Frankfurt 2022 event. Automechanika Birmingham is set to return in June 2023. Commenting on the launch of the UK Garage and Bodyshop Event, Simon Albert, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt UK, said: “The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event will be the first national trade event for the aftermarket since 2019, offering the opportunity to engage with thousands of UK garages and bodyshops. We’re looking forward to bringing the aftermarket together again.” There will also be a take-home training guide folder, and in addition, there will be a Garage Equipment Showcase of products from garage equipment suppliers, and an inaugural summer networking event hosted by the IAAF. www.garage-and-bodyshop- event.uk.messefrankfurt.com. To find out more about the UK Garage and Bodyshop Event, turn to pages 14- 15 . 4 AFTERMARKET OCTOBER 2021 www.aftermarketonline.net Automechanika launches UK Garage and Bodyshop Event for 2022 Bridgestone partners on new EV charging network Bridges tone and electric v ehicle char ging pr ovider EVBo x have teamed up on a pr oject to put in 3 ,500 new charging ports acr oss Bridges tone’s European retail and servic e network over the next five years. The network, which will include both normal and fast-charging stations will launch in France and Italy, before expanding acr oss to the UK , Germany, Poland and Spain, as w ell as other Eur opean countries. Drivers and f leets will get access to a 130 ,000 -public-port network, as well as the ne w Bridge stone/EVBo x chargers through dedica ted card or mobile app , run thr ough EVBo x’s charging management so ftware. Bridge stone’s will also be selling and installing at-home EV charging stations. Commenting on the move VP Retail Operations at Bridgestone EMIA Christophe de Valroger said: “Through this partnership we will be supporting the much-needed expansion of Europe’s charging infrastructure, and providing EV drivers and fleet operators with the convenience and efficiency they demand.”