PPG sponsored 2014 ABP Club Ireland National Meetings a great success
The bodyshop industry in the Republic and Northern Ireland turned out in force recent to support the PPG Industries sponsored ABP Club Ireland National Meetings and Expos which took place at Croke Park in Dublin and Titanic Experience in Belfast.
Ireland’s second ABP Club Ireland National Meeting and Expo, kicked off with a pre-meeting dinner at Croke Park Hotel courtesy of PPG; where guests were served a fantastic BBQ and made the most of the valuable networking opportunity. The pre-meeting dinner was well attended by bodyshops and work providers and received superb feedback.
The first of the two national meetings sponsored by PPG and Nexa Autocolor took place at Croke Park Dublin saw over 170 delegates. The event attracted a mixed delegation of leading repairers (owners and managers), insurers, engineers, vehicle manufacturers, trade associations and industry suppliers creating a great buzz in the stadium.
The speaker line up proved to be most interesting. The morning commenced with Alan Nolan, Director General of Soceity of the Irish Motor Industry, being welcomed by ABP’s David Cresswell, who facilitated the meetings. Dr Ian Mamane, from the Office of Environmental Enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) followed onto the stage to present on EPA compliance and the structure of the EPA. Alan provided a general market overview and spoke about the impacts of the general vehicle car parc on the bodyshop industry. Thatchams Andy Walker provided an overview on cars of the future and the future challenges for repairers. This was followed by a presentation on the Certified Steel Standard (CSS).
Above: A busy audience at Croke Park Dublin
A panel of repairers joined PPG’s Ireland Business Manager John McGowan concluded the day taking questions from the floor about the standard and technician training. In a lively and passionate debate, the panel explored the training opportunities of the future.
The following day, colleagues were welcomed from Northern Ireland at the Titanic Experience in Belfast. The event attracted the overwhelming majority of the leading bodyshops once again. The Belfast meeting saw Thatcham present followed by the hot topic of apprentice and technician training, which was addressed by Riverpark Training.
BSI provided delegates with information on the transition of the PAS125 body repair standard becoming a British Standard – BS10125. This was followed by a well received in depth report on the market by ABP’s David Creswell. The Belfast Event also saw a panel debate with ABP’s Mark Bull, Riverpark Training and Gethyn Davies, PPG UK Market Director where the hot topic was training and skills development.
The key component of both events was the exhibitor expo. Both venues enjoyed the support of 20 industry suppliers where PPG and the other suppliers showcased the latest innovations to the repairers. The expo’s attracted a high level of interest and proved to be a valuable event for all involved.
John McGowan – PPG Ireland Business Manager comments on the success of the event
“PPG are absolutely delighted by the recent success of the 2014 ABP Ireland National Meetings. As headline sponsor to the event for the second consecutive year we were really pleased to see a great attendance from all sides of the industry. The event was extremely positive and it was pleasing to see so much discussion and engagement in the forums and exhibition. The event has firmly gained it’s position in the Ireland Repair Market Diary. Well done to the team involved, and thank you to everyone who attended”
Above: The PPG Team