Educational Seminars Take Centre Stage at ’07 NACE

The 25th annual International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) announces that the 2007 Conference Program delivers a comprehensive compilation of sessions, speakers and topics addressing the needs of today’s collision repair and PBE professional. There are 57 conference sessions in total, with tracks in Auto Glass, Estimating, Jobber Management, Vehicle Repair, Women’s Professional Development (new for 2007), and General–including those identified as recommended sessions benefiting dealers and insurance professionals. Sessions are offered Wednesday Oct. 31 through Saturday Nov. 3 in 90-minute time slots. Out of the 57 sessions, 39 are brand-new to the NACE line-up, and 36 are accredited by the Automotive Management Institute.

Search online at www.NACEexpo .com for a complete listing of sessions, descriptions, and speakers–search by keyword, title, track, date, or speaker. Some of the conference sessions include Estimating Today’s New Technologies; Feather, Prime and Block; Measuring Collision Center Performance; Internet Marketing–Keys to Success on the Web; The Steels of Today & Tomorrow; Advanced Alignment Diagnostics; What Do Shops Really Expect from their Paint & Materials Supplier?; Limiting Your Liability in Auto Glass Installations; Finishing in the Money with Waterborne Paints; and It’s a 3-Way Street: Understand-ing Your Rights & Obligations. Included in the conference sessions are topics being offered by Akzo Nobel, BASF, and DuPont Performance Coatings.

Additionally, I-CAR will present expanded technical training with six sessions on Wednesday Oct. 31 and three sessions on Saturday Nov. 3. Of these nine sessions, three are brand new and are premiering at NACE 2007. The three sessions premiering in ’07 are:

Wednesday, October 31 (8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon)

* Premiering at NACE 2007: Steel Unitized Structures Technologies and Repair (SPS07)

* Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding (WCS04)

* Automotive Foams (FOM01)

Wednesday, October 31 (1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

* Premiering at NACE 2007: Steel Full-Frame Technologies and Repair (SPS08)

* Replacing Aluminum Exterior Panels (PRA01)

* Adhesive Bonding (ADH01)

Saturday, November 3 (8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon)

* Premiering at NACE 2007: Steel Unitized Structures, Technologies and Repair (SPS07)

* Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding (WCS04)

* Stationary Glass (GLA02)

“I-CAR is proud to offer NACE attendees and neighbouring Las Vegas industry professionals the chance to be the first to attend two new I-CAR technical training programs. NACE attendees responded that they would like additional I-CAR training, and to accommodate this request I-CAR and NACE are offering a third Saturday I-CAR class,” says I-CAR President and CEO Tom McGee.

Apart from these sessions, there are also six free Early Bird Roundtables (three each on Friday and Saturday mornings), encouraging discussion on such compelling issues as Industry Trends–Today & Beyond; Women in the Industry; Third Party Audits; and Parts Procurement. There will also be a free Auto Glass session on Friday afternoon on How to Educate Auto Glass Technicians. To complement the Conference Program, NACE offers a variety of key events including Wednesday Evening’s Welcome Reception–Mix/Mingle/Network! (sponsored by CCC Information Services Inc.), Thursday’s Opening General Session–featuring Chris Gardner as keynote speaker (sponsored by DuPont Performance Coatings), and Friday Morning’s Panel Talk–De-Mystifying “Lean” (sponsored by Akzo Nobel).

NACE 2007 will be held October 31-November 3 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The Educational Conference will run from October 31-November 3 (Wednesday-Saturday), and the Exposition will take place Nov. 1-3 (Thursday-Saturday).

NACE–the world’s collision repair event–annually draws an estimated attendance of 25,000 to 30,000 industry professionals from around the globe, and features a comprehensive educational Conference and Exposition of 425+ exhibiting companies. To exhibit at NACE 2007, call toll-free (888) 529-1641 or (972) 536-6444. For more NACE information, visit the NACE website at www.NACEexpo.com.