Trade Out the Day-to-Day for Counting Down the Days [to SEMA]
by Jordan Hendler, WMABA Executive Director
The day-to-day grind (how cliché) is just that; a grind. So many variables whizzing by, constant updates, deadlines, mishaps and processes. It’s a veritable mish-mash of push and pull, leaving you worn down and burnt out most weeks. It’s time for a refresh, a reset of sorts, and something to reignite the engine, reminding you why you joined this industry to begin with.
This is the last issue of Hammer before the kick-off of SEMA Show events, including the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), SCRS’ Repairer Driven Education (RDE) with IDEAS Collide and OEM Summit, and so much more. Selling it to you feels a little cheap or cheesy; however, I cannot imagine you missing out on yet another chance to fire up your passion and level up your professionalism for the future of collision repair. This is all about the next step!
You can attend your regional show, which I’m a huge fan of our Southeast Collison Conference, and get a load of benefits. At our local tradeshow, you are also participating in your local community and making local connections while participating in education only found in one other place. If you only had one choice, I may say local’s your best bet. But if you want to take initiative in your business to another level, and garner innovative ideas, then adding the trip to Vegas is a no-brainer!
The tradeshow itself is a spectacular reason to make the trek, with booths featuring the latest in tools and equipment, as well as business management products. Kick off the week attending the Collision Industry Conference, where you can actively participate in discussions about the issues and trends our industry faces daily, and into the future. Hear presentations and panel discussions on topics ranging from estimating and repair planning to industry relations, and a variety of topics in between, while networking with the best-in-class folks from every segment of collision repair.
It’s all about how to get smarter – so you don’t have to work harder – by attending classes in the SCRS RDE series, offering a variety of engaging and informative sessions, which will no doubt spark beyond realization and into personal revolution. The sessions are all brought forward so that you can gather resources for future implementation. Even the OEM Summit is part of SCRS’ RDE sessions, where you hear directly from manufacturers and counterparts, which complement the education series.
Nothing could be better for you than time with experts and peers. It’s more than the sum of the parts when it comes to the SEMA week activities. There’s a building up from one to the next, where you collect takeaways like souvenirs, only they’re so much more valuable. And, even more promising, they continue to increase their worth as you return for more and add to the collection. Implementation of new ideas and strategies over the course of time is how you change the way you see your daily grind. It becomes more about growth and growing, rather than maintaining.
When considering whether or not you’ll get something from every thing you’d do there, I’ll say this: yes. Yes, you will get something from everything.
Want more? Check out the October 2025 issue of Hammer & Dolly!