Rev Up Your Excitement: Unveiling the Thrills at the Texas Auto Body Trade Show

by Jill Tuggle, ABAT Executive Director

It’s finally April, and registration for the 2024 Texas Auto Body Trade Show is OPEN! We are always so excited, but this year will be absolutely epic. I want to tell you about all the FUN we have planned, so buckle up!

Speaking of buckling up…you’re going to need to do that at the Irving Convention Center too because we are bringing a NASCAR simulator to the show floor! This life-sized simulator will allow all attendees to take a virtual lap in the ABAT 500 race! The winner will receive two free NASCAR race tickets to ANY race in the country! Stop by any of the sponsor booths for an extra chance to win! 

In addition to the NASCAR simulator, we are bringing another new toy to the show. Stop by the ABAT booth on Saturday to try your luck at the claw machine! ABAT members will get a chance to let their inner child loose and try their luck to win all kinds of swag and prizes. And a little secret – the claw machine will actually make its debut the night before at our annual Friday night After Party at Bar Louie, where it will be filled with party items and prizes like free drink tickets! 

We are also bringing back our ladies event! My vision for this gathering was to have a place for collision ladies to connect. Women in our industry are cut from a different cloth – we are not always high-tea kind of girls, so our ladies’ event won’t be all crumpets and hummus. In 2023, we sipped craft margaritas by the pool and had an absolute blast (even if we boiled a bit in the Texas sun). This year, we are seeking shade and tasting tequila at the Texican Court’s boutique tequila bar, Salt. There will be special gifts and great networking with gals just like us, who are a little different in the best freaking way. 

How could I talk about fun and not mention the 2024 BIG SHOTS Competition?! If you haven’t participated in this skill-based battle, it is a must-see and must-do activity at the show! Be on the lookout for next month’s message where I will give you all the details of the competition. Let me just leave you with this: There’s $1,000 cash on the line for each category!! 

If you missed my message last month, go back and check out where I highlighted our educational offerings (or flip to page 16 for a detailed look). Be sure to read about Repairidy! our interactive auto body game show that you’re going to love! 

And the fun does not stop there…Stop by different vendor booths to try your hand at spinning wheels, cornhole games and poker hands. We have fun and prizes waiting around every corner. Who ever said a trade show had to be all serious business?

Want more? Check out the April 2024 issue of Texas Automotive!