Be There September 18 and 19

by Jill Tuggle, ABAT Executive Director

This year, I’ve been thinking about how much strength comes from simply coming together.

When shop owners, technicians, vendors and educators share a room, we move beyond theory and into practical progress. Ideas are exchanged, relationships are built and solutions are discovered, often in the most unexpected conversations.

I know it’s hard to step away right now. We feel it too – the rising costs, increasing demands, staffing challenges and calendars packed so full they look like a South by Southwest concert lineup. But what if I told you that many of the solutions to today’s challenges can be found in the hallways of the Texas Auto Body Trade Show? I promise they can.

Some of those solutions come in the form of technology. Whether we embrace it enthusiastically or approach it with skepticism, artificial intelligence and automation are becoming part of our industry. The demands on our businesses aren’t going away, but thankfully, neither is innovation. Come check out vendors like Production Board, Tractable, KriTech, BodyShop Booster and so many others who have created high tech solutions to our every day problems. And if you think you’ve seen it all, think again. This year, we’re excited to welcome Partly and OPVantis as they make their national debut at the Texas Auto Body Trade Show with products that have the potential to reshape how we do business.

But here’s what I believe: technology may provide the tools, but people provide the answers.

As our industry becomes more digital, human connection becomes even more valuable. I know AI and the technology piece are a bit scary – we are all afraid of losing the human element in an industry that already feels like it’s shrinking.  But not taking time to show up to events and supporting your state association is a huge contributor to that very problem. While we all need the human connection more than ever – ABAT needs you more than ever. Your attendance to the show is what keeps this train rolling –  providing education and creating opportunities for our industry to grow stronger together.

All of that is why showing up matters.

We’ve built an entire weekend around education, networking and collaboration mostly in the form of a party cleverly disguised as a networking opportunity that I invite you to attend.

So take a chance. Leave the shop for a day or two. Invest in yourself, your team and the future of your business.

Join us in Allen, September 18 -19.

Your shop needs you there. Your industry needs you there. And your state association needs you there.

Want more? Check out the September 2026 issue of Texas Automotive!