ABAT’s Baby: The Texas Auto Body Trade Show
by Burl Richards, ABAT President
Before I had grandkids, people always told me, “Wait until your first grandchild is born; it’s better than having kids.”
I always laughed it off; how could it compare to having a child? Well, when my first grandchild was born, the feeling was unbelievably similar to when my own sons were born, but it’s definitely one of those things where you just don’t understand how important and life changing it is until you experience it for yourself.
The Texas Auto Body Trade Show is ABAT’s baby, but repairers from all over Texas and the country get to benefit from this bundle of joy – without the dirty diapers – and it fills me with pride to see it growing and developing year after year. Our change of venue for 2025 was an incredible success. With all events in the same hotel where our rooms were located, no one needed to leave the building, but for those who did, a ton of restaurants, shopping and entertainment were easily accessible just by walking across the street. Everyone I’ve talked to gave the venue an A-plus.
All the classes were also held under the same roof as the trade show, despite the fact that this level of education typically isn’t available unless you travel outside of Texas. Every speaker provided information that will help attendees move forward in their businesses, and I was really impressed with and appreciative of every presentation. I want to send a special shout out to Mike Anderson for sharing his knowledge and passion with Texas repairers. He’s one of the busiest guys I know, but he’s always willing to make time to come to the Texas Auto Body Trade Show. We consider him to be an adopted son of Texas and ABAT.
Speaking with vendors on the trade show floor provided an optimal opportunity to learn about the new equipment available to make our jobs easier. Then there was the networking aspect – I learned nearly as much talking to other industry leaders outside of the classrooms as I did within them! Whether you’re a shop owner talking to other owners or a technician chatting with other technicians about a repair you did last week, there’s so much value to be gained when you put in the effort to engage in camaraderie and surround yourself with like-minded people. Until you experience it for yourself, it’s impossible to understand the renewed passion and energy you’ll feel leaving the show.
That feeling wouldn’t be possible for any of us without the efforts of everyone involved behind the scenes in putting the Texas Auto Body Trade Show together. ABAT Executive Director Jill Tuggle does an amazing job of organizing the event, along with a lot of support and assistance from the team at Thomas Greco Publishing, especially Alicia Figurelli and Alana Quartuccio who both came down for the show. Our Board of Directors is active in planning the trade show and working to improve our industry every day, and the show wouldn’t be what it is without the dedication of our vendors, ABAT members and other attendees whose involvement makes this event successful year after year. It takes a true team effort to pull off an event of this magnitude, and I feel blessed and appreciative to be associated with so many passionate industry folks.
What did y’all think about the 2025 Texas Auto Body Trade Show? If you learned something new, make sure you spread the word and let people know what they’re missing, so we can keep growing every year. Stay tuned to abat.us for next year’s dates when they’re announced so you can mark your calendars for the 2026 Texas Auto Body Trade Show!
Want more? Check out the October 2025 issue of Texas Automotive!
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