The Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo and Collision Repair Expo will deliver a comprehensive technical training and business education program to show attendees

Australia’s biggest auto aftermarket event is set to deliver a game-changing line up of educational opportunities set to help workshop owners and automotive technicians elevate their knowledge and make sure they are ready for the future of the automotive aftermarket.
A wide array of must-attend training programs for technicians and workshops will be held across both events at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, covering both technical (aftermarket and collision repair) and business management topics with leading local and international experts.

Circuit Analysis (Technical Training) – Wednesday 10 April, 1.00pm – 5.00pm – paid session
With Sean Tipping, learn how to assess any electrical circuit in the vehicle, from battery cables to communication networks and everything in between. Using foundational concepts and test methods, you will build the confidence to diagnose any circuit issue with accuracy.

Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Awareness (Collision Repair Training) – Wednesday 10 April, 12.00pm – 4.00pm – paid session
This fantastic course with Electric Mobility Consulting CEO, Dirk Fuchs, provides a great overview of EV systems and safety and is designed for technicians and anyone else involved in EVs as part of their work. Learning outcomes include how to identify different types of EVs, EV system principles, the hazards surrounding high voltage electrical systems, and how to safely work around these vehicles

AdBlue and Diesel Aftertreatment Diagnostics in 2020 Engines + Lin Bus Diagnostics (Technical Training) – Wednesday 10 April, 1.00pm – 5.00pm and Friday 12 April, 9.00am – 1.00pm – paid sessions
With Danny ‘Diagnose Dan’ Versluis, increase your understanding, and diagnosis capability of diesel emission control systems, including AdBlue / SCR Troubleshooting, explore Euro 6 DPF challenges, plus learn and solve the latest LIN bus alternator issues. This training is held on both Wednesday and Friday.

Parasitic Draws (Technical Training) – Thursday 11 April, 9.00am – 1.00pm – paid session
Tackle the often-frustrating world of parasitic draws. Finding the source of a draw on a modern vehicle’s battery can be challenging with the abundance of control modules and networks. With Sean Tipping, you will learn effective test methods, processes, and case studies to help narrow down the drain.

EV Diagnostic Challenges, Thermal Management Mastery and Network Troubleshooting (Technical Training) – Thursday 11 April, 9.00am – 1.00pm and Saturday 12 April, 8.00am – 12.00pm – paid sessions
Master a range of important current and emerging real world diagnostic issues including advanced vehicle network diagnosis, EV, and Hybrid diagnostic challenges, plus a fascinating discovery session on the mechanics of EV heat pumps, in this training with Diagnose Dan. This training is held on both Thursday and Saturday.

Solving The People Puzzle – Attracting, Recruiting, Developing and Retaining a Team Fit for the Future (Collision Repair Training) – Thursday 11 April, 12.00pm – 1.00pm and Friday 12 April, 11.00pm – 12.00pm – free sessions
Why do we struggle to recruit staff and bemoan a shortage of people, when there has never been more people on the planet? How have the winners become talent magnets, while others just have “bloody staff”? The key is to build a team, instead of just filling a vacancy. In this training with Business Success Global CEO, Robert Snook, learn highly relevant, transferable, people insights and ideas that you can take away and implement immediately to start solving the people puzzle in your business. This session is held on Thursday and Friday.

EV Battery Handling and Service in Collision Repair (Collision Repair Training) – Thursday 11 April, 1.00pm – 2.00pm – free session
Using real-world examples, in this session with Electric Mobility Consulting’s Dirk Fuchs, you will learn how to diagnose a high-voltage battery and perform a formal risk assessment after receiving a crashed EV. Understand battery-management system data (BMS), including thermal management, cell balancing, battery maintenance, and how to jump start high-voltage batteries in non-plug-in hybrids. Learn the importance of battery enclosures and coolant testing to prevent battery failures, and the best early warning methods to protect workshops.

Global Automotive Aftermarket Trends – Get The Edge (Business Education Program) – Thursday 11 April, 1.30pm – 2.30pm – free session
Explore key Australian and International trends in the automotive aftermarket to stay ahead of the pack. Automotive leaders including AAAA CEO Stuart Charity, BAPCOR’s Steve Drummy, GPC Asia Pacific’s Wayne Bryant, and Bill Hanvey, the head of the US’s Auto Care Association, will share their Top Five trends and their unique views on how these trends will affect our industry, our customers, and the bottom line into 2024 and beyond.

Local Area Marketing – Top Three Tips For Achieving Your Goals (Business Education Program) – Thursday 11 April, 3.00pm – 4.00pm – free session
Creating a well-recognised brand in your local area is an extremely valuable exercise, putting your business top of the ‘shopping list’ for customers. So how do you market your business in your local area to attract and retain customers? This tailored session will provide you with top ideas and tactics any business can use to maximise their cut-through in the local community. Industry experts with outstanding experience in automotive including AAAA’s Tiffany Conway, Pedders’ Adam Gillick, Repco’s Suzie Commons, and AusGarage’s James Payne, will share their top three tips, to help you achieve your business goals.  

Network Diagnostics (Technical Training) – Friday 12 April, 9.00am – 1.00pm – paid session
Control module communication faults are increasingly common in modern vehicles due to the growing number of modules. In this training with Sean Tipping, you will grow new skills to confidently diagnose signal wire and CAN BUS networks using case studies and simple test methods.

Right To Repair. Fair and Open Competition – Are We There Yet? (Business Education Program) – Friday 12 April, 11.00am – 12.00pm – free session
A celebration and a reflection of the Australian OEM repair and service information sharing Law. Is the law working? What is the next frontier in our campaign for fair and open competition? A fascinating discussion about all the issues that affect a car owner’s right to choose, including access to service information, parts, warranty, capped price servicing, logbook servicing and our next big frontier – Telematics. Speakers include AAAA’s Stuart Charity and Lesley Yates, as well as the head of the Auto Care Association in the US, Bill Hanvey.

Demonstrating Australia’s Motor Vehicle Information Scheme (Business Education Program) – Friday 12 April, 12.00pm – 1.00pm – free session
The new Motor Vehicle Information Scheme (MVIS) allows independent repairers to obtain dealer level diagnostic and programming information from vehicle manufacturers. How does this system work? Join a demonstration of the scheme portal from Rodger Nardi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Automotive Service and Repair Authority (AASRA), with AAAA Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Charity, as MC. Even if you have already joined AASRA, this session will allow you to get an update on the system and ask questions.

Skills Shortages – Five Top Tactics to Find and Keep Good Talent in Your Business (Business Education Program) – Friday 12 April, 1.00pm – 2.00pm – free session
The skills crisis won’t be solved with one solution; finding and keeping employees needs a combination of different techniques. In this session MCed by the AAAA’s Lesley Yates and featuring Auto Care Association (US) Head Bill Hanvey, mycar Tyre and Auto’s Adam Pay and Konnecting Group’s Fred Molloy, you will receive pragmatic advice on the best-known tactics to find new team members and keep them engaged in your business. For another perspective, learn valuable lessons on how the US has addressed their massive labour gap.

EV System Repair and Component Replacement (Collision Repair Training) – Friday 12 April, 2.00pm – 3.00pm – free session
Stay safe during the repair process of compromised vehicles by learning how high voltage systems work. In this session with Electric Mobility Consulting’s Dirk Fuchs, you will gain an understanding of what to know and what necessary measurements have to be performed when replacing high voltage components. The difference between EV and ICE vehicle AC systems, how to perform Insulation tests and equipotential bonding will also be explored.

Open Your Business Revenue Stream and Step Off The Hamster Wheel (Collision Repair Training) – Friday 12 April, 3.00pm – 4.00pm and also Saturday 13 April, 12.00pm – 1.00pm – free sessions
Why do businesses with the same resources operating in the same areas, produce vastly different results? What is it that the winners do that the others don’t do – and what have the winners stopped doing, that the others still do? Packed full of Aha! moments and takeaways, learn how to step off that hamster wheel and leave those “Uh oh” moments behind, so you can enjoy more time, more money, and less stress too in this session with Business Success Global’s Robert Snook. This session is held on both Friday and Saturday.

How to Condemn a Control Module (Technical Training) – Saturday 13 April, 8.00am – 12.00pm – paid session
Have you ever been 90 percent sure that a control module is faulty, but still wonder if something else is causing the problem? In this training with Sean Tipping, dive into testing methods and thought processes that will assist with the remaining 10 percent so you can make a confident diagnosis.

Prepare Your Workshop For Electrification (Business Education Program/Collision Repair Training) –Saturday 13 April, 10.00am – 11.00am – free session
AAAA’s Lesley Yates will set the scene for your preparations, with EV car parc data to support the
‘when’ to trigger investment in your EV workshop infrastructure, while Electric Mobility Consulting CEO Dirk Fuchs will fast track your preparations for your workshop to safely and efficiently repair electric and hybrid vehicles. Receive best practice recommendations for workshop layout, required space, vehicle isolation areas and specialist tooling, and learn how thermal runaways can be detected early and counter measures.

You’ve Earned a Holiday and Yes, You Can Take It (Business Education Program) – Saturday 13 April, 11.00am – 12.00pm – free session
Don’t have time to take a break? In this session with Highfields Mechanical’s Craig Baills, Fifth Quadrant’s Ben Selwyn, and Capricorn’s Bradley Gannon, learn potential strategies to bring back the important work life balance: how to train up your workforce to make sure the workshop can operate without you; and engaging local underutilised resources – for instance, recently retired mechanics can contribute to management. And there’s a bonus, with a lucky door prize for a romantic weekend away.

Stop charging an hourly rate (Business Education Program) – Saturday 13 April, 1.00pm – 2.00pm – free session
Let’s plug the leaks in your service revenue. The profitability of your workshop is created in the moments when the service advisor/workshop manager is creating an estimate. If the service advisor/workshop manager falls short on the estimate, profits are dramatically impacted. Pricing and producing the labour component properly are key to your profits. This session with AAAA’s Nigel Bishop, Leondis Automotive’s Peter Leondis, and Smart Mechanic’s Kosta Kantilaftis will help you increase your workshop profitability!

For full information and to register to attend, visit www.autoaftermarketexpo.com.au and www.collisionrepair.com.au

Information correct at time of printing, see www.autoaftermarketexpo.com.au for the most up to date information.