INTERNATIONAL BODYSHOP INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM 2005 - IBIS 2005

'Doing the Right Thing'

With the theme of 'Doing the Right Thing', the Symposium Proceedings Report for the fifth International Bodyshop Industry Symposium - IBIS 2005 - is now available! This year's Report contains complete transcripts of all speaker presentations at the six sessions making up IBIS 2005, together with a detailed précis of each of the Q & A discussions and consolidated statistical market data for most of the key refinish markets around the world.

Session 1
Setting the stage for the Symposium's 2005 programme, the opening keynote presentation from Chris Mann, chairman of IBIS, touches on vehicle & product technology and the other key drivers that he believes will be shaping the collision repair market in the coming years.

Session 2
Design for the future: vehicle repairability/recycleability and the reduction of write-off levels
Speakers: Eugene Incerti, Director of Operations - THATCHAM; Mark White, Chief Technical Specialist Body Structures Product Development - Jaguar Cars & Land Rover
At IBIS 2004 we asked whether vehicle design was outstripping repairability. In a memorable keynote presentation, Mark White of Jaguar/Land Rover outlined the primary drivers behind vehicle design development amongst the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers. This presentation highlighted the increasing marginalisation of structural repairability as a design issue, as other priorities such as passenger safety, weight and marketing advantage have taken precedence. This year, we bring the concerns of the collision repair community to the attention of leading vehicle designers, with the intention of placing post-accident repairability at the forefront of the design criteria set for future generations of passenger vehicles.

Session 3
Standards & Licensing: The role of governments, trade associations, vehicle manufacturers and insurers - a global issue
Speakers: Ian Groat, Publisher - Automotive Refinisher; Larry Jefferies, Executive Vice President - CARSTAR Automotive Canada; Jan Koolen, Secretary General - AIRC; David Newton-Ross, Managing Editor - Australian BodyShop News; Brian Spratt, Chief Executive - Automotive Distribution Federation and Representative Member of FIGIEFA; Rick Tuuri, Director of Business Development & North American Operations - I-CAR
As vehicle design becomes more complex, and construction materials increasingly sophisticated, demands upon the repair community have grown dramatically. As a result, there have been widespread calls from trade bodies, consumer groups and other interested parties within many of the world’s major collision repair markets, for the introduction of bodyshop and/or technician licensing and the monitoring of repair standards. IBIS talks to a cross-section of interested parties to ascertain the issues, define what actions need to be taken and whether international standards programmes are necessary - or even desirable.

Session 4
Emerging markets - focus on China.
Speakers: Tom Stryker, International Consultant - Superior Consultants; Chuck Sulkala, Executive Director - National Auto Body Council; Shenghe Zhou, First Secretary - Permanent Mission of China to the World Trade Organisation.
From a negligible baseline only a few years ago, the automotive market in China has grown, to a car parc of over 20 million. China is set to become the world’s number two market by the end of the decade – second only to the USA. The implications and impact of this growth on the rest of the world, not least in the aftermarket sector, cannot be overestimated. It is a market with unlimited potential – and massive dangers for the unwary, unprepared or uninformed. IBIS 2005 drills down into the issues with presentations from sector experts - both from China itself and the West.

Session 5
Insurer roles, requirements and responsibilities
Speakers: John Edelen, Assistant Vice President Auto Claims - Allstate Insurance Company; Susan Hood, Claims Vice President - State Farm Insurance; Alain Page-Lecuyer, Group Procurement Senior Vice President - AXA; David Neave, Claims Services Director - Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Group
There has been increasing concern amongst repairers at the increased control by insurers of the repair process itself, through work direction, parts procurement programmes, cost plus and dedicated repair centre schemes - and even bodyshop ownership. Are these schemes bringing a fresh approach and increased professionalism or inflexibility, unnecessary bureaucracy, increased costs and unfair competition? This session comprises a series of keynote presentations from leading insurers, each of which has set up major initiatives in these areas.

Session 6
Open forum
David Lingham - moderator, IBIS
These presentations, plus the extended Question & Answer Sessions provide a totally unique insight and strategic overview of a dramatically changing global industry from a cross-section of leading world experts from all sides of the collision repair industry.

The IBIS 2005 Symposium Proceedings Report is available in CD format (including audio versions of each presentation and Q&As), compatible with most personal computers, at the price of AU$995 (including postage & handling).
To purchase your copy of the IBIS 2005 Proceedings Report, please call Michel Malik on (02) 9826 7777 or mail michel@bodyshopnews.net. Copies will be dispatched immediately upon receipt of payment.