Founded by collision industry veterans Brian Nessen and Dan Risley after attending a 20 Group meeting with an industrial coatings supplier, the HD Repair Forum seeks to provide education, guidance and expertise for collision centers and paint and body shops serving the Class 5-8 truck market.
Trucks, Parts, Service recently sat down with Nessen to get the lowdown on what’s ahead at this year’s event, how the collision industry has responded to it and how he and Risley hope to expand the HD Repair Forum in the coming years.
Why should a heavy-duty paint/body/collision professional attend the HD Repair Forum?
Brian Nessen: “The HD Repair Forum is the only event solely focused on their business and the heavy-duty collision repair industry. Collision repairers will leave the event with knowledge and information that can have an immediate positive impact on their business. They will have an opportunity to network with executives from the insurance industry, OEMs, estimating system providers, fleets, independent appraisal companies and alike. No other industry event includes all industry stakeholders.”
What do you want attendees to take away from their HD Repair Forum experience?
“We want attendees to feel as if this event belongs to them and they have a voice in helping drive change and improve the industry. We also want attendees to recognize that this event is focused upon the decision makers and leadership in the industry.”
Regarding this year’s agenda: How did you choose the speakers/topics?
“We are extremely fortunate to have a very active advisory board. They represent some of the best collision repairers in the industry. They dedicate a lot of time throughout the year helping us identify the speakers and topics most relevant and important to their business. It truly is an event for the industry, created by the industry.”
How will this year’s event be different from the 2018 and 2019 events?
“The format of the event is unchanged. The event is comprised of a general session and educational seminars for all industry stakeholders. The seminars and content are 100 percent different from last year but the focus remains the same. The program is geared towards business improvement, personal improvement and technical classes designed for management. The general session is focused on delivering knowledge and information to help advance the industry and better prepare everyone for the future.”
How would you like the HD Repair Forum event to grow in the future?
“The short answer is more attendees from specific stakeholder groups. But the key to that is the ‘right’ attendees. The HD Repair Forum is focused on bringing the industry leadership, decision makers, thought leaders and people motivated to help improve and advance the industry for all stakeholders. The groups are those that are involved with Class 5-8 vehicles, emergency vehicles, buses, recreational vehicles, refuse vehicles, delivery vehicles, etc. We want all of them to feel as if they have a home and place where they belong.”
What type of response has HD Repair Forum received from the heavy-duty paint/body/collision industry since its inception?
“The response has been extremely positive. We continue to see year-over-year growth in excess of 20 percent. We needed to find a new location for our 2020 event due to outgrowing the previous venue. We’re also extremely excited to see the increased participation from other industry segments. The event is titled the HD Repair Forum but it is for anyone involved in the repair of Class 5, 6, 7 and 8 vehicles, emergency vehicles, buses and recreational vehicles. We will have an RV 20 Group participating this year and a bus manufacturer speaking during the general session.”
How can interested parties become part of the HD Repair Forum network or advisory board?
“There are many ways to get involved. They can contact me (Brian Nessen) or Jennie Lenk to discuss all the various opportunities. It really depends upon how much time he/she would like to invest. As you mentioned, there is an advisory board, we recently launched four committees (Education, OE Repair Procedures, Technology and Parts), there are speaking opportunities, guest editorials and, of course, sponsorship opportunities via the HD Repair Forum or our electronic monthly newsletter.”
Why do you believe the HD Repair Forum has received such strong support in its infancy?
“The simple answer was there was a need complemented by a strong group of companies and individuals immersed in the industry that cared. They truly were committed to doing the right thing and wanted to play a role in helping advance the industry. They saw our vision and believed that the HD Repair Forum could be one of the answers. This industry is full of a lot of great people that care about making and leaving this industry in a better place than when they first arrived. The HD Repair Forum is open and welcome to all the industry stakeholder groups. I think the attendees feel that outreach and sincerity and, as a result, the event continues to see increased support.”
The 2020 HD Repair Forum will be held March 24-25 in Fort Worth, Texas. To register for this month’s event, please CLICK HERE.
