With the pandemic preventing in-person meetings, the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) has deftly adapted to a virtual environment, using various features of the Zoom videoconferencing platform since July to minimize the impact of the online-only meetings. (The rapid development of the pandemic left little time to substitute the April’s canceled event.) Attendance has been similar to in-person events, and with the dedication of committee chairs putting together the presentations, they have been well received by attendees.
“We received a lot of commentary afterward about how well people enjoyed it. They thought the information was great,” said Jordan Hendler, communications manager for CIC. “They missed the networking of being in person; one of the biggest benefits of our meeting is people can come together and be in a group of every segment of our industry. There’s just no other format like CIC, and there’s nothing that replaces that networking until we can get back together. But as a secondary option, we know people are really getting a lot out of the presentations in the virtual format.”
As CIC leaders remain hopeful they can return to an in-person meeting in April, they are preparing for the next virtual meeting, Jan. 20 and 21, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. EST.
Darrell Amberson, who began his 2020-2021 term as chairman at the conclusion of the November meeting, said January’s agenda is still in the works at press time, but he did offer some insight on what attendees can look forward to in January and the coming year.
“We have a couple committees working on electric vehicles, so you’re going to see some presentations from a couple different angles, including a little bit more of a nuts-and-bolts-practicality kind of approach, as well as another that will be more higher level and how [their repair] is going to affect the industry.”
Additionally, the Parts & Materials committee is continuing its work on defining OEM vs. alternative parts. At the November meeting, the Data Access Privacy and Security committee rolled out its “Golden Rules” document for how data should be used by collision repairers and others in the ecosystem.
“I expect them to be taking that to another level, in terms of its impact on the industry.”
Other committees presenting include the Governmental committee, which is working on a few topics; the Estimating committee, which is working to try to define what is included in a scan, among other topics. Amberson said the Future Industry Disruption committee (which he also chairs), will discuss how, as technology changes and the collision repair business becomes more complex and professional through changing technologies, how that may also change the industry’s culture.
Similar to the in-person events, most material in the Zoom conferences has been lively panel discussions.
“We prep in advance so that what you’re seeing is a live experience, just as it would be in the meeting,” Hendler said. “We’re not a traditional learning environment, in which they can pre-record and edit multiple camera angles and features like that. But we’re live, and that’s because we want it to be interactive, just as they would have the experience of being in person. They’re asking the questions in Q&A; they’re talking back and forth in the chat, so that if there is something relevant that someone’s asking, they get their question answered right then and there. It’s important for us that attendees have as similar of an experience virtually as we can in person.”
One notable exception to the focus on live presentations is a video of about five minutes that was shared in the November meeting. After months of preparation, it was produced with sponsor AirPro Diagnostics by the Emerging Technologies and CIECA Calibration committees. It helps illustrate the committees’ document on the importance of calibrations, such as how a 1-degree misalignment in thrust angle can result in the calibration of the forward-facing camera or radar being off 63 inches at 100 yards.
What’s next for the new chairman?
As he looks to his first meeting as chairman, Amberson said he looks to honor CIC’s continued role as a place where all industry entities can come together to voice their concerns.
“At the same time, I want to elevate the industry in terms of how technologies have changed and businesses are evolving. Our industry has become more sophisticated over the years.”
Amberson said he’d like to help highlight how industry stakeholders can continue elevating the public’s perception of the business as more professional as it has grown more sophisticated.
“All industry segments are equally important in CIC, but as the OEMs’ influence on our industry has increased, we want to be able to illustrate that. Also, I promised [immediate past Chair] Jeff Peevy that I would continue his philosophy of the empty chair, emphasizing the importance of that customer who may not be present at the meeting.”
Amberson said he’d like to take that emphasis to another level by measuring the group’s success largely by how its efforts have influenced the repairs completed in the shop.
“While all industry admins and segments are important, that’s kind of the moment of truth in terms of whether or not things are changing for the good. And when I say, ‘For the good,’ it’s the mission of, ‘You talk about safe and quality repairs. Help put our industry in that direction.’”
To register for the January event, click here; but first, be sure to check out the sponsors page for a promotional code, which allows you to attend the event at no charge.
