Feb. 26, 2014—The 4th annual Midwest Auto Body Trade Show will take place March 20 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, event organizers announced Tuesday.

The theme of this year’s event is “Your Future is Now.” The show will feature a video presentation webinar of the new aluminum Ford F-150. Paul Massie, powertrain and collision product marketing manager for Ford Motor Company, will present information and answer questions on the vehicle’s high-strength, military grade aluminum alloy.

The Midwest Auto Body Trade Show will also include several other guest presenters. Iowa Senator Brad Zaun and lobbyist Scott Weiser will update the collision industry on this year’s legislative activities. Pete Tagliapietra of NuGen IT will moderate a panel discussion based on insurer mandated parts procurement initiatives, and conduct a presentation titled "Information Technology and the Future of Collision Repair.”

The show will also feature more than 65 vendor display booths and free educational sessions on the show floor.

Event organizers said the Midwest Auto Body Trade Show is free for all industry professionals to attend, including collision repairers, insurers, manufacturers, vendors, recyclers, OEMs and students.

"This is the largest and best Midwest show yet," said trade show chairman Dick Merron of Iowa Auto Rebuilders in Waterloo, Iowa. "We are proud to bring this high-level education, training and networking to the collision industry. We have to be prepared for what is coming, and now is the time to do it."