The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Repairer Driven Education (RDE) series at the SEMA Show tracked a nearly 300 percent increase in year to date (YTD) registrations through July for the collision repair education series, compared to the same time period last year.

"The first two years of the RDE program brought a lot of very positive response from the attendees, and we believe that the numbers clearly indicate that our program at the SEMA Show is delivering exactly what the industry is looking for right now," said SCRS Chairman Aaron Clark. "We have worked hard to put together a program that specifically addresses solutions to existing business conditions, and are glad to see the industry responding with early approval!"

SCRS also has reported an interesting expansion in the participant demographics. In addition to a largeRDE LOGO 2012 independent collision repair attendee base from the U.S., 2012 numbers have indicated notable additional growth in participation from multi-shop operators (MSO), as well as from international automotive businesses currently representing more than a dozen different countries. SCRS said the growth in these areas illustrates the universal relevance of the issues addressed in the sessions provided by RDE, and the tangible benefit the information holds for collision businesses, regardless of location, business model or business size.

The RDE series isn't the only area of the show where the collision industry is demonstrating early spikes in activity. Show management numbers through the end of July indicated an increase in both collision industry exhibitor counts, as well as double digit growth in square footage occupied by exhibiting collision industry companies.

In addition to the Collision Repair & Refinish section of the show, there are many collision industry companies that have taken advantage of space that is available in other areas of the show such as in Tools & Equipment (North Hall), Restyling & Car Care Accessories (North Hall), Racing & Performance (Central Hall), Hot Rod Alley (Central Hall), and at the First Time & Featured Exhibitors (Upper South Hall) section.

A complete listing of the RDE sessions can be found at www.semashow.com/scrs. The 2012 Repairer Driven Education program is sponsored by supportive industry organizations such as SEMA, PPG, GM Genuine Parts, BASF, LKQ, AASP, PBES and CollisionHub.

The SEMA Show is a trade show produced by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a nonprofit trade association founded in 1963. Since the first SEMA Show debuted in 1967, the annual event has served as the leading venue bringing together manufacturers and buyers within the automotive specialty equipment industry. Products featured at the SEMA Show include those that enhance the styling, functionality, comfort, convenience and safety of cars and trucks. Additional details available at www.semashow.com or www.sema.org, (909) 396- 0289.

SCRS' RDE Series (REPAIRER DRIVEN EDUCATION) will feature over 21 seminar offerings, many of which are uniquely designed and being offered only at the 2012 SEMA Show. The series will be offered either as individual sessions, or as a package, and registrants will have the option to attend seven regular session seminars which will be delivered between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day of the show; as well as a special headline presentations being delivered from 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday morning. Each of the courses has been individually selected or crafted by SCRS because the content specifically focuses on information that is relevant to collision repair professionals and appeals to the diverse array of marketplace perspectives within the collision repair industry.

Register at www.semashow.com/scrs.

For additional information about SCRS including other news releases visit www.scrs.com. You can e-mail SCRS at the following address [email protected].