Collision Industry Conference attendees value networking, meeting information

Attendees of the Collision Industry Conference Atlanta meeting earlier this year prioritized networking during the event, found presentations impactful and will attend the next meeting in Detroit later this month, according to an attendee survey.

This marks the second survey the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) Marketing Committee has administered in an effort to capture feedback from attendees to drive continuous improvement of the meetings for attendees.

CIC is a forum where collision industry stakeholders - repairers, insurers, paint and material companies, equipment, vehicle manufacturers, data providers, trade associations and more - come together to discuss issues, enhance understanding, find common ground and communicate possible solutions to the industry.

The first survey gauged feedback and input from all CIC members who had attended meetings in the past. This most recent effort was specifically targeted to attendees of the CIC Atlanta meeting, with 92 percent of respondents having attended the April event.

Nearly 80 percent of respondents are Gold Pin participants, and most classified themselves as a repairer (22 percent), in the parts and materials segment (20 percent) or in a related segment (28 percent) - the most of common of which was consultant.

Networking remains the most important consideration driving attendance with a 4.4 out of 5 importance rating, followed by information (3.9); related meetings (3.7); and business partnerships (3.6).

Respondents reviewed the individual committee presentations - the Marketing Committee, Definitions Committee, Technical Committee, Education Committee and Parts and Materials - and on average, 73 percent of respondents attended each.

 Thirty-four percent of respondents said the Definitions Committee presentation, "Class A Shop of Today," had the biggest impact, followed by the Parts and Materials Committee presentation, "A Parts Procurement Panel," with 25 percent of respondents selecting it.

Respondents were also encouraged to offer comments on the meeting and suggestions for improvement. Many praised the new two-day format and open mic opportunities; others sought improvements in presentation technology and the meeting schedule.

A vast majority of respondents - 84 percent - also indicated they plan to attend the next CIC meeting in Detroit, Mich., July 21-22. The meeting will coincide with the NACE | CARS event, July 23-25.