VIVA LAS VEGAS

EXCITEMENT AT SEMA 2025

The SEMA Show of 2025 took over the Las Vegas Convention Center. It ran alongside AAPEX and the Industry Week schedule. For collision repair professionals the show felt bigger than ever. The energy on the first morning set the tone. Visitors lined the entrances. Cameras flashed. Attendees rushed toward the upper south hall, home of the collision and refinish section.

The opening ceremony was simple but loud. The Specialty Equipment Market Association president and chief executive officer Mike Spagnola welcomed everyone to the show and cut the ribbon. Collision Repair Mag’s team was on the ground to capture the scene. Before the week even began, the magazine told readers the show had evolved into a place “where shop owners and technicians get an early look at the tools, training and technology that will soon make their way into bays back home.”

“I’m so excited to be back at SEMA this year, it’s the perfect place to reconnect with industry leaders, discover new technology and feel the pulse of where the industry is headed.” — William Simmons

CANADIANS ON THE FLOOR

Collision Repair sent marketing coordinator and audience engagement director William Simmons to Las Vegas. The magazine also sent director of marketing Gloria Mann. Their mission was clear: track the launches, report the training sessions and spotlight Canadian participation.

Simmons said he was excited to return to the show. “It’s the perfect place to reconnect with industry leaders, discover new technology and feel the pulse of where the industry is headed.” That line captured the feeling among many Canadian shop owners walking the aisles.

The magazine used its coverage as a central hub for Canadian attendees. It told readers to flag innovative booths and to send photos from the show floor. The team wanted to gather the best ideas for a post-SEMA recap and to ensure Canadian collision shops could see what mattered even if they did not travel. The message was simple: SEMA was no longer optional for shops that wanted to stay ahead.

WHAT EXHIBITORS BROUGHT

Collision Repair previewed several exhibitor plans. AkzoNobel announced that it would unveil Ballistic, a custom build created by Miller & Son Collision. The company also said it would display Sikkens Autowave Optima and its Carbeat digital workflow tool. These technologies targeted colour accuracy, cycle-time visibility and high-productivity refinishing.

Repairify’s asTech division announced live demonstrations as well. The company planned to show the asTech Generation 3 device and its Connected Calibrations platform. For collision operators trying to decide whether to bring calibration in-house, these sessions mattered. They provided hands-on exposure to hardware and software that could change their work mix.

I-CAR also outlined a strong presence. It planned to bring training modules built around mixed-reality tools and new attachment-method instruction. Those offerings underlined how much collision training had shifted toward simulation, structured procedure and OEM-aligned workflows.

A SHOW DESIGNED AROUND LEARNING

Training was not a sideshow. It was central. SEMA offered repair-focused sessions every day. Many were full to capacity.

On the first day, the schedule covered battery safety, repair approvals, refinish processes and structural considerations for mixed-material vehicles. The collision audience leaned in. Electric-vehicle safety was a major theme. So were OEM repair procedures. Many attendees noted that even general aftermarket professionals crowded into EV safety sessions because the material felt urgent.

I-CAR built on that with welding demonstrations, radar replacement simulations and refinishing exercises inside mixed-reality headsets. I-CAR’s booth ran non-stop. Attendees often lined up just to try the Cruiser’s radar replacement simulation.

ADAS TOOK OVER

By day 4, the event’s focus tightened around ADAS systems and calibration requirements. Collision Repair described the day’s content as dominated by sensor technology, workflow requirements and evolving OEM demands.

One presenter from BASF explained how colour formulation could affect radar performance. In his talk, he said “colour selection was actually an important technical consideration.” The idea hit hard for refinish- department leads. It showed that paint lines and tint mixes were no longer cosmetic questions. They were safety issues.

Another ADAS presenter spoke about hardware changes coming to radar and camera units in the near-term model years. Repairers were told they “would be required to adapt tools and procedures as these units entered circulation.” It was a warning. The technology was changing fast. Shops could not afford to lag behind.

A third presenter covered geometry, floor condition and spatial tolerances. Collision Repair Mag summarized it clearly: “His presentation focused on geometry, floor condition and spatial tolerances.” That message reinforced that calibration needed space, tooling and measurement, not guesswork. These sessions shaped how shops understood their responsibilities. No one left thinking ADAS calibration lived only in dealership spaces anymore. It was a core part of the collision workflow.

REPAIR-FIRST THINKING ROSE AGAIN

Plastic repair made noise throughout the show. Polyvance pushed its “Rebel Against Replacement” campaign hard. The company encouraged shops to repair damaged plastic parts rather than replace them. The idea was simple: bumper covers, tabs and trim pieces were often repairable. Replacing them out of habit weakened margins and increased waste. Polyvance said the message resonated with SEMA attendees. “Our #rebelagainstreplacement message at SEMA resonated! We had so many visitors say that they’re interested in writing for more labor hours by doing more #plasticrepair.” The quote showed that the appetite for repair-first thinking was rising. Repair-first messages also tied into sustainability discussions. Several exhibitors stressed that reducing parts waste cut costs and improved workflow. For the collision repair sector centres facing tight margins and rising material costs, that message had practical weight.

NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE DELIVERED SCALE

The New Product Showcase in the upper south hall pulled huge crowds. More than 1,300 products were entered across 15 categories. Collision Repair Mag quoted one judge who said: “The level of innovation and craftsmanship on display is outstanding. It’s clear our industry is moving forward with real creativity and purpose.” For collision repair this meant a flood of new equipment, new attachments, new calibration tools and new refinishing systems entering the pipeline. The award for the collision repair and refinish category went to the Revv ADAS Integration Ecosystem. Its win showed how dominant ADAS had become in collisionsector innovation.

I-CAR CAPTURED A MAJOR AWARD

I-CAR’s Mixed Attachment Methods course won a SEMA New Product Award. The selection came from a panel of consumer, trade and enthusiast editors. The training program focused on the safe execution of OEM joining methods, including rivet bonding, MAG welding, MIG brazing, steel sectioning and spot welding. It was in a hands-on format and aligned directly with OEM repair procedures.

Kyle Thompson, I-CAR chief executive officer and president, said: “I-CAR is honoured to be recognized as a Media Choice winner.” He added: “Mixed Attachment Methods reflects our ongoing commitment to advanced technical training that prepares the industry to repair complex vehicles completely and safely.”

His comments captured the growing focus on structured training, not improvisation. The Mixed Attachment Methods program would become eligible for Gold Class and Platinum renewal requirements in 2026. That mattered to shop owners who sent technicians to SEMA to plan next year’s training strategy.

PPG STIRRED A WORLD RECORD INTO THE SHOW

Refinish giant PPG staged one of the most memorable events of the week. It organized a Guinness World Records attempt during a customer event. More than 275 people stirred paint at the same time. The attempt succeeded. An official verified the count. A new world record was set.

The stunt also pushed attention to PPG’s Mix’n’Shake automated stirring system. The system mixed paint hands-free in under 60 seconds. PPG said the system could help shops recover up to 6 percent more productive hours each year. It could also reduce consumable waste by up to 10 percent. It connected to the PPG LINQ digital ecosystem and paired well with the Moonwalk automated mixing robot. PPG linked the event to training too. The paint stirred during the record attempt was donated to Dixie Technical College in Utah. The donation supported paint-shop training for new technicians. Rodolfo Ramirez, vice-president of automotive refinish coatings at PPG, said: “This was more than a record-setting event — it was a symbolic moment for the industry.”

DIGITAL EVENTS RAN PARALLEL

Hunter Engineering recognized that not all collision-repair professionals could get to Las Vegas. To support those people, it launched a digital Hunter Expo timed to match the show. The event presented everything Hunter showed at SEMA, including alignment, ADAS and tire-service equipment. Collision Repair Mag’s coverage made clear that digital outreach was becoming standard practice for major suppliers.

CANADA NIGHT TOOK OVER THE EVENING

AIA Canada hosted its annual Canada Night reception during the week. It took place at HaSalon in The Venetian. The event sold out. Canadian automotive professionals packed the room. Many had spent the day at AAPEX or SEMA and wanted a quieter space to meet colleagues and suppliers.

It was also the last Canada Night under AIA Canada president and chief executive officer Jean-François Champagne. He told attendees: “Canada Night has always been more than just an event — it is a celebration of Canada’s auto care industry on a global stage.” He said the 2025 event was “a resounding success.” The tone was warm but also forward-looking.

Other Canadian leaders echoed that feeling. CSN Collision’s Jay Hayward called the event a meaningful gathering point. Fix Network vice-president Daryll O’Keefe said the smaller venue created space for deeper conversations. Those comments showed that the Canadian footprint at SEMA was organized and confident.

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