This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit:
https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-...
Joanne Knowles is the Event Director for Automechanika Birmingham and the UK Garage and Body Shop event, the two biggest trade shows in the UK independent garage calendar.
She joins Alex and Dawn on this episode to talk about what actually goes into running them, why attending matters more than ever, and how Motivate is starting to change the way new talent is brought into the industry.
If you're a garage owner, technician, college tutor or student, this one's worth your time.
Timestamps:
00:00 - intro
01:14 - automechanika vs uk garage and body shop
03:00 - why garage owners should attend
07:31 - feedback, parking and the autonomous bus
09:20 - introducing motivate
12:20 - women, the ignite arena and engaging colleges
18:16 - computer science, adas and the future
21:34 - the case for cpd accreditation
25:22 - castrol | the race group partnership
26:37 - industry community, the blend and ben charity
33:15 - takeaways and how to get involved
41:13 - uk garage and body shop 2026
44:00 - outro
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