Gearing up for SAMBRA 2019 Conference and Expo

<strong>By: SAMBRA</strong>

Plans are on track for the 2019 South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (SAMBRA) Conference and Exhibition which will take place between 17 – 19 October at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.

This year we will be including an extra day specially earmarked for a highly targeted Enterprise Development focus, hosted by Dionne Kerr of Siyakha Consulting. Richard Green, National Director of SAMBRA says the target is to have 250 delegates representing funders from corporate and government spheres as well as small and micro enterprises.  The conference will have a clear focus on growth and development in the sector as well as support to Exempted Micro Enterprises (EME’s) and Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSE’s) supplying the sector. The conference will include showcasing of innovation within the sector presented by successful innovators to stimulate strong collaborative thinking and engagement. “We are also giving these enterprises a platform to exhibit free of charge and will be inviting key industry stakeholders to network at the event, to engage with small enterprises and to actively participate in the conversations of innovation and sustainability,” he says.

A national call to action will take place before the conference to identify strong, quality businesses that need Enterprise and Supplier Development support.  The conference will culminate in an opportunity for the qualifying small businesses to present to a competition panel who will select winners on the day. “Our winners will receive financial and operational investment as a means for us to reward the commitment to excellence and to help elevate these businesses in our sector” says Green.

The 18th and 19th will follow with an Expo and will culminate in the annual SAMBRA Awards gala dinner on the Saturday which honours top vehicle insurers, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers)  and paint and equipment suppliers for their contribution to the sustainability of motor body repairers in South Africa.

The outcome of the SAMBRA survey has become an important benchmark to measure the success and progress in the insurance, OEM and supplier sectors.

“We believe the industry is transforming rapidly and it is critical to be able to build best practice models by assisting all parties to re-evaluate and streamline their processes and procedures, and improve skill levels and regulatory compliance. The addition of our Enterprise Development conference this year will be a useful catalyst in encouraging growth and ownership transfer in the sector,” concludes Green.