The ADAS Depot team headed to Concord, North Carolina last week for the Fifth Annual Southeast Collision Conference, and we came back with a clear sense of why this event deserves a spot on the calendar for anyone serious about the collision repair industry.
Hosted by the Carolinas Collision Association (CCA) and the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA), the Southeast Collision Conference brings together shop owners, technicians, estimators, and vendors from across the country for a mix of trade show floor time and Collision P.R.E.P. education sessions. This year's program covered topics ranging from ADAS calibration and workflow optimization to shop profitability and OEM certification decisions, with separate tracks for owners and managers on one side, and estimators and technicians on the other.
A Focused, Community-Driven Show on Collision
If you've been to SEMA, you know the scale. The Southeast Collision Conference is a different experience entirely. The atmosphere is more intimate, the conversations go deeper, and the crowd is made up of people who are genuinely serious about running a better shop. Vendors and attendees mingled freely on the floor, cocktails in hand, and that relaxed setting made it easy to have real conversations rather than quick pitches. There's a community feel to this event that larger trade shows simply can't replicate.
Kirk Cave and Rodrigo Mendez, our sales team, represented ADAS Depot at the booth across both days. Traffic was steady throughout the show, not overwhelming, but the people who stopped by were engaged and genuinely thinking through their next move on equipment. Several previous ADAS Depot customers came by the booth to say hello and share how things were going with their setups, and hearing that kind of feedback in person is one of the best parts of getting out to shows like this.
Lastly, whereas SEMA has so many different disciplines of automotive repair present, SCC is an ability to be amongst your collision brethren.
What We Heard on the Floor
The conversations Kirk and Rod had over those two days reinforced something we already believe: shops across the Southeast are paying close attention to ADAS, and many are actively evaluating whether to bring calibration in-house or expand what they already have. Some were just starting to explore the idea. Others were further along and wanted to dig into specific equipment options, compare systems, or talk through how a setup would fit their workflow and bay space.
Those are exactly the kinds of conversations our team is built for. There's no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to ADAS equipment, and sitting down face to face with someone who knows the product line and understands how shops actually operate makes a real difference in finding the right fit.
The Southeast Collision Conference is also a good reminder of how much the industry conversation around ADAS has matured. A few years ago, bringing calibration in-house felt like a big leap for most independent shops. Today, it's a question of which setup makes sense, not whether to do it at all.
Where To See Us Next
We will likely be at Auto Glass Week, August 27-29th, in San Antonio, TX. For those that are more focused on the glass repair space, send us a note and hope to see you there!
Let's Keep the Conversation Going
Whether you stopped by our booth in Concord or you're just starting to think through your ADAS equipment needs, we'd love to talk. Reach out to the ADAS Depot team at adasdepot.com/contact and let's figure out what makes sense for your shop.
