2026 SEMA Show Education Program Adds 90+ Training Sessions
The 2026 SEMA Show Education Program will run more than 90 sessions from Tuesday, Nov. 3 through Thursday, Nov. 5 in Las Vegas, with a heavy slate of collision repair training from I-CAR, SCRS, and dedicated ADAS calibration education folded into the lineup. For any technician or shop owner trying to figure out where to actually learn something at a show that size, that is the short answer: the education tracks are where the real value sits.
The sessions cover business, technical, and industry-specific ground, from leadership and career development to emerging technologies, off-road, and powersports. The Off-Road Business Association is presenting a panel on women shaping the future of off-road, and the Emerging and Executive Leadership track brings Dale Carnegie sessions on listening, leadership, and how to use AI without losing the trust of your people. Most of it is first come, first served and free of charge, which matters when you are trying to stretch a few days on the floor.
What the Collision Repair Training Covers
The pieces worth circling if you turn wrenches for a living are the partner-led programs from I-CAR, the Tire Industry Association, and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists. Those groups handle the specialized training for collision and installation professionals, and they do not water it down for a general audience. The Collision Repair Stage sits in South Hall Upper at booth 32145, and two learning centers, the FutureTech Studio in Central Hall and the ADAS Showcase in South Hall Upper, spotlight repair procedures, ADAS calibration, alternative propulsion, and mobility.
That ADAS Showcase is the one I would not skip. Every late-model vehicle that rolls into a shop now carries cameras, radar, and sensors that have to be calibrated after a collision, and the procedures change faster than most shops can keep up with. Seeing it demonstrated in person beats reading a service bulletin cold.
Time away from your business must deliver real value, said Tom Gattuso, vice president of events for SEMA.
A New Film and Restyling Conference Joins the Lineup
For the first time, the Auto Film Mastery Conference lands at the show. It is a one-day event built for window tinters, paint protection film installers, detailers, and other restyling professionals, held Monday, Nov. 2 in the North Hall, one day before the show floor opens. Paint protection film and tint work have crossed over into a lot of collision shops as added services, so a dedicated day on technique and business practice fills a real gap.
Attendees can build a custom schedule and register for the paid sessions through the Show Planner tool. The free sessions reward showing up early, since seats go fast once the doors open.
Why This Matters for the Shop That Fixes Your Car
Trade shows like SEMA are not a vacation for the people who do this work right. They are where technicians log the training that keeps a shop current on ADAS calibration, OEM repair procedures, and the structural realities of newer vehicles. When a shop sends its people to sit in I-CAR and SCRS sessions, that investment shows up later in the quality of the repair on your car, whether the job gets documented correctly and whether those safety systems actually work when you need them.
That ongoing education is a big part of how a shop earns and keeps its OEM certifications, and it is one of the things you are really paying for when you choose a shop with a proven track record. If your vehicle needs collision work, you can start an estimate with AW Collision and have it handled by people who stay current on exactly this kind of training.
Read the original story.