Behind the UK's Biggest Garage Events: A Conversation with Joanne Knowles, Messe Frankfurt UK

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 Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. #automotiveindustry #podcast #interview #ontheramp #independentgarage