SCRS booth invites SEMA attendees to compete for ‘best welder’ and ‘best refinisher’

SEMA Show attendees are once again asked to compete in a virtual reality welding and refinishing competition to win prizes for their favorite automotive trade school at the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) booth this week. 

From Tuesday through Friday, visitors at the SCRS booth can take part in a fully immersive welding and refinishing competition powered by Skillveri’s virtual and mixed-reality training technology. The booth is located in the Upper South Hall, Booth #31147. 

The competition will sort out the “best of the best” daily from 9:30–11:30 a.m. and 1–4:30 p.m. Winners will be announced via SCRS’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages Friday afternoon. 

No pre-registration is needed, and it is open to students, instructors, and repair professionals. Participants can visit the SCRS booth during competition hours to compete in either the welding category, refinishing category, or both. 

Attendees will compete for the titles of “Best Welder” and “Best Refinisher.” Finalists will receive a Full Series Pass to the 2027 SCRS Repairer Driven Education program at the SEMA Show.

Each winner will also select a U.S.-based automotive trade school to receive an equipment and training package made possible by Skillveri, Southern California Collision Equipment, Milwaukee Tool, and CAR-O-LINER. 

• • First Place Welding and Refinishing Finalists: Their selected school will receive a complete Skillveri virtual and mixed-reality training system, including a lifetime software license, VR headset, specialized welding or spray painting equipment, laptop, and supporting hardware.
  • Second Place Welding Finalist: Their selected school will receive a Goliath Carts Weld Test Cart and Bench Mount Combo for welding.
  • Second Place Refinish Finalists: Their selected school will receive a Goliath Carts Painters Toolbox.
  • Third Place Finalists: Their selected schools will receive an extensive Milwaukee Tool equipment package featuring M12 and M18 FUEL cordless power tools, impact wrenches, ratchets, sanders, grinders, lighting, and specialty automotive repair equipment. The collection also includes extensive socket, wrench, and hand tool sets, along with a modular PACKOUT storage and organization system.
  • Third Place Tie: CAR-O-LINER has provided a WEL32 MIG-MAG welding machine. If no third-place tie occurs, the welding machine will be added to the first-place welding award.

Full contest rules are here. 

SCRS also recently announced that members now have flexible access to the Skillveri Chroma through an exclusive rental program.

The member benefit lets SCRS collision repair businesses evaluate new hires, run short-term training workshops, and build technician skills without the cost, mess, or material waste of live paint, an SCRS press release states.

Next door to the SCRS booth, Spanesi is also giving away $40,000 in prizes at Booth #31173. 

Collision repair professionals visiting Spanesi Booth Nov. 3–6 can explore equipment and participate in an interactive experience focused on improving repair workflows and productivity, a Spanesi press release states. 

“Spanesi Collision Course transforms a traditional booth visit into a hands-on experience where attendees can explore equipment, discover practical ways to improve repair processes in their own shops, and unlock prizes along the way,” according to the release. 

Attendees scan a QR code on the show floor or at the booth to register. They then explore stations throughout the booth featuring measuring, structural repair, refinishing, and more. 

“As participants visit stations, they’ll unlock a spin on a prize wheel featuring tools, industry-related gift cards, Spanesi merch, and other prizes,” the release states. 

Participants who complete all stations qualify for six prize drawings, and one winner will receive a Touch V6 Portable measuring system valued at more than $40,000. Five additional winners will each receive $1,000 in Spanesi equipment credits. Winners will be selected in on-site drawings on Friday.

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Photo courtesy of SCRS