Each year, iFLEX provides a space for quick maintenance and oil change providers to come together and share strategies that can benefit everyone. As one of the industry’s largest events, iFLEX is continually looking to up its game and bring attendees insight into cutting edge trends—and this year will be no different.
Held each year in conjunction with The Car Wash Show, iFLEX 2025 is taking place in Nevada at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 26-28. PAMA Executive Director Christina Bauders and Deputy Executive Director David Murillo shared what NOLN readers can look forward to seeing at this year’s event.
Beginning with a Bang
The night before iFLEX kicks off is PAMA’s annual President’s Reception, which will be held on April 25 at Brew Dog. Located right on the Las Vegas Strip, the festivities will take place on the venue’s renowned rooftop, offering fantastic views of the city.
“We'll be able to mingle with all of our members and vendors, which is a really popular event that we have every year,” says Bauders. “This venue’s big thing is, obviously, they have a rooftop bar that overlooks the Strip, which is going to be really unique and different for our attendees this year.”
Hit the Ground Running
The next morning will begin with the Membership Breakfast, providing an opportunity for attendees to connect, followed by a panel discussion on hot topics in the quick maintenance and oil change space. Industry professionals will talk about some of the latest trends in preventative maintenance, in addition to engaging with audience members, who can ask questions or share obstacles they’re facing.
“There’s a lot of audience engagement, where people can ask questions about challenges that they have, and they can walk through maybe some solutions or just share experiences,” says Bauders. “And so people tend to really like that as well.”
iFLEX is set to have educational sessions on every aspect of the auto maintenance industry. One of the most important sections is government affairs, which Murillo says will geared toward upcoming changes in legislation and regulations that could impact the industry, such as Right to Repair.
Having recently partnered with Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies, PAMA is taking a new approach to its work and strategy in government affairs, something that will be touched on in the government affairs brief. iFLEX attendees will hear firsthand from members of Cozen on some of the initiatives PAMA is working on.
“Folks that attend there will hear firsthand from members of the Cozen team to talk about some of the initiatives that we're doing, including more active advocacy in Washington, D.C.,” says Murillo. “And we'll certainly have examples of that once we're at the show.”
There will be plenty of other opportunities for attendees to gain industry insight, with PAMA’s education committee planning to provide two days of programming. Several new sessions will be introduced at this year’s iFLEX, including “Financial Success for Your Auto Maintenance Shop” led by Jim Harrington of Victory Lane, who will go over strategies for managing costs, optimizing inventory, and boosting your store’s profitability.
There will also be plenty of sessions on marketing, such as “Omnichannel Marketing: Maximizing Your Reach in a Digital and Legacy World,” led by Jeff Tremper of Throttle. This presentation will go over how AI-driven digital platforms and legacy marketing can be used to get the most value out of advertising efforts.
Looking Forward to Your iFLEX Experience
For those new to iFLEX, don’t worry—it isn’t difficult to navigate. The iFLEX pavilion can be found within the Car Wash Show, and attendees are welcome to seek out guidance from PAMA’s info booth within the show.
“Within iFLEX, it should be fairly manageable, because we're all in the same pavilion there, within Las Vegas,” explains Murillo.
From the President’s Reception to the last session of iFLEX, those at the event are in store for a multitude of opportunities to connect with a community full of others involved in the auto service industry and gain insights for any shop to improve different areas of their operations.
“Watching those connections happen—not only existing connections, but watching the new ones that will undoubtedly develop—is always really awesome from a staff perspective to watch, because that is a key value proposition of the organization,” Murillo says.
