Shaping the future at IBIS Global Summit 2025

- July 21, 2025
- Posted by: Louise Cooke
- Categories: IBIS News, IBIS Newsletter
The 2025 IBIS Global Summit wrapped up in Istanbul last week after delivering three days of high-level conference content and networking to mark another landmark moment for the international collision repair community.
Held on 24-26 June at the swish Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul in Turkey, IBIS Worldwide hosted senior executives and business owners from the worlds of body repair, software and technology, insurance, vehicle manufacturing, and the supply chain, who came from as far afield as Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, as well as Europe.
No fewer than 29 countries were represented on stage and in the audience, which had gathered to do business and share in the wonderful IBIS Global Summit experience.
IBIS conference director Robert Snook said: “It is impossible to describe the feeling when you see many months of teamwork and collaboration with the venue, partners, ambassadors and speakers culminate in such an inspiring, immersive and truly global IBIS experience for our guests.
“From the moment they checked in to the Swissotel, when the welcome reception arrival literally took their breath away, through every insightful speaker or session, in their personal Moments That Mattered and at the gorgeous Sultan Park International dinner, the 2025 Global Summit was an IBIS classic that will live long in the memory, and be spoken of by the smiling faces of those who were present, for years to come.
“The IBIS team delivered something truly special, an experience that returned to the core DNA of IBIS and reminded everyone of the unique IBIS value differential and the compelling reasons to attend next time,” he added.
The 2025 event opened with a rooftop welcome drinks reception and dinner, in collaboration with Axalta, which offered spectacular views across the Istanbul skyline and the beautiful Bosphorus Strait. This vibrant setting proved to be the perfect icebreaker, offering delegates the opportunity to reconnect and build new relationships while enjoying world-class hospitality, exquisite cuisine, and five-star service throughout their stay.
Centred around the 2025 IBIS theme – “Shaping the Future: Leadership Through Collaboration” – the IBIS Global Summit advanced IBIS Worldwide’s legacy of strategic collaboration, innovation and networking, and building relationships within the industry.
Delegates enjoyed a range of presentations and expert panels across the two days of the conference itself, which provided attendees with insights into the most pressing challenges and transformative ideas with topics such as AI integration, global politics and the economic fallout, insurability, repairability, technology, and sustainability.
One highlight was a talk by the renowned broadcaster, marine biologist and former Royal Marine Commando officer Monty Halls, who spoke about leadership and how to develop elite performance by pushing boundaries and embracing failure. He captured the attention of the whole room, drawing on his personal experiences of leading teams in extreme environments, while highlighting the importance of structure and trust within organisations.
This and other presentations on the IBIS Global Summit stage encouraged open conversations in the networking breaks along with some bold thinking which reinforced the conference’s core message of progress.
Another key highlight, introduced for the first time at this year’s IBIS Global Summit, was the “Moments that Mattered” feature – a summary session in which audience members joined summit moderators Snook and Dave Smith on stage to discuss their own key takeaways and valuable moments from the speakers and panels. This helped to bring clarity on the trends, strategies, innovations and ideas for delegates to take away and apply in their own businesses.
Attendees praised the event for its rich content and high-value networking opportunities. Jason Trewin from I-CAR Australia said: “What a fantastic opportunity to be here and to be involved in such an amazing event, to collaborate with like-minded individuals and to see where the industry is moving towards the future”.
In between sessions, guests were encouraged to explore the Innovation Lounge where IBIS partners showcased the latest in collision repair technology, training platforms and sustainability efforts, turning vision into action.
As the summit drew to a close for another year, IBIS reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the global bodyshop and repair community through its international outreach, practical solutions and innovation dialogue. The organisation continues to build on its legacy of bringing passionate people together to drive meaningful change, both regionally and globally.
None of this would have been possible without the support of IBIS’s valued partners and sponsors, whose ongoing collaboration enables the summit to flourish year after year. Platinum Partners: 3M, Axalta, Betag, Repairify; Gold Partners: AkzoNobel, BASF, Car-O-Liner, Entegral, Getac, I-CAR, PPG, RS Automotive, SATA, Thatcham Research; Silver Partners: Advantage Parts Solutions, CARSTAR, CSN Collision, DAT, DeVilbiss, KapciCoatings, Plasnomic.
With another successful Global Summit under its belt, IBIS and the collision repair community now turn their attention to the future. While IBIS Global Summit remains the must-attend gathering for anyone who is serious about influencing the global collision repair industry, there is much still to experience on the IBIS calendar of international conferences in 2025.
Next up is IBIS Iberia in Ávila, Spain (15-16 September), followed by IBIS@ CSN Italia (16-17 October), IBIS France in Poitiers (17-18 November), and IBIS@ Automechanika Dubai (9-12 December).
Please visit the IBIS Worldwide website to find out more about these events and what’s coming up in 2026: https://ibisworldwide.com/