GSF Car Parts’ 2025 series of Techfest trade events came to a conclusion at Wembley Stadium last night (18 September) at a packed out homecoming show featuring 82 exhibitors, with over 5000 techs and garage owners keen to find out about the latest developments in the sector.
The company promises “at least” three Techfests for 2026, with an additional series of smaller events also hinted at by the ever-burgeoning business.
Techfest started at Wembley in June 2024 as a standalone event, before being spun out into a series of regional shows. Following successful outings in Manchester and Coventry through summer 2025, major names taking part at the Techfest Wembley show included WAI, Sealey, UFI, Lucas, ISN, Launch Tech UK, JRP Distribution, Febi Bilstein, TOPDON, Carwood, GYS , Valeo, NOCO, Lesjofors and many more.
Alongside exhibitors, visitors could enjoy free food and drink, and had an opportunity to ogle a mix of classic vehicles and modern supercars. They were also able to dip into the seminar programmes.
The main stage fielded the likes of IAAF Technical Director Neil Pattemore, and racing driver Steve ‘Baggsy’ Biagioni, while a raft of big names offered up insight as part of the TechTalks Studio. Brembo, BGA, 3D Group, Yuasa, A2A Exhausts and Bosch all appeared here.
Practical insights
So, what did visitors discover as they made their way around the one-night-only automotive wonderland? Schaeffler fielded output from across the LUK, INA and FAG brands as well as the recently added Vitesco brand, which brings control units into the mix.
Commenting on the value of being at the show, Schaeffler REPXPERT Technical Services Manager Alistair Mason said: “We want to talk about current products and current problems garages are seeing, which is the way we learn. We also want to show them what’s coming and what repairs they might be seeing in the future.”
BM Catalysts was there to showcase its ever-expanding range of products, and Commercial Director Mark Blinston said he is a big fan of the Techfest format: “It’s a great opportunity to meet customers in person. They can see our products up close, and we are also able to encourage them to sign up for our Garage Pro training portal and Rewards Pro loyalty programme.”
For Delphi, the focus on the product front was the brand’s braking range, while its diagnostics offering was also put in the spotlight. Visitors to the company’s stand also benefitted from access to deals on the company’s braking training syllabus, as well as exclusive discounts on its diagnostic tools, and Delphi pads and discs. If that’s not enough, there was also a competition to win a Delphi F1 Alpine dual-branded coffee machine.
“Events like Techfest are a fantastic opportunity to share practical insights with
workshops and support them in staying ahead of the latest vehicle technologies,” said Luke Garratt, UK Technical Services Manager at Delphi. He also featured in the TechTalk presentation programme, where he looked at braking technology and noise prevention, as well as Delphi’s diagnostic fixes here.
For First Line, the show enabled the company to put hot items from its very wide product portfolio on display.”We have 65 product groups and 50,000 part numbers,” said Key Account Manager Grant Anderson. Among examples on show was a newly introduced Audi DCT clutch for models from 2014 onwards. “We are one of the first in the aftermarket to be supplying this,” Anderson observed.
HELLA and Hella Gutmann were going all-out at the show, with examples from across the offering. “We are promoting our lighting, electronics, filtration, diagnostics and ADAS ranges,” said MD Neil Grant. With GSF Car Parts becoming the exclusive distributor of HELLA wiper blades in August, it was also an opportunity to show off this product line too. “We’ve got a lot on display, and we’re very excited to be able to showcase it.”
Over at the NGK stand, the company was looking to engage garages, with its full NGK and NTK ranges on display. Key Accounts Manager for UK & Ireland Simon Robson commented: “This is an opportunity for garage owners and mechanics to feel and touch and see the quality we offer.”
They were also running a ‘guess the number of spark plugs in the box’ competition. “It’s great to engage with this volume of garages in such a short timeframe,” Robson added.
On the consumables side, National Refrigerants were reminding visitors about the latest developments on the A/C side. “We are promoting the 10 kilo R-1234yf cylinder,” said Sales Manager Mark Appleyard.
“Historically we have only supplied it in five kilo containers, so that’s big news.” On how the show was going, he said: “We’ve had a lot of people enquiring about the transition from the old R134a gas, so that’s been great.”
Turning to equipment, for Ring and OSRAM, the Wembley show was a chance to speak to mechanics and garage owners from London and across the south east, after having taken the same opportunity for those in the north and midlands the two previous 2025 shows.
Kit on show included all-new OSRAM torches, as well as the brand’s 3-in-1 inspection lamp its newest performance bulbs. For Ring’s the focus was on its Core Consumables range, as well as its ever-popular MAGflex Inspection lamps.
Online presence
Businesses looking to boost their digital presence have the chance to chat with Garage Services Online. “We’ve been guiding garage owners on how to manage their online presence and convert casual visitors into loyal customers,” said Garage Services Online MD Jim Lang.
Also on the digital side, TechMan were keen to show off what their garage management system can offer businesses. “GSF Techfest is an amazing opportunity to connect with our customers and showcase our new products, “said Sales Director Leo Freebairn. “We get to actually see our customers in person. Everything is done over video calls these days, but nothing beats meeting in real life. We’ve been showcasing our newest integrations, giving visitors a chance to see first-hand how TechMan supports workshops in managing their business seamlessly.”
On how they have found Techfest, Freebairn noted. “We have done all three events this year, and they have all been really well organised, but Wembley has been the icing on the cake.”
Interactive
Beyond parts and equipment, a number of businesses that support the sector were also represented. Commenting on the show, overseas staffing specialists Easy2Recruit founder Ambi Singh said: “They’ve broken records here today. We’ve been to so many exhibitions, and this is packed. The vibe is great. This is such an amazing event, and it’s such a relaxed atmosphere. Other events feel a bit corporate, but this show goes straight to the heart of the garage owner.”
With information and entertainment, food and drink and giveaways a-plenty, GSF CEO Steve Horne said they have found a winning trade show formula: “This is something different from what the industry has seen before. It's much more interactive. What I'm really pleased about is that our customers brought their families with them. They were able to enjoy free food, free drink and invaluable interaction with the suppliers, all from GSF Car Parts.”
With Techfest now an established feature in the industry calendar, Horne confirmed that it will return for 2026: “We will be holding at least three shows in 2026,” he said.
The concept could also be expanding: “I'd like to develop a smaller format that we can take to places that haven't really benefited this year; we're working on that now.” Watch this space.
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