BTC News

The SEMA Board of Directors recently approved a motion to decrease the size of the Board. The initiative reflects their consensus that a smaller Board would improve the quality of discussion and reduce cost, and is now being voted upon by SEMA’s entire membership.

Among the more than 2,000 companies that will be exhibiting at the 2011 SEMA Show are 528 first-time exhibitors. While the new exhibitors can be found throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center, the majority of the first-time exhibitors are from the restyling, racing & performance and truck sections of the Show.

Owners of select vehicle models may be able to have their cars or trucks featured at the 2011 SEMA Show, taking place Tuesday–Friday, November 1–4, 2011, in Las Vegas. Through the SEMA Award Contender Contest, owners of a SEMA Award contender vehicle are invited to submit a video clip highlighting the vehicle’s modifications for a chance to have the vehicle featured at the SEMA Show. Vehicle owners will also receive credentials and amenities to attend the annual trade-only event, where they will be among the first to learn which vehicle platforms win the actual SEMA Award.

Vehicle models that are expected to have a significant presence at the 2011 SEMA Show have been named as contenders for the 2011 SEMA Award. The coveted award recognizes the industry's hottest vehicle platforms by tallying every booth vehicle at the Show, then naming the most prominent models as SEMA Award winners in four categories: Hottest Car, Hottest Truck, Hottest 4x4-SUV and Hottest Sport Compact.

After two successful years, the Opinion Leader Program will once again expand at the 2011 SEMA Show. Through the research project, some of the nation’s most active and influential automotive enthusiasts are called upon to help industry professionals identify future trends by attending the show and providing firsthand feedback on the products and vehicles debuting at the SEMA Show.

SEMA Show exhibitors will identify the hottest vehicle platforms during the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The winning models will be presented with the coveted SEMA Award in four categories: Hottest Car, Hottest Truck, Hottest 4x4-SUV, and - for the first time - Hottest Sport Compact.

SEMA is providing 68 individuals with a total of $112,000 through the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. Established to support and foster leadership opportunities in the automotive specialty-equipment marketplace, the fund awards grants to eligible applicants who are pursuing careers in the automotive specialty equipment market based on academic achievements, work experience, essay content, recommendations and more.

With nearly 2,000 manufacturing companies exhibiting at the SEMA Show each year, buyers from throughout the world look to the annual event to see and learn about new products and trends in the automotive accessories market. Recognizing the importance and value that international buyers have at the SEMA Show, organizers have expanded the list of resources that cater specifically to professionals from outside the United States.

A new certification program, available through the California State University San Bernardino, is available to help business owners and professionals increase their knowledge and proficiency of the automotive aftermarket. Endorsed by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the program consists of four unique online courses, all designed specifically for business owners and managers in the automotive aftermarket.

To accommodate the growing number of manufacturers signing up for the 2011 SEMA Show, organizers have created a new area within the Show floor called the First-Time and Featured Exhibitors Section. The area will be located adjacent to key Show features and is expected to have a constant stream of buyer traffic throughout the four days of the SEMA Show.

Today's automotive consumers increasingly rely on their mobile devices to make purchases and do product research. To help automotive professionals understand the opportunities this trend presents, Steve Yankovich, eBay vice president of mobile, will discuss the growing impact of mobile as a medium for automotive customers at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Business Technology Symposium. The event will take place at 10 a.m. on July 27 at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, Calif.

SEMA Show organizers recently launched a redesigned website at www.SEMAShow.com, the site's first major overhaul in almost 10 years. The site's enhanced online tools, user-friendly navigation and virtual maps make it easy for those participating in the 2011 SEMA Show to register and plan for the event.

SEMA members and professionals in the automotive specialty equipment market now have access to more than 200 business courses through the recently revamped SEMA Educational Institute (SEI) eLearning Center. Available at www.sema.org/elearning, the online business resource gives users solutions to many of today's biggest challenges.

Recognizing that technology is a crucial element in many industries, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is helping automotive businesses understand the trends and opportunities at the Business Technology Symposium on July 27, 2011 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, Calif. 

Nate Shelton of B&M Automotive Group has been elected chairman-elect of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and will join five newly elected Board members to help lead the association in the 2011–2012 term. Shelton will fill the position that was held for the past two years by Scooter Brothers of Comp Performance Group. Brothers begins serving his role as Chairman at the association’s summer board meeting in July. The newly elected Board volunteers include Tim Martin of K&N Engineering; Steve Wolcott of ProMedia LLC; Jim Chick of Bestop Inc.; J.R. Moore of Performance Warehouse; and Greg Adler of Transamerican Auto Parts.

Upgrades to the 2011 SEMA Show New Products Showcase will result in a bigger and more comprehensive display, with a component for "Featured Products," greater product promotion through both traditional and social media outlets, and a new, larger area in the upper level of South Hall. Along with other aspects of the 2011 SEMA Show, the Showcase also will be referred to and themed as "Ideas Alive." The concept references the SEMA Show's history and ability to bring ideas for new products to life.

With hundreds of SEMA Show exhibitors offering products for the powersports market, SEMA Show organizers are expanding the Powersports & Utility Vehicle section of the 2011 event. Through manufacturer kiosks that will be placed in the Powersports & Utility Vehicle section, exhibitors with booths in one of the Show's 11 other sections will be able to increase awareness, market their products and effectively reach powersports buyers in the most logical and appropriate area of the Show.

Hundreds of leaders and professionals from the SEMA industry will gather to honor noteworthy icons and volunteers during the 2011 SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser on Friday, July 29, at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California. The annual event serves as the industry's premier celebration where newly elected Board of Directors are sworn in and SEMA Hall of Fame inductees are introduced for the first time.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is working with the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP), U.S. Chamber of Commerce, labor organizations, large employers, and small businesses to support legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate to help shut down rogue websites that sell counterfeit goods.   Entitled the "Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act" (PROTECT IP), the bill would authorize the Justice Department to obtain court orders requiring search engines in the United States to stop displaying links to domain names.

The growing collision repair section of the 2011 SEMA Show is now branded "Collision Repair and Refinish." The area will be one of 12 floor sections featured at the 2011 SEMA Show, Tuesday - Friday, November 1-4, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman, Chris Economaki and John Towle will be inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame, an honor that recognizes an elite group of individuals for raising the stature or growth of the automotive specialty-equipment industry.

A number of prominent organizations have formed the "Save the Salt Coalition" to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF) from continued deterioration due to salt brine removal from potash mining.  The Coalition is now working with government officials, mine operators and others to develop a permanent program to replenish the salt.

Washington joined the growing list of states to enact SEMA model legislation to amend the vehicle titling and registration classification for street rods and create a classification for custom vehicles.. The bill was approved by the Washington State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire.  Under the new law, a street rod is defined as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 30 years old and manufactured after 1948.  Importantly, kit cars and replica vehicles will be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. 

After Congress acted last week to repeal the costly 1099 reporting requirement included in last year's health care law, President Obama today signed the legislation into law.  SEMA congratulates Congress and the President for acting to eliminate this burdensome requirement. Through this bipartisan agreement, small business owners can continue to focus on economic growth and revitalization.