SEMA News

During the 2011 SEMA Show, the Young Executives Network (YEN) initiated a new program. The SEMA Show YEN Scholarship Program brought three young professionals to the annual trade show through a program aimed to help fund individuals’ travel expenses. The “scholarship” was made available to only SEMA- and YEN-member company employees who were under the age of 40. Participants were asked to participate in specific Show events (the Industry Awards Banquet, the YEN reception, educational seminars, etc.) as part of their obligation to SEMA and their employers.

Julia Johnson is a woman after my own heart and one of many trailblazers and difference makers in our industry. She always loved cars but was kind of intimidated by them, so she put her interest aside until she received a class schedule from Skyline College of San Bruno, California. Intrigued, she enrolled in the automotive aftermarket program there, received enthusiastic support from her teachers because of her passion for the industry and is now an instructor for the program herself. Her mission is to let women know that they’re equally as capable as men in the automotive industry and that a car’s inner workings aren’t as complicated as they seem.

If you’ve read previous Street Performance Council (SPC) articles in SEMA Member News or happened to overhear conversations about SEMA volunteer work, you know that collaboration between the various SEMA councils is an important goal and objective of Tyler Tanaka as incoming chairman. This has also been an initiative of SEMA Chairman of the Board Paul “Scooter” Brothers, and Tanaka was pleased to report that the SPC Select Committee answered that challenge with the first joint SPC/Young Executives Network (YEN) council reception at the 2011 SEMA Show.

In 2011, the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) continued its efforts to advance the restyling and customization segment of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. To better understand and appreciate some of the ways in which PRO worked to benefit the industry, take a look at the accompanying pictorial year in review.

The Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) held its annual Hall of Fame induction at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, during an 8:00 a.m. breakfast ceremony on Friday, December 2, 2011. Based on an overflow crowd at the inaugural event in 2010, the 2011 ceremony was moved to a larger venue.

The third edition of the LTAA New-Product Showcase will take place August 3–5, 2012, at the Carlisle Truck Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Showcase provides LTAA-member manufacturers with the opportunity to display their latest light-truck product(s) in front of one of the largest gatherings of truck enthusiasts in the country.

Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) companies are among the leaders in being actively involved in legislation and regulations related to the automotive industry. The best way to get involved is to stay informed about legislation in the state you live in. The SEMA Action Network (SAN) provides up-to-date information on legislation impacting the industry and the automotive hobby. The SAN is a partnership of enthusiasts, vehicle clubs and members of the automotive specialty-equipment industry who have joined forces to promote hobby-friendly legislation and oppose unfair laws.

For several years, the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) has participated in the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show in Indianapolis by presenting two education seminars on Saturday morning of the event. Owing to the success and growing attendance at these seminars, Travis Weeks, producer/publisher of Hotrod & Restoration, asked ARMO to “double up” and present four seminars.

For SEMA’s Wheel and Tire Council (WTC), 2011 was a year marked by change and fueled by opportunity. In February, the council hosted an interactive conference in conjunction with its annual Long-Range Planning meeting at the SEMA offices in Diamond Bar, California. Learn & Show, as it was called, provided manufacturers with the opportunity to showcase their products to a local audience comprised of retailers, wholesale distributors and media.