The MPMC Media Trade Conference has been a consistent leader in event ROI since the first one in 1998. Changing landscapes in the way manufacturers do business, and the channels through which media delivers content, pose challenges to the ongoing success of such an event.  As more and more prominent brands fall under larger corporate umbrellas or sometimes disappear, exhibitor regulations as to who is eligible must be adjusted. As the number of print publications declines, so too event planners must look to bring new media outlets to the event.

The sudden cancellation of 19 of 22 print publication by TEN last December brought the conversation about declining print media into reality in a very big way. While such an announcement could have easily caught other groups by surprise, luckily the MPMC select committee volunteers and SEMA Staff had been working towards securing “new” media outlets for a few years already. “Timing is everything” or so they say. The marketing firm DriveShop and SEMA staff successfully recruited 18 social media influencers to the January event. Many exhibiting manufacturers got their first exposure to influencers, and vice-versa. Satisfaction surveys and anecdotal feedback indicate that both sides are enthusiastic about working together.

SEMA Staff, the MPMC select committee and even the SEMA Board of Directors are already strategizing for the 2021 Conference and beyond.  As landscapes across the aftermarket and media industries continue to change, rest assured the Media Trade Conference will continue to offer unique opportunities for relationship building between manufacturer and media.