The Future of Specialty Equipment 2012 and Beyond

	Gregory Boutte, vice president of eBay Motors, led a panel discussion entitled, "From the Desktop to the Pocket: The Future of Internet Information," at the 2010 SEMA Show.

Consumers are increasingly changing the way they shop, adopting new technologies to help them learn about and purchase the products in which they are interested. Today’s unique economy is increasingly affecting business decisions and outcomes. Staying ahead of these trends and recognizing the opportunities they provide as well as the challenges they pose are key to business success.

This year’s keynote panel discussion at the 2011 SEMA Show, “The Future of Specialty Equipment 2012 and Beyond,” led by moderator Famous Rhodes, senior director of eBay Motors, will bring together a wide variety of industry experts who will share their unique insights into the trends that will define the future of the specialty-equipment industry. The panel discussion led by Rhodes will include Dr. Timothy Nash of Northwood University, Caroline Jacobini of Google, Bryan Murphy of WHI Solutions and Glenn Rogers of Cardomain Network.

As senior director of the Internet’s largest marketplace for buying and selling all things automotive, Rhodes leads the entire eBay Motors business unit. In the second quarter of 2011, the worldwide gross merchandise volume for the Parts and Accessories category was approximately $1.6 billion. A part or accessory is sold every second on eBay Motors—more than 226 million parts and accessories transactions have taken place on eBay Motors to date.

The keynote panelists will provide further insights into the top trends affecting the specialty-equipment industry. The Internet is constantly evolving and is increasingly used as a critical research and shopping tool for auto buyers. J.D. Power and Associates research in 2010 found that 77% of U.S. new-vehicle buyers and 68% of used-vehicle buyers accessed the Internet during their research process.

If the Internet is evolving, then mobile sales and marketing are accelerating at a furious pace. There is a huge opportunity for auto companies to leverage mobile to connect with consumers researching and considering auto purchases. In fact, comScore reports that 21% of users accessed this content almost every day, with 31% accessing auto content once per week and 48% accessing this content one to three times per month. Further data from Gartner projects that the worldwide market for mobile advertising will have doubled from $1.6 billion in 2010 to $3.3 billion in 2011.

The keynote presentation will give information on trends that will affect the aftermarket in the future and provide ideas on how to adapt to an ever-evolving consumer landscape. Don’t miss this insightful discussion, Monday, October 31, from 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. at the Las Vegas Hilton, Pavilion 1.

To view the entire SEMA Education Program, visit www.SEMAShow.com/Education.