SEMA News - October 2009

Industry Celebrates New Hall of Famers, Board Members

		Past, present and future Chairmen of the Board Jim Cozzie, Paul “Scooter” Brothers, Mitch Williams, Rick Rollins and Corky Coker gathered at the SEMA Installation Banquet.

More than 500 members of the industry attended the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser in Pasadena, California, August 1, to honor 2009 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees Bill Perry, Rolan “Jeep” Worthan and Henry “Smokey” Yunick and to raise money for children’s charities Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. They also came to thank members for their service on the SEMA Board of Directors as well as welcome new members to the Board.

The event kicked off at 8:00 a.m. with the SEMA State of the Association presentation, the annual meeting open to all members to hear about and discuss the association’s direction.

The doors to the first-ever SEMA Show ‘N Shine car show opened at 9:00 a.m., with Chip Foose serving as Grand Marshal and signing autographs.

With the car show underway, SEMA’s Street Performance Council (SPC) opened the third annual Internet Symposium, which featured eight seminars presented by the SPC that focused on harnessing the power of the Internet to help specialty-equipment businesses grow. Topics ranged from the fundamentals of online marketing and improving product data standards for better distribution to using video to promote products and creating a savvy Internet marketing budget.

eBay’s Dora Fang, Henry Robinson and Famous Rhodes with Joe Sebergandio from Motor Media.											Alex Xydias and Ed Iskenderian attract fans wherever they go.

	Prior to the Gala Mitch Williams dethroned Jim Cozzie in the Pinewood Unlimited Class.

As the Pinewood Drag Races ramped up to its thrilling conclusion, the Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser evening program kicked off at 6:30 p.m. with a silent auction for more than 100 Pinewood drag race cars signed by various industry and entertainment icons.

Emcee Dave McClelland hosted the ceremonies honoring SEMA Hall of Fame inductees as well as incoming and outgoing Board members. The program also featured remarks from new Chairman Rick Rollins and SEMA Cares Committee Chairman Joel Ayres.

The fundraising for Childhelp and Victory Junction didn’t stop at just the Pinewood auction and Gala. Additional donors stepped up later in the evening to take up Joel Ayres on his pledge to shave his head if certain donation criteria were met. By the end of the evening, Ayres, his wife Cindy, SEMA Board member and Show ‘N Shine organizer Mike Spagnola and SEMA Vice President of Communications and Events Peter MacGillivray all ended up on the business end of hair clippers in support of the children’s charities.

SEMA thanks all for their extraordinary volunteer efforts and encourages all who would like to volunteer for next year’s event to contact Special Events Administrator Lisa Moreno.

Jeep Worthan joined Bill Perry and Smokey Yunick as Hall of Fame inductees.

Newly installed SEMA Chairman Rick Rollins.

The SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser is the setting where SEMA-member companies contribute to two particularly worthy causes: Childhelp and the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

SEMA Chairman Rick Rollins and SEMA CEO Chris Kersting welcome Chair-elect Paul “Scooter” Brothers.

George Barris and Linda Vaughn.

Cathy Perry and family pay tribute to Hall of Fame inductee Bill Perry.

SEMA Immediate Past Chairman Jim Cozzie.

Trish Yunick Brown remembered her father, Smokey, who was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.

More than 100 Pinewood drag race cars were signed by industry icons for the silent auction.

SEMA Cares Chairman Joel Ayres makes good on his fundraising promise.