SEMA Member News—July/August 2013
MEMBER NEWS
MPMC Education Day at PRI
| |
“Many of the industry’s most recognizable manufacturers will offer face-to-face workshops on installations, new products, marketing, selling techniques and tips for running a business serving the high-performance industry,” said MPMC Chairman Vic Wood of Hedman. “Not only does this event provide an unparalleled educational experience, but it also allows attendees the opportunity to network and build relationships with industry leaders and peers. “
Original plans called for implementing Education Day in 2014. But after some brief discussions, PRI Vice President/General Manager John Kilroy and his management team decided there was no need to wait a year.
“We’re thrilled that PRI saw enough value in this program to move forward for 2013,” Wood said. “We’re starting small, with only 15 companies for this first year. Even though it’s a proven template in the hot rod segment, it will be something new for our MPMC members. I’m certain that we’ll grow it rapidly once it catches on, just like HRIA did theirs.”
A series of e-blasts and e-mails were sent to all MPMC-member companies advising them of the date and time when a link would be sent for online registration. The first 15 “qualified” registrations received on that day represented the 15 companies that would participate in the 2013 MPMC Education Day at PRI. In addition to being an MPMC member, any company producing a seminar must also be exhibiting at the PRI Show. (The final list of presenting companies was not available at press time. Consult SEMA eNews or the MPMC webpage for more details.)
“I have participated in Education Day seminars with my previous company,” said MPMC Chair-Elect Rich Barsamian of GT Products. “I always regarded it as one of the best values available to a manufacturer. We have an audience of buyers, installers and, in the case of PRI, race teams—the very folks who use the products we all make. That face-to-face time for an uninterrupted hour is worth way more than the cost to produce the seminar. I’m sure this program will expand well beyond these initial 15 companies.”
MPMC Education Day will take place Wednesday, December 11, the day before the Trade Show opens, in the Indianapolis Convention Center. Three sessions run concurrently during five, one-hour time slots. Sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. The sessions are free to trade show attendees, who may register online through the MPMC web pages beginning sometime in August. Registration details will be released in SEMA eNews.
“This schedule allows attendees time to get some breakfast and coffee before the first session,” said Wood. “It also gets them out early enough at the end of the day to freshen up before dinner and get some business done.”
Other MPMC Happenings at PRI
The MPMC Hall of Fame Breakfast returns to the PRI Show on Friday, December 13, from 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
“It’s an early call,” allowed Wood. “But most folks don’t seem to mind. The industry comes together to not only honor the Hall of Fame inductees but to also share a bit of breakfast and coffee with each other before another day on the trade show floor. Ours is a very close-knit community, and many of our members have long histories together. It only lasts an hour, but between the Hall of Fame ceremony and the networking with old friends, this is one of my favorite hours of the entire year.”
Thursday afternoon, December 12, MPMC will once again host a panel of industry leaders to discuss business opportunities in the racing and high-performance industry. Past discussions have focused on opportunities in engine building and working with alternative fuels and power adders.
Details and sign-up will be available on the MPMC webpage at www.sema.org/mpmc sometime in August 2013.