YEN at the 2014 SEMA Show

SEMA Member News—January/February 2015

YEN at the 2014 SEMA Show

Joint Reception With ETTN

	Jim Liaw (third from left) and his Formula Drift organization were presented with the 2014 YEN Vanguard award in recognition of their contributions to the future of motorsports.

The Young Executives Network (YEN) hosted a joint networking reception with the Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) on Tuesday, November 4, at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The event featured casino tables, specific areas showcasing emerging technologies, an awards ceremony and refreshments. Two of YEN’s annual awards were also presented at the event.

Vanguard Award

The YEN Vanguard award is presented to an individual, business, organization or sanctioning body that has had a positive effect on a young executive’s career within the automotive industry. The 2014 Vanguard award was presented to Jim Liaw of Formula Drift.

This nomination was for both Liaw and his company. Formula Drift has played a critical role in engaging young enthusiasts in the performance industry that no other motorsport has been able to achieve over the last decade. Formula D packs the stands with fans at every event—virtually all of them under the age of 40—and the company also supports an entire field of competitors whose machinery ranges from imports to American muscle.

The Formula D staff is almost entirely composed of young people, and the series is designed to let privateers compete toe to toe with corporate teams backed by Ford, Monster, Red Bull and others. These eclectic fields show the audience that anyone can win. The hope and promotion of the industry displayed by Formula D with the next generation of enthusiasts is why the organization deserved the award.

Young Executive of the Year

	The 2014 Young Executive of the Year is Lindsay Hubley (second from left) of Family Events, shown here with SEMA Senior Manager of Networks Bryan Harrison (left), YEN Chair Dan Kahn and Chair-Elect John Rosanbalm (right).

The YEN Young Executive of the Year award is presented to an individual who has had a positive impact on the industry. The Young Executive of the Year for 2014 is Lindsay Hubley of Family Events.

Hubley not only put forth tremendous effort on behalf of YEN, organizing and driving the 2013 Launch Pad event and running the 2014 YEN Power Tour program, but she also epitomizes the ideal YEN member. She is a young businessperson who has earned the respect of the industry and her peers through hard work and determination. She deserved the award because of her tireless efforts on behalf of YEN, including chairing multiple task forces while also sitting on the board of the Off-Road Business Association and helping to run Family Events. She is a go-getter with a great attitude, volunteering her time in the best interests of SEMA and YEN members.

Launch Pad

The second annual SEMA Launch Pad business competition offered innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs under the age of 40 an industry platform to showcase their business. The grand-prize winner received a prize package to help take his business to the next level, including a booth at next year’s SEMA Show to formally introduce his product to the industry.

Five finalists pitched their businesses to industry leaders at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and, after a very tight competition, the judges selected Ian Lehn for his BOOSTane racing-fuel octane additive. Look for his debut as an exhibitor at the 2015 Show.