Ray Datt Joins the Marx Group Advisors as Vice President
Ray Datt has joined the Marx Group Advisors as vice president. In addition to continuing as the president of the strategic- and business-planning company R D & Associates. For the Marx Group Advisors, Datt, who also becomes a member the company's Advisory Board, will serve as a consultant for mergers and acquisitions in Canada and the United States. Datt is the former president of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA). Upon his retirement from AIA in 2007, Datt formed R D & Associates Inc., located in Oakville, Ontario. “Ray will bring to us extensive knowledge of our industry, particularly in the Canadian aftermarket," said Tom Marx, CEO, Marx Group Advisors. "We are pleased to have this well-respected and experienced industry leader join our team."

General Parts International Assumes Rights to Distribute to CARQUEST Stores
General Parts International Inc. (GPI) has assumed the rights to distribute to 92 independently owned CARQUEST Auto Parts stores, currently being serviced by B.W.P. Distributors Inc. (BWP). GPI now serves nearly 3,000 stores throughout the United States and Canada. Additionally, GPI will operate BWP’s former Armonk, New York, distribution center. GPI says that the transaction will enable the company to serve the independent CARQUEST Auto Parts store owners in the Northeast formerly served by BWP and expand service in that region.

Skyjacker Suspensions Announces Facilities Expansion
Skyjacker Suspensions announced that the concrete has been poured and the building is underway for the expansion of its facilities to create additional warehouse and manufacturing space. Skyjacker says that the additional 14,000 sq. ft. ensure that the company will continue to be an innovator in the suspension market offering new model applications and product lines.

Meyer Distributing Adds New Location
Meyer Distributing Inc. has added a new location in Worcester, Massachusetts. The cross-dock will have a direct feed from Meyer's East Hanover, New Jersey, distribution hub which the company says houses one of the largest inventories of automotive accessories in the nation. “The Worcester cross-dock will be a major improvement in delivery times and frequency for our 3PL customers as well as for the automotive accessory division of Meyer Distributing,” states Fred Sermersheim, Fleet Manager of Meyer Logistics. "Delivery frequency to the northeast corner of the U.S. will increase to major metropolitan centers such as Providence, Boston, Manchester, Dover, and even as far as Bangor! The new site has already been fully integrated with our distribution system and technology framework and will take service to a new level for customers in this market."

Jeff Braun, CFO of Meyer Distributing, added, “This completes our expansion plans for the Northeast. We plan to move from three deliveries per week to four in early 2013. This is a dramatic improvement as most of the customers were second-day delivery twice per week and nearly all in the Northeast will be next-day three to four times per week in just a couple months.”

Stage 8 Receives WABL Approval for Cap Screw Locking System
Stage 8 Locking Fasteners announced that it received the approval from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Wheels, Axles, Bearings & Lubrication (WABL) Committee for Stage 8’s Cap Screw Locking System. According to Stage 8, the new cap screw locking system represents the first significant improvement in roller bearing end cap locking systems in more than 55 years.

“We are very proud of this milestone,” Robert Ahern, Stage 8 Director said. “The Stage 8 Fastener Locking System is the latest of five major new products that Stage 8 has developed and is producing specifically for the railroad freight and passenger industries in a major effort to improve fastener integrity and reliability.”

	The Irwindale Event Center—formerly known as the Irwindale Speedway—announced that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season.

Oval Track Racing Returns to Irwindale Speedway for 2013
Team 211 Entertainment, the new operators of the newly renamed Irwindale Event Center (formerly Irwindale Speedway), recently announced that oval track racing will return to Irwindale. Team 211 Entertainment's President/CEO Jim Cohan stated, "We're very pleased to announce that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season." The announcement ended an 11-month period of uncertainty about oval competition at the Irwindale track.

"Our master lease with the property owners, Nu-Way Industries, has been broadened and now includes all forms of racing activities on the 6,500-seat twin oval track. We are now working very hard to put all of the pieces together to be able to run a 2013 racing season," said Cohan.

"Our company name has the word 'TEAM' in it," he pointed out. "We need everyone to understand that name is not an affectation. It's a statement of our commitment to the process of rebuilding the legacy of Irwindale Speedway."

"We've renamed the entire property 'Irwindale Event Center' to better reflect the wide range of public and private events that can be accommodated here and invite everyone to join us in what we feel will be a great new era of operation for this venue," he continued. "Corporations, businesses small and large, competitors, individual fans, everyone: you are all welcome. If you want to be a part of this facility, we'll find a place for you," Cohan concluded.

Cohan's announcement also indicated that long-time employee Bob Klein has been named the event center's vice president/chief operating officer, and that veteran publicist Doug Stokes would be re-joining the facility on the first of the year as vice president of communications. Both men will report directly to Jim Cohan.

At the same time, experienced competition manager Mike Atkinson was named the track's race director. Atkinson has been working behind the scenes with representatives of the new Kern County Raceway Park track to put together a common set of technical rules which will allow racers in a number of divisions to compete fairly at both tracks.

	Lisa Noble was appointed chairman of the SCCA's board of directors for 2013.

Lisa Noble Named SCCA Board Chairman
The Sports Car Club of America board of directors named Lisa Noble the group's chairman for 2013. The board also approved appointments for various committees and board liaisons that will oversee the organization in the coming calendar year. Noble is a long-time Kansas Region SCCA member and begins her sixth year as the area six director.

As a Formula Vee driver, Noble was the first female in the class to earn a National race win, in 1995 at Heartland Park Topeka. Noble was also the 1999 Kimberly Cup award winner for most improved driver. She has spent the past three years serving as vice chairman of the board of directors. Noble takes the torch from outgoing chairman Jerry Wannarka, who did not seek reappointment for a fourth year as chairman. SCCA also announced the newest board officers: Dick Patullo (vice chairman), Todd Butler (secretary), Michael Lewis (treasurer), John Walsh (assistant treasurer) and Jerry Wannarka (fifth member executive committee).

Grandview Speedway Promoter Bruce Rogers Earns Eastern Region Promoter of the Year
Racing Promotion Monthly has honored Bruce Rogers, promoter of the NASCAR sanctioned Grandview Speedway, with the Eastern Region Promoter of the Year award. This is the second time that Rogers has earned the honor and now puts him in the running for the prestigious National Promoter of the Year award that will be announced at the RPM Promoter’s Workshops that take place in Daytona Beach, Florida, February 18–20, 2013. The workshops attract hundreds involved in the operation of racing facilities across the nation and into Canada.

The one-third-mile, banked clay Grandview Speedway is coming off its 50th anniversary season which was topped by the highly successful $50,000 to win BPG Racing Freedom 76 race, which was won by nine time track champion Jeff Strunk.

The track was built by Forrest Rogers, Bruce’s dad, and opened for its first racing event back in August 1963, and the popular racing facility, home to a variety of different types of racing over the years, has been continually operated by the Rogers family.

	The Irwindale Event Center—formerly known as the Irwindale Speedway—announced that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season.

Oval Track Racing Returns to Irwindale Speedway for 2013
Team 211 Entertainment, the new operators of the newly renamed Irwindale Event Center (formerly Irwindale Speedway), recently announced that oval track racing will return to Irwindale. Team 211 Entertainment's President/CEO Jim Cohan stated, "We're very pleased to announce that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season." The announcement ended an 11-month period of uncertainty about oval competition at the Irwindale track.

"Our master lease with the property owners, Nu-Way Industries, has been broadened and now includes all forms of racing activities on the 6,500-seat twin oval track. We are now working very hard to put all of the pieces together to be able to run a 2013 racing season," said Cohan.

"Our company name has the word 'TEAM' in it," he pointed out. "We need everyone to understand that name is not an affectation. It's a statement of our commitment to the process of rebuilding the legacy of Irwindale Speedway."

"We've renamed the entire property 'Irwindale Event Center' to better reflect the wide range of public and private events that can be accommodated here and invite everyone to join us in what we feel will be a great new era of operation for this venue," he continued. "Corporations, businesses small and large, competitors, individual fans, everyone: you are all welcome. If you want to be a part of this facility, we'll find a place for you," Cohan concluded.

Cohan's announcement also indicated that long-time employee Bob Klein has been named the event center's vice president/chief operating officer, and that veteran publicist Doug Stokes would be re-joining the facility on the first of the year as vice president of communications. Both men will report directly to Jim Cohan.

At the same time, experienced competition manager Mike Atkinson was named the track's race director. Atkinson has been working behind the scenes with representatives of the new Kern County Raceway Park track to put together a common set of technical rules which will allow racers in a number of divisions to compete fairly at both tracks.

	Lisa Noble was appointed chairman of the SCCA's board of directors for 2013.

Lisa Noble Named SCCA Board Chairman
The Sports Car Club of America board of directors named Lisa Noble the group's chairman for 2013. The board also approved appointments for various committees and board liaisons that will oversee the organization in the coming calendar year. Noble is a long-time Kansas Region SCCA member and begins her sixth year as the area six director.

As a Formula Vee driver, Noble was the first female in the class to earn a National race win, in 1995 at Heartland Park Topeka. Noble was also the 1999 Kimberly Cup award winner for most improved driver. She has spent the past three years serving as vice chairman of the board of directors. Noble takes the torch from outgoing chairman Jerry Wannarka, who did not seek reappointment for a fourth year as chairman. SCCA also announced the newest board officers: Dick Patullo (vice chairman), Todd Butler (secretary), Michael Lewis (treasurer), John Walsh (assistant treasurer) and Jerry Wannarka (fifth member executive committee).

Grandview Speedway Promoter Bruce Rogers Earns Eastern Region Promoter of the Year
Racing Promotion Monthly has honored Bruce Rogers, promoter of the NASCAR sanctioned Grandview Speedway, with the Eastern Region Promoter of the Year award. This is the second time that Rogers has earned the honor and now puts him in the running for the prestigious National Promoter of the Year award that will be announced at the RPM Promoter’s Workshops that take place in Daytona Beach, Florida, February 18–20, 2013. The workshops attract hundreds involved in the operation of racing facilities across the nation and into Canada.

The one-third-mile, banked clay Grandview Speedway is coming off its 50th anniversary season which was topped by the highly successful $50,000 to win BPG Racing Freedom 76 race, which was won by nine time track champion Jeff Strunk.

The track was built by Forrest Rogers, Bruce’s dad, and opened for its first racing event back in August 1963, and the popular racing facility, home to a variety of different types of racing over the years, has been continually operated by the Rogers family.

	The Irwindale Event Center—formerly known as the Irwindale Speedway—announced that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season.

Oval Track Racing Returns to Irwindale Speedway for 2013
Team 211 Entertainment, the new operators of the newly renamed Irwindale Event Center (formerly Irwindale Speedway), recently announced that oval track racing will return to Irwindale. Team 211 Entertainment's President/CEO Jim Cohan stated, "We're very pleased to announce that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season." The announcement ended an 11-month period of uncertainty about oval competition at the Irwindale track.

"Our master lease with the property owners, Nu-Way Industries, has been broadened and now includes all forms of racing activities on the 6,500-seat twin oval track. We are now working very hard to put all of the pieces together to be able to run a 2013 racing season," said Cohan.

"Our company name has the word 'TEAM' in it," he pointed out. "We need everyone to understand that name is not an affectation. It's a statement of our commitment to the process of rebuilding the legacy of Irwindale Speedway."

"We've renamed the entire property 'Irwindale Event Center' to better reflect the wide range of public and private events that can be accommodated here and invite everyone to join us in what we feel will be a great new era of operation for this venue," he continued. "Corporations, businesses small and large, competitors, individual fans, everyone: you are all welcome. If you want to be a part of this facility, we'll find a place for you," Cohan concluded.

Cohan's announcement also indicated that long-time employee Bob Klein has been named the event center's vice president/chief operating officer, and that veteran publicist Doug Stokes would be re-joining the facility on the first of the year as vice president of communications. Both men will report directly to Jim Cohan.

At the same time, experienced competition manager Mike Atkinson was named the track's race director. Atkinson has been working behind the scenes with representatives of the new Kern County Raceway Park track to put together a common set of technical rules which will allow racers in a number of divisions to compete fairly at both tracks.

	Lisa Noble was appointed chairman of the SCCA's board of directors for 2013.

Lisa Noble Named SCCA Board Chairman
The Sports Car Club of America board of directors named Lisa Noble the group's chairman for 2013. The board also approved appointments for various committees and board liaisons that will oversee the organization in the coming calendar year. Noble is a long-time Kansas Region SCCA member and begins her sixth year as the area six director.

As a Formula Vee driver, Noble was the first female in the class to earn a National race win, in 1995 at Heartland Park Topeka. Noble was also the 1999 Kimberly Cup award winner for most improved driver. She has spent the past three years serving as vice chairman of the board of directors. Noble takes the torch from outgoing chairman Jerry Wannarka, who did not seek reappointment for a fourth year as chairman. SCCA also announced the newest board officers: Dick Patullo (vice chairman), Todd Butler (secretary), Michael Lewis (treasurer), John Walsh (assistant treasurer) and Jerry Wannarka (fifth member executive committee).

Grandview Speedway Promoter Bruce Rogers Earns Eastern Region Promoter of the Year
Racing Promotion Monthly has honored Bruce Rogers, promoter of the NASCAR sanctioned Grandview Speedway, with the Eastern Region Promoter of the Year award. This is the second time that Rogers has earned the honor and now puts him in the running for the prestigious National Promoter of the Year award that will be announced at the RPM Promoter’s Workshops that take place in Daytona Beach, Florida, February 18–20, 2013. The workshops attract hundreds involved in the operation of racing facilities across the nation and into Canada.

The one-third-mile, banked clay Grandview Speedway is coming off its 50th anniversary season which was topped by the highly successful $50,000 to win BPG Racing Freedom 76 race, which was won by nine time track champion Jeff Strunk.

The track was built by Forrest Rogers, Bruce’s dad, and opened for its first racing event back in August 1963, and the popular racing facility, home to a variety of different types of racing over the years, has been continually operated by the Rogers family.

SEMA's manufacturing members are invited to participate in the Honda/Acura Measuring Session taking place Wednesday, January 9, at the American Honda facilities in Torrance, California. The session will feature four vehicles: Honda's 2013 Accord Sedan, 2013 Accord Coupe, 2013 Civic EX Sedan, CR-Z Sport Hybrid, and the 2013 Acura ILX 2.4L.

For more information, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org or call 909-978-6739.

SEMA's manufacturing members are invited to participate in the Honda/Acura Measuring Session taking place Wednesday, January 9, at the American Honda facilities in Torrance, California. The session will feature four vehicles: Honda's 2013 Accord Sedan, 2013 Accord Coupe, 2013 Civic EX Sedan, CR-Z Sport Hybrid, and the 2013 Acura ILX 2.4L.

For more information, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org or call 909-978-6739.

SEMA Member News—January/February 2013

Media Trade Conference Moves to Orange County

	From left, Chris Thomson of Airaid, MPMC select committee member Steve Matusek of Aeromotive and SEMA Board of Directors Chair-Elect Nate Shelton of B&M Performance attended the Tuesday evening media reception at the 2012 MPMC Media Trade Conference. In addition to daily meetings with media, the unique event provides opportunities such as this for MPMC members to network and build relationships.

The 2013 Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Media Trade Conference will be held January 22–24 at the Embassy Suites Orange County Airport North in Santa Ana, California. The venue change was necessitated by planned renovations at the event’s long-time home in El Segundo.

“The LAX Embassy Suites in El Segundo, where we have held so many of these events, notified SEMA staff very early on that their facility would be under major renovations during the same time as our conference,” said MPMC Chairman Vic Wood of Hedman Performance. “We are grateful to them for being proactive with the information and allowing us time to search out alternatives. After careful research, staff suggested we move the event to the Santa Ana Embassy Suites. The facility offers different challenges but also different opportunities. We are very excited to try this new venue.”

The Embassy Suites Orange County Airport North is located at 1325 East Dyer Rd. in Santa Ana, just five minutes from John Wayne Airport. While meetings and receptions occupy most of the three-day event, the location offers alternatives for dining and shopping, some within easy walking distance from the hotel.

“This property is much smaller than the El Segundo facility,” added MPMC Chair-Elect Rich Barsamian. “Our 100 exhibitor suites will be on four floors instead of two, but we’ll also be closer to each other instead of spread out. It should make getting from meeting to meeting better for the media, even with a couple of extra stairs. Best of all, we have In-N-Out coming back again for lunch on Thursday.”

The unique Media Trade Conference features three days of prescheduled 30-minute meetings between 100 MPMC-member manufacturers and editorial staffs from national and international media. The meetings run from 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. each day. There is a 30-minute break in the morning, another break in the afternoon, and a one-hour lunch. This schedule provides up to 42 meeting slots over the three days, but additional meetings are often held during breaks, through the lunch period or after hours.

MPMC provides lunch on-site for all exhibitors and media attendees and hosts a media reception on Tuesday evening, which includes the presentation of the Robert E. Petersen Award to a member of the media who has exhibited extraordinary support of MPMC in the past year. MPMC closes the week with an exhibitor reception on Thursday, immediately following the last meeting of the event.

Exhibitor registration opened online for the event in mid-July and closed early September. Only 100 exhibitors are accepted, owing to logistics and the number of available media representatives. More than 100 registrations are received each year, so a lottery system is used to select the “lucky 100.” Event rules specify that if a company is not selected via lottery in the current year, it is guaranteed a suite the following year.

“We received 136 exhibitor applications this year, which indicates that the membership sees value in the event,” said Wood. “It’s a good and a bad spot to be in. We had 122 applications last year, which means that 22 companies were already guaranteed a suite for this year. Next year, we’ll have 36 spots already guaranteed, so the odds of getting in each year are going up. The MPMC Select Committee is already brainstorming ideas for future conferences, and we welcome any suggestions from members and from the media.”

Media attendees register online by reviewing the list of 100 exhibiting companies and selecting their priorities for meetings.

Any MPMC-member company, whether it applied for the conference or not, is welcome to send marketing materials to be distributed to media at the event. Materials should be forwarded to Jim Skelly at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar and must arrive no later than Friday, January 18, 2013.

For more information about the MPMC Media Trade Conference, visit the MPMC webpages at www.SEMA.org/mpmc or contact Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

SEMA Member News—January/February 2013

Media Trade Conference Moves to Orange County

	From left, Chris Thomson of Airaid, MPMC select committee member Steve Matusek of Aeromotive and SEMA Board of Directors Chair-Elect Nate Shelton of B&M Performance attended the Tuesday evening media reception at the 2012 MPMC Media Trade Conference. In addition to daily meetings with media, the unique event provides opportunities such as this for MPMC members to network and build relationships.

The 2013 Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Media Trade Conference will be held January 22–24 at the Embassy Suites Orange County Airport North in Santa Ana, California. The venue change was necessitated by planned renovations at the event’s long-time home in El Segundo.

“The LAX Embassy Suites in El Segundo, where we have held so many of these events, notified SEMA staff very early on that their facility would be under major renovations during the same time as our conference,” said MPMC Chairman Vic Wood of Hedman Performance. “We are grateful to them for being proactive with the information and allowing us time to search out alternatives. After careful research, staff suggested we move the event to the Santa Ana Embassy Suites. The facility offers different challenges but also different opportunities. We are very excited to try this new venue.”

The Embassy Suites Orange County Airport North is located at 1325 East Dyer Rd. in Santa Ana, just five minutes from John Wayne Airport. While meetings and receptions occupy most of the three-day event, the location offers alternatives for dining and shopping, some within easy walking distance from the hotel.

“This property is much smaller than the El Segundo facility,” added MPMC Chair-Elect Rich Barsamian. “Our 100 exhibitor suites will be on four floors instead of two, but we’ll also be closer to each other instead of spread out. It should make getting from meeting to meeting better for the media, even with a couple of extra stairs. Best of all, we have In-N-Out coming back again for lunch on Thursday.”

The unique Media Trade Conference features three days of prescheduled 30-minute meetings between 100 MPMC-member manufacturers and editorial staffs from national and international media. The meetings run from 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. each day. There is a 30-minute break in the morning, another break in the afternoon, and a one-hour lunch. This schedule provides up to 42 meeting slots over the three days, but additional meetings are often held during breaks, through the lunch period or after hours.

MPMC provides lunch on-site for all exhibitors and media attendees and hosts a media reception on Tuesday evening, which includes the presentation of the Robert E. Petersen Award to a member of the media who has exhibited extraordinary support of MPMC in the past year. MPMC closes the week with an exhibitor reception on Thursday, immediately following the last meeting of the event.

Exhibitor registration opened online for the event in mid-July and closed early September. Only 100 exhibitors are accepted, owing to logistics and the number of available media representatives. More than 100 registrations are received each year, so a lottery system is used to select the “lucky 100.” Event rules specify that if a company is not selected via lottery in the current year, it is guaranteed a suite the following year.

“We received 136 exhibitor applications this year, which indicates that the membership sees value in the event,” said Wood. “It’s a good and a bad spot to be in. We had 122 applications last year, which means that 22 companies were already guaranteed a suite for this year. Next year, we’ll have 36 spots already guaranteed, so the odds of getting in each year are going up. The MPMC Select Committee is already brainstorming ideas for future conferences, and we welcome any suggestions from members and from the media.”

Media attendees register online by reviewing the list of 100 exhibiting companies and selecting their priorities for meetings.

Any MPMC-member company, whether it applied for the conference or not, is welcome to send marketing materials to be distributed to media at the event. Materials should be forwarded to Jim Skelly at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar and must arrive no later than Friday, January 18, 2013.

For more information about the MPMC Media Trade Conference, visit the MPMC webpages at www.SEMA.org/mpmc or contact Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

SEMA Member News—January/February 2013

Media Trade Conference Moves to Orange County

	From left, Chris Thomson of Airaid, MPMC select committee member Steve Matusek of Aeromotive and SEMA Board of Directors Chair-Elect Nate Shelton of B&M Performance attended the Tuesday evening media reception at the 2012 MPMC Media Trade Conference. In addition to daily meetings with media, the unique event provides opportunities such as this for MPMC members to network and build relationships.

The 2013 Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Media Trade Conference will be held January 22–24 at the Embassy Suites Orange County Airport North in Santa Ana, California. The venue change was necessitated by planned renovations at the event’s long-time home in El Segundo.

“The LAX Embassy Suites in El Segundo, where we have held so many of these events, notified SEMA staff very early on that their facility would be under major renovations during the same time as our conference,” said MPMC Chairman Vic Wood of Hedman Performance. “We are grateful to them for being proactive with the information and allowing us time to search out alternatives. After careful research, staff suggested we move the event to the Santa Ana Embassy Suites. The facility offers different challenges but also different opportunities. We are very excited to try this new venue.”

The Embassy Suites Orange County Airport North is located at 1325 East Dyer Rd. in Santa Ana, just five minutes from John Wayne Airport. While meetings and receptions occupy most of the three-day event, the location offers alternatives for dining and shopping, some within easy walking distance from the hotel.

“This property is much smaller than the El Segundo facility,” added MPMC Chair-Elect Rich Barsamian. “Our 100 exhibitor suites will be on four floors instead of two, but we’ll also be closer to each other instead of spread out. It should make getting from meeting to meeting better for the media, even with a couple of extra stairs. Best of all, we have In-N-Out coming back again for lunch on Thursday.”

The unique Media Trade Conference features three days of prescheduled 30-minute meetings between 100 MPMC-member manufacturers and editorial staffs from national and international media. The meetings run from 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. each day. There is a 30-minute break in the morning, another break in the afternoon, and a one-hour lunch. This schedule provides up to 42 meeting slots over the three days, but additional meetings are often held during breaks, through the lunch period or after hours.

MPMC provides lunch on-site for all exhibitors and media attendees and hosts a media reception on Tuesday evening, which includes the presentation of the Robert E. Petersen Award to a member of the media who has exhibited extraordinary support of MPMC in the past year. MPMC closes the week with an exhibitor reception on Thursday, immediately following the last meeting of the event.

Exhibitor registration opened online for the event in mid-July and closed early September. Only 100 exhibitors are accepted, owing to logistics and the number of available media representatives. More than 100 registrations are received each year, so a lottery system is used to select the “lucky 100.” Event rules specify that if a company is not selected via lottery in the current year, it is guaranteed a suite the following year.

“We received 136 exhibitor applications this year, which indicates that the membership sees value in the event,” said Wood. “It’s a good and a bad spot to be in. We had 122 applications last year, which means that 22 companies were already guaranteed a suite for this year. Next year, we’ll have 36 spots already guaranteed, so the odds of getting in each year are going up. The MPMC Select Committee is already brainstorming ideas for future conferences, and we welcome any suggestions from members and from the media.”

Media attendees register online by reviewing the list of 100 exhibiting companies and selecting their priorities for meetings.

Any MPMC-member company, whether it applied for the conference or not, is welcome to send marketing materials to be distributed to media at the event. Materials should be forwarded to Jim Skelly at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar and must arrive no later than Friday, January 18, 2013.

For more information about the MPMC Media Trade Conference, visit the MPMC webpages at www.SEMA.org/mpmc or contact Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

SEMA News—January 2013

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

Mobile Check-Up

Making Sure Your Mobile Website Looks Good on All Devices

New research from Pew Internet Research and others indicates that the United States is still in a frenzy over all things mobile—and that you’re losing money if your mobile website is not rendering properly on all devices. It’s not enough to simply have a mobile-optimized website these days. Businesses must also verify that their mobile sites look good on as many mobile devices as possible.

One of the easiest reads on the current level of mobile fanaticism emerged in September 2012, when Apple booked two million units sold in pre-orders for its iPhone 5 in 24 hours.

“iPhone 5 pre-orders shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, a senior vice president at Apple. Schiller added that the iPhone 5 essentially doubled the record held by the previous generations.

“[The] smartphone is an always-on companion tool that will surpass the usage of desktop computers within the next few years,” said Jacques Beaudoin, Mobile Websites Design founder. “This is why it is so important for your online business desktop website to be mobile-friendly.”

Equally eyebrow-raising stats were released in September by Pew, which found that tablet penetration in the United States nearly doubled over the Christmas gift-giving season in 2011 from 10% to 19%. Moreover, the combined penetration of tablets and e-book readers in the country (e-book readers can often be used to surf the web) is now 29%.

Pew also found that 66% of those aged 18 to 29 now own smartphones. Plus, the researcher found that 17% of all cell-phone users now rely on their cell phones to do most of their online browsing.

“We see the rapid rise in mobile devices as an important long-term trend,” said Stephen Antisdel, manager at Precept Partners, a web-design firm. “Companies that ignore smartphones and tablets may be doing so at their peril.”

Indeed, web browsing by cell phone is especially prevalent among African Americans, 51% of whom turn most often to their cell phones to browse and interact online, according to Pew. And 42% of Latinos have the same preference.

Of course, desktop users still represent a major force in web computing. Pew found that 58% of Americans have desktop computers, and 61% own laptops.

For many of these more-traditional computer users—who often cruise the web with twin 23-in. monitors and the “luxury” of fullsize keyboards—the lure of a PC the size of a deck of cards and sporting a keyboard best operated by two thumbs is a bit puzzling.

But Pew’s study found that cell phones are a major hit with other users because the units are always within arm’s reach—no matter where they go. Indeed, it’s tough to find an affluent young American teen girl who does not have a cell phone fused to her hand at any given time. And Pew also found that for 10% of “mostly cell” surfers, the cell phone is simply their only option for connecting to the Internet.

Fortunately, there are a number of quick and easy tools businesses can use to ensure that their mobile-optimized websites—or their second websites created especially for mobile users—are offering quality visual experiences on as many mobile devices as possible. Here are a few:

General Overview: For a great overall analysis of the mobile-friendliness of your site, check out the W3C mobileOK Checker. This is a page on the web where you can type in any URL and get a report back on any mobile trouble spots associated with your site. The analysis is based on the Mobile Web Best Practices specification, which was created by W3C, a highly respected, worldwide web-standards consortium. You’ll get a general feel for the mobile-friendliness of your site here. But you’ll need additional tools to see how your site renders on specific devices.

Quick iPhone Test: If you’re just looking for quick feedback on how your site renders on the iPhone, check out Test iPhone. It’s an easy way to see how your site looks on one of the world’s most popular smartphones.

Gomez Cross-Device Compatibility Test: Type in a mobile URL here, and you’ll get a look at how the page renders on four of the most popular mobile devices in the world—one from Android, two running the Apple iOS and one running Blackberry’s mobile operating system. Gomez offers this free tool to introduce users to its paid services.

Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Test: Perfecto’s tool starts at $15 per hour and allows you to test your set on a wide variety of devices. Unlike many other tools, you’ll also be able to use Perfecto to actually see how interactions on your mobile website play out on various simulated devices. For example, you can interact with text and numbers and simulate events such as “Call Me” or “SMS Me”—features that you may have programmed into your mobile site.

CrossBrowserTesting.com’s Browser Compatibility Test: This is an extremely comprehensive mobile device tester that’s endorsed by heavy hitters in many industries. It starts at $29.99 a month and tests simulated environments in mobile, desktop and laptop computing.

Multi-Browser Viewer (MBV): Another heavily endorsed tester, MBV offers testing on 44 different types of browsers, including five mobile browsers or simulators, at $139.95 per year. It also includes special viewing for the iPhone and iPad, and it enables you to do side-by-side comparisons of your website on different simulated browsers.

Usability Science’s Third-Party Usability Testing: Usability Science takes a different approach to mobile testing by employing live people to put your mobile site through its paces on as many devices as you desire, with negotiable pricing.

More Options: Other mobile-friendly analysis tools include Adobe Browser Lab; Browsershots and Sauce Labs.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan, New York. For more information, call 646-233-4089, e-mail joe@joedysart.com
www.joedysart.com.