The August issue of SEMA News covers the latest business technology insight and practices that create additional opportunities for your business, while helping it reach new levels of efficiency. Learn the five data rules you must follow in today's market, how poorly-supplied product information loses sales, and the tech terms and jargon you need to know.

Outside of the tech talk, there are in-depth features on this year's SEMA Hall of Fame inductees—Bill Perry, Henry "Smokey" Yunick and Rolan "Jeep" Worthan—starting on page 53.

Read the digital August edition of SEMA News. 

The August issue of SEMA News covers the latest business technology insight and practices that create additional opportunities for your business, while helping it reach new levels of efficiency. Learn the five data rules you must follow in today's market, how poorly-supplied product information loses sales, and the tech terms and jargon you need to know.

Outside of the tech talk, there are in-depth features on this year's SEMA Hall of Fame inductees—Bill Perry, Henry "Smokey" Yunick and Rolan "Jeep" Worthan—starting on page 53.

Read the digital August edition of SEMA News. 

The August issue of SEMA News covers the latest business technology insight and practices that create additional opportunities for your business, while helping it reach new levels of efficiency. Learn the five data rules you must follow in today's market, how poorly-supplied product information loses sales, and the tech terms and jargon you need to know.

Outside of the tech talk, there are in-depth features on this year's SEMA Hall of Fame inductees—Bill Perry, Henry "Smokey" Yunick and Rolan "Jeep" Worthan—starting on page 53.

Read the digital August edition of SEMA News. 

SEMA News - August 2009

Enter the Future: Change or Die

“The most rigid structures, the most impervious to change, will collapse first,” wrote Eckhart Tolle in “A New Earth.” The poet Claudian put it even more directly: “Change or die.” While the current state of the specialty-equipment industry is not that grim, Claudian’s sentiments may be appropriate when it comes to business technology.

Technology is like a river fed by dozens of tributaries. Online catalogs, website orders, enthusiast blogs, search engines—industry stakeholders navigate these streams every day. More and more often, they do so as their primary means of finding information and making their purchasing decisions. Our businesses must ensure that not only are the products we offer the best they can be, but also that our customers can use these technologies to easily and quickly find, and become knowledgeable about our goods and services. Even traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores are discovering the benefits of an Internet presence.

Bringing our members the knowledge and practical ability to use technology has become one of SEMA’s most pressing initiatives. The association’s Business Technology Committee is placing major emphasis on the standardization of product data. Standardization enables the crucial channels from which all other electronic commerce elements flow. Take the time to read the series of technology stories that begin on page 28 of this issue. And take advantage of the step-by-step data-standardization processes detailed on the BTC website.

Education has long been a hallmark of SEMA’s efforts to aid its members, and the association has itself seized upon technology as an informational tool. An extensive and growing archive of webinars—online seminars available 24/7 via the webinar homepage —provides a host of sessions devoted to technology themes, such as product data standardization, developing and improving your website and utilizing social media.

SEMA also hosts free educational opportunities at each of its shows and events. Of particular relevance is the 2009 Internet Symposium, which is organized by the Street Performance Council. The Internet Symposium focuses directly on today’s technology issues and leads the way to future applications. Among the discussions slated for the 2009 symposium, to be held August 1 at the Westin Pasadena hotel in Pasadena, California, are business technology tools that include online marketing, intellectual property rights and search-engine optimization.

Of course, the SEMA Show is the Mecca for automotive specialty-equipment education, and the offerings this year include eight separate tracks, each packed with multiple seminars (click now to review the full slate). Nearly all of the tracks contain sessions that either touch on or directly address technology issues. As always, the SEMA Show seminars are free to registered attendees.

And don’t forget about the trove of technology and business information housed at the SEMA News online library. The archive may be searched in a variety of ways—by issue, by topic, by title or by keywords—or you can simply read it page by page as you would a traditional paper version. Check out SEMA News 2.0 on page 50 of this issue for a complete description.

Much of our world changes every day, and change can often be disconcerting or even painful. But in the case of technology, change can be a cause for celebration, offering new pathways to success. Accept the challenge and step into the future.

SEMA News - August 2009

Enter the Future: Change or Die

“The most rigid structures, the most impervious to change, will collapse first,” wrote Eckhart Tolle in “A New Earth.” The poet Claudian put it even more directly: “Change or die.” While the current state of the specialty-equipment industry is not that grim, Claudian’s sentiments may be appropriate when it comes to business technology.

Technology is like a river fed by dozens of tributaries. Online catalogs, website orders, enthusiast blogs, search engines—industry stakeholders navigate these streams every day. More and more often, they do so as their primary means of finding information and making their purchasing decisions. Our businesses must ensure that not only are the products we offer the best they can be, but also that our customers can use these technologies to easily and quickly find, and become knowledgeable about our goods and services. Even traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores are discovering the benefits of an Internet presence.

Bringing our members the knowledge and practical ability to use technology has become one of SEMA’s most pressing initiatives. The association’s Business Technology Committee is placing major emphasis on the standardization of product data. Standardization enables the crucial channels from which all other electronic commerce elements flow. Take the time to read the series of technology stories that begin on page 28 of this issue. And take advantage of the step-by-step data-standardization processes detailed on the BTC website.

Education has long been a hallmark of SEMA’s efforts to aid its members, and the association has itself seized upon technology as an informational tool. An extensive and growing archive of webinars—online seminars available 24/7 via the webinar homepage —provides a host of sessions devoted to technology themes, such as product data standardization, developing and improving your website and utilizing social media.

SEMA also hosts free educational opportunities at each of its shows and events. Of particular relevance is the 2009 Internet Symposium, which is organized by the Street Performance Council. The Internet Symposium focuses directly on today’s technology issues and leads the way to future applications. Among the discussions slated for the 2009 symposium, to be held August 1 at the Westin Pasadena hotel in Pasadena, California, are business technology tools that include online marketing, intellectual property rights and search-engine optimization.

Of course, the SEMA Show is the Mecca for automotive specialty-equipment education, and the offerings this year include eight separate tracks, each packed with multiple seminars (click now to review the full slate). Nearly all of the tracks contain sessions that either touch on or directly address technology issues. As always, the SEMA Show seminars are free to registered attendees.

And don’t forget about the trove of technology and business information housed at the SEMA News online library. The archive may be searched in a variety of ways—by issue, by topic, by title or by keywords—or you can simply read it page by page as you would a traditional paper version. Check out SEMA News 2.0 on page 50 of this issue for a complete description.

Much of our world changes every day, and change can often be disconcerting or even painful. But in the case of technology, change can be a cause for celebration, offering new pathways to success. Accept the challenge and step into the future.

SEMA News - August 2009

Enter the Future: Change or Die

“The most rigid structures, the most impervious to change, will collapse first,” wrote Eckhart Tolle in “A New Earth.” The poet Claudian put it even more directly: “Change or die.” While the current state of the specialty-equipment industry is not that grim, Claudian’s sentiments may be appropriate when it comes to business technology.

Technology is like a river fed by dozens of tributaries. Online catalogs, website orders, enthusiast blogs, search engines—industry stakeholders navigate these streams every day. More and more often, they do so as their primary means of finding information and making their purchasing decisions. Our businesses must ensure that not only are the products we offer the best they can be, but also that our customers can use these technologies to easily and quickly find, and become knowledgeable about our goods and services. Even traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores are discovering the benefits of an Internet presence.

Bringing our members the knowledge and practical ability to use technology has become one of SEMA’s most pressing initiatives. The association’s Business Technology Committee is placing major emphasis on the standardization of product data. Standardization enables the crucial channels from which all other electronic commerce elements flow. Take the time to read the series of technology stories that begin on page 28 of this issue. And take advantage of the step-by-step data-standardization processes detailed on the BTC website.

Education has long been a hallmark of SEMA’s efforts to aid its members, and the association has itself seized upon technology as an informational tool. An extensive and growing archive of webinars—online seminars available 24/7 via the webinar homepage —provides a host of sessions devoted to technology themes, such as product data standardization, developing and improving your website and utilizing social media.

SEMA also hosts free educational opportunities at each of its shows and events. Of particular relevance is the 2009 Internet Symposium, which is organized by the Street Performance Council. The Internet Symposium focuses directly on today’s technology issues and leads the way to future applications. Among the discussions slated for the 2009 symposium, to be held August 1 at the Westin Pasadena hotel in Pasadena, California, are business technology tools that include online marketing, intellectual property rights and search-engine optimization.

Of course, the SEMA Show is the Mecca for automotive specialty-equipment education, and the offerings this year include eight separate tracks, each packed with multiple seminars (click now to review the full slate). Nearly all of the tracks contain sessions that either touch on or directly address technology issues. As always, the SEMA Show seminars are free to registered attendees.

And don’t forget about the trove of technology and business information housed at the SEMA News online library. The archive may be searched in a variety of ways—by issue, by topic, by title or by keywords—or you can simply read it page by page as you would a traditional paper version. Check out SEMA News 2.0 on page 50 of this issue for a complete description.

Much of our world changes every day, and change can often be disconcerting or even painful. But in the case of technology, change can be a cause for celebration, offering new pathways to success. Accept the challenge and step into the future.

SEMA News - August 2009

Enter the Future: Change or Die

“The most rigid structures, the most impervious to change, will collapse first,” wrote Eckhart Tolle in “A New Earth.” The poet Claudian put it even more directly: “Change or die.” While the current state of the specialty-equipment industry is not that grim, Claudian’s sentiments may be appropriate when it comes to business technology.

Technology is like a river fed by dozens of tributaries. Online catalogs, website orders, enthusiast blogs, search engines—industry stakeholders navigate these streams every day. More and more often, they do so as their primary means of finding information and making their purchasing decisions. Our businesses must ensure that not only are the products we offer the best they can be, but also that our customers can use these technologies to easily and quickly find, and become knowledgeable about our goods and services. Even traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores are discovering the benefits of an Internet presence.

Bringing our members the knowledge and practical ability to use technology has become one of SEMA’s most pressing initiatives. The association’s Business Technology Committee is placing major emphasis on the standardization of product data. Standardization enables the crucial channels from which all other electronic commerce elements flow. Take the time to read the series of technology stories that begin on page 28 of this issue. And take advantage of the step-by-step data-standardization processes detailed on the BTC website.

Education has long been a hallmark of SEMA’s efforts to aid its members, and the association has itself seized upon technology as an informational tool. An extensive and growing archive of webinars—online seminars available 24/7 via the webinar homepage —provides a host of sessions devoted to technology themes, such as product data standardization, developing and improving your website and utilizing social media.

SEMA also hosts free educational opportunities at each of its shows and events. Of particular relevance is the 2009 Internet Symposium, which is organized by the Street Performance Council. The Internet Symposium focuses directly on today’s technology issues and leads the way to future applications. Among the discussions slated for the 2009 symposium, to be held August 1 at the Westin Pasadena hotel in Pasadena, California, are business technology tools that include online marketing, intellectual property rights and search-engine optimization.

Of course, the SEMA Show is the Mecca for automotive specialty-equipment education, and the offerings this year include eight separate tracks, each packed with multiple seminars (click now to review the full slate). Nearly all of the tracks contain sessions that either touch on or directly address technology issues. As always, the SEMA Show seminars are free to registered attendees.

And don’t forget about the trove of technology and business information housed at the SEMA News online library. The archive may be searched in a variety of ways—by issue, by topic, by title or by keywords—or you can simply read it page by page as you would a traditional paper version. Check out SEMA News 2.0 on page 50 of this issue for a complete description.

Much of our world changes every day, and change can often be disconcerting or even painful. But in the case of technology, change can be a cause for celebration, offering new pathways to success. Accept the challenge and step into the future.

SEMA News - August 2009

Enter the Future: Change or Die

“The most rigid structures, the most impervious to change, will collapse first,” wrote Eckhart Tolle in “A New Earth.” The poet Claudian put it even more directly: “Change or die.” While the current state of the specialty-equipment industry is not that grim, Claudian’s sentiments may be appropriate when it comes to business technology.

Technology is like a river fed by dozens of tributaries. Online catalogs, website orders, enthusiast blogs, search engines—industry stakeholders navigate these streams every day. More and more often, they do so as their primary means of finding information and making their purchasing decisions. Our businesses must ensure that not only are the products we offer the best they can be, but also that our customers can use these technologies to easily and quickly find, and become knowledgeable about our goods and services. Even traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores are discovering the benefits of an Internet presence.

Bringing our members the knowledge and practical ability to use technology has become one of SEMA’s most pressing initiatives. The association’s Business Technology Committee is placing major emphasis on the standardization of product data. Standardization enables the crucial channels from which all other electronic commerce elements flow. Take the time to read the series of technology stories that begin on page 28 of this issue. And take advantage of the step-by-step data-standardization processes detailed on the BTC website.

Education has long been a hallmark of SEMA’s efforts to aid its members, and the association has itself seized upon technology as an informational tool. An extensive and growing archive of webinars—online seminars available 24/7 via the webinar homepage —provides a host of sessions devoted to technology themes, such as product data standardization, developing and improving your website and utilizing social media.

SEMA also hosts free educational opportunities at each of its shows and events. Of particular relevance is the 2009 Internet Symposium, which is organized by the Street Performance Council. The Internet Symposium focuses directly on today’s technology issues and leads the way to future applications. Among the discussions slated for the 2009 symposium, to be held August 1 at the Westin Pasadena hotel in Pasadena, California, are business technology tools that include online marketing, intellectual property rights and search-engine optimization.

Of course, the SEMA Show is the Mecca for automotive specialty-equipment education, and the offerings this year include eight separate tracks, each packed with multiple seminars (click now to review the full slate). Nearly all of the tracks contain sessions that either touch on or directly address technology issues. As always, the SEMA Show seminars are free to registered attendees.

And don’t forget about the trove of technology and business information housed at the SEMA News online library. The archive may be searched in a variety of ways—by issue, by topic, by title or by keywords—or you can simply read it page by page as you would a traditional paper version. Check out SEMA News 2.0 on page 50 of this issue for a complete description.

Much of our world changes every day, and change can often be disconcerting or even painful. But in the case of technology, change can be a cause for celebration, offering new pathways to success. Accept the challenge and step into the future.

SEMA News - August 2009

Enthusiasts and car lovers throughout the world look to the SEMA Show for flashy cars and custom vehicles, but the automotive accessories industry relies heavily on the annual event for conducting business. As the world’s largest industry gathering for the automotive business community, the SEMA Show is invaluable for making new business contacts, strengthening existing relationships and discovering new products and hot trends in the marketplace.

SEMA has launched an unprecedented number of promotions to help both exhibitors and buyers get the most out of the 2009 SEMA Show. Never before have such programs been offered, making it possible for exhibitors to extend the terms of their payments, earn bonus seniority points, receive at least 1,000 qualified leads before the Show even opens, and reserve a hotel room for as low as $41 per night. Many of these promotions are doing more than enticing exhibitors and buyers to participate in the annual event; they are capturing the attention of the media.

This month’s Required Reading showcases just a few of the many articles highlighting the SEMA Show promotions being offered to Show exhibitors to make SEMA Show 2009 a huge success. To learn about all the specials and ensure that you benefit from everything that’s available, we recommend visiting the SEMA Show website.

SEMA Show Organizers Cater to Exhibitors SEMA Show promotions made headlines in the trade magazine, Modern Tire Dealer. The publication printed a general recap of the programs available to exhibitors in its May 14 issue.
SEMA Ups the Ante to Draw Exhibitors Tire Review, a key publication in the tire-replacement industry, reported on several of the SEMA Show promotions, noting that “…SEMA is putting on a full-court press to attract exhibitors and attendees.” Here’s one of several of the articles highlighting the unique campaigns.
Leading Buyers to Attend 2009 SEMA Show Not just buyers but quality buyers—that’s what media sources are reporting about the 2009 SEMA Show. In fact, Aftermarket News reported that several thousand registered in April, and the publication listed some of the industry’s biggest names among the group. The daily electronic newsletter, which regularly reports on SEMA Show developments, can be read online.
SEMA to Offer Leads Guarantee Program for Show Exhibitors turn to trade shows for many reasons, but the most important reason is typically to connect with buyers. This publication, which covers the trade-show industry, reported on SEMA’s guaranteed-leads program, a new and innovative promotion designed to instill confidence in the SEMA Show’s ability to deliver results.
SEMA and AAPEX Groups Develop Exhibitor-Buyer Matchmaking to Enhance Show Investment The Greensheet is another of the many magazines that reported on the exhibitor-buyer matchmaking program designed to give both parties a “more managed experience” at the Show. This program helps give registered buyers and exhibitors a means to a more personalized connection prior to the Show so that customized contacts can be made. The article highlighted the matchmaking program and how it helps exhibitors when it comes time for post-Show follow-up.

SEMA News - August 2009

Enthusiasts and car lovers throughout the world look to the SEMA Show for flashy cars and custom vehicles, but the automotive accessories industry relies heavily on the annual event for conducting business. As the world’s largest industry gathering for the automotive business community, the SEMA Show is invaluable for making new business contacts, strengthening existing relationships and discovering new products and hot trends in the marketplace.

SEMA has launched an unprecedented number of promotions to help both exhibitors and buyers get the most out of the 2009 SEMA Show. Never before have such programs been offered, making it possible for exhibitors to extend the terms of their payments, earn bonus seniority points, receive at least 1,000 qualified leads before the Show even opens, and reserve a hotel room for as low as $41 per night. Many of these promotions are doing more than enticing exhibitors and buyers to participate in the annual event; they are capturing the attention of the media.

This month’s Required Reading showcases just a few of the many articles highlighting the SEMA Show promotions being offered to Show exhibitors to make SEMA Show 2009 a huge success. To learn about all the specials and ensure that you benefit from everything that’s available, we recommend visiting the SEMA Show website.

SEMA Show Organizers Cater to Exhibitors SEMA Show promotions made headlines in the trade magazine, Modern Tire Dealer. The publication printed a general recap of the programs available to exhibitors in its May 14 issue.
SEMA Ups the Ante to Draw Exhibitors Tire Review, a key publication in the tire-replacement industry, reported on several of the SEMA Show promotions, noting that “…SEMA is putting on a full-court press to attract exhibitors and attendees.” Here’s one of several of the articles highlighting the unique campaigns.
Leading Buyers to Attend 2009 SEMA Show Not just buyers but quality buyers—that’s what media sources are reporting about the 2009 SEMA Show. In fact, Aftermarket News reported that several thousand registered in April, and the publication listed some of the industry’s biggest names among the group. The daily electronic newsletter, which regularly reports on SEMA Show developments, can be read online.
SEMA to Offer Leads Guarantee Program for Show Exhibitors turn to trade shows for many reasons, but the most important reason is typically to connect with buyers. This publication, which covers the trade-show industry, reported on SEMA’s guaranteed-leads program, a new and innovative promotion designed to instill confidence in the SEMA Show’s ability to deliver results.
SEMA and AAPEX Groups Develop Exhibitor-Buyer Matchmaking to Enhance Show Investment The Greensheet is another of the many magazines that reported on the exhibitor-buyer matchmaking program designed to give both parties a “more managed experience” at the Show. This program helps give registered buyers and exhibitors a means to a more personalized connection prior to the Show so that customized contacts can be made. The article highlighted the matchmaking program and how it helps exhibitors when it comes time for post-Show follow-up.