Prepare your SEMA Show strategy by tuning in to our next webinar, “SEMA Show: Money Well-Spent for Your Business!" Presented by Chuck Schwartz (CEM/Chairman, ConvExx Show Management), this insightful webinar scheduled Thursday, June 12, 10:00 a.m. (PST) will provide the tips you need to prepare for the 2008 Show and guarantee your company's return on investment.

Whether your company is large or small, whether you're new to the SEMA Show or an experienced veteran, this session is a must-attend event for you and your Show team. Here are a few strategies you'll take away from the webinar:

• How to create an action plan and timeline.
• How to develop your Show budget.
• How to attract media attention to your booth.
• Ways to generate new business for your company at the Show.

For information on how to attend, click here.

Emcee Dave McClelland hosts proceedings at the 2007 SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser.

The annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser on Friday, July 25, serves to not only thank the association's outgoing Board members and welcome those newly elected, but also to announce the newest inductees into the SEMA Hall of Fame. This year's inductees are Raymond Bleiweis, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Corky Coker and Robert Cook—an elite group of industry innovators and pioneers who have played a key role in the automotive specialty-equipment market.

This year's event is further underscored by a program of charitable fundraising activities that includes a golf tournament, the Pinewood Drag Race and a silent auction.

Proceeds from all fundraising benefits SEMA's two chosen charities, Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. Childhelp aids victims of child abuse and originally began receiving support from wheel manufacturers in 1994 and now garners significant contributions from a wide range of industry businesses.

Victory Junction Gang Camp, founded in 2004 by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam, has received support from the Light-Truck Accessory Alliance and others in the industry. Victory Junction uses camping experiences in its racing-themed facilities to enrich the lives of children who suffer from chronic medical conditions or illnesses.

Golf Tournament
The golf tournament begins at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, July 25, at the Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine, California. SEMA council members are among those refining their game to challenge for the Council Cup Perpetual Trophy, a friendly competition among councils to prove who has the better hackers.

A special "Council Package" price of $2,000 (a $300 discount) is available for Council Cup competitors. The package includes four rounds of golf at the tournament and dinner for four at the annual gala banquet and charity auction, to be held that evening at the Irvine Hyatt Hotel. At least one active council member must participate in the golf tournament foursome to be eligible for this special pricing offer.

Any foursome consisting of two or more active council members will automatically be entered in the Council Cup Challenge representing their council (be sure to indicate on your registration form which council you are representing).

To register for the golf tournament, click here for the registration form.

Pinewood Drag Race
The Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser will also feature the inaugural SEMA Pinewood Drag Race Sponsored by Fellers and DUB Publishing. The checkered flag will drop prior to the SEMA Hall of Fame recognition and fundraising activities. According to Race Director Mike Spagnola, the inaugural event will feature three race classes: Stock, Modified and Unlimited.

Those interested in building a Pinewood Drag Race car with the children from Childhelp can join SEMA for a special trip to The Village of Childhelp West in Beaumont, California, where participants can help the kids sand, paint and assemble cars that will run in the Pinewood Drag Race. Contact Mike Spagnola at mike@streetsceneeq.com for details.

For further information about the race and its rules, click here.

Tickets
Tickets and details for the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, including schedule of activities, golf tournament entries and auction donation forms, are available at www.sema.org/gala or by contacting Lisa Moreno at lisam@sema.org or 909/396-0289, ext. 105.

Charity Auction
Finally, SEMA will host a live and silent auction prior to the Banquet, with auction items ranging from sports memorabilia to a 2006 Victory motorcycle owned and donated by Kyle Petty. To donate an item, contact Tricia Ward at triciaw@sema.org. Some of the items include:


Kyle Petty's 2006 Victory Jackpot motorcycle. Donated by Kyle Petty Charity Ride.


Brett Favre-autographed Wilson football. Donated by Rick Rollins.


Gift certificate for a set (four) of Mickey Thompson truck tires up to 35 inches tall. Donated by Mickey Thompson Performance Tire.

Greer Black Dragster replica, 1:6 scale and over 28 inches long. Donated by GMP Die Cast.

Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas—3-day/2-night package. Donated by Planet Hollywood.

2x8 advertising space for one year on the guardwall of Virginia Motorsports Park's dragstrip, home of the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals. Donated by Virginia Motorsports Park.

Other items include:

• (4) Saturday Top Eliminator Club tickets (TEC) and (1) TEC parking pass for either the 2008 Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals or the 2009 Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, VIP tour and a ride in the Full Throttle Express. Donated by NHRA. 

Do you have a question for SEMA? Want to know more about the association’s strategic direction, or the status on health insurance for trade associations? Maybe you have a question for one of SEMA’s departments, such as the Research and Information Center or OEM Relations. Perhaps you have a more specific question for a SEMA executive.

If so, we want to hear from you. And we’ve made it pretty straightforward: Send your question to eNews@sema.org and we’ll do the rest. We'll get your question to the appropriate department or individual, and run both the question and answer in an upcoming issue of eNews. Questions and feedback will also run in SEMA News magazine.

Responses will appear in the order in which questions are received. We can't guarantee that all questions will run, but we’ll do our best. Editors reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity.  

So if you have a question related to SEMA’s direction, operations, trade events or a more specific query, e-mail your name, company name and the question to eNews@sema.org. Be sure to include “Ask SEMA” in the subject line. 

Filler for eNews

Participate in the next SEMA webinar on June 5, "Managing Your Cash Flow During Challenging Times," to learn budgeting and cash-flow management tips that will help you develop a realistic plan for a slowing economy.

Title: Managing Your Cash Flow During Challenging Times

When: Thursday, June 5, 10:00 a.m. (PST)

Presenter: Tom Shay, CSP, Profits Plus

Introduction by: Eric Breslow, Chairman, SEMA Sport-Compact Council

Sponsored by: SEMA Sport-Compact Council

You may have mastered making a profit in your business, but is the cash always there to drive it? Small-business expert Tom Shay shows you how to accurately project the cash and inventory needs of your business for the coming year by utilizing your previous profit and loss statements and an Excel chart. Attend this session and be prepared to create your plan of success for 2009. Here is what you will learn during Tom’s presentation:

• How to create an effective operating budget (it is far easier than you may think)
• Why a budget should not be the only planning tool to manage your business
• The difference in historical and projectionary cash-flow management
• Why every business should utilize a cash-flow chart

Webinar participants are invited and encouraged to ask questions during the live Q&A session at the conclusion of the webinar. Get the feedback you need through this unique opportunity to speak directly to Tom Shay and pick up some tips that apply to your business.

To join this webinar on June 5, click here.

The SEMA webinar “Use Online Testing for Higher Profits/Lower Costs - Test the Effectiveness of Your Online Marketing” featured several tips designed to test the elements of your marketing strategy to identify what doesn’t work before your company wastes resources for undesirable results.

Presenter Brian Offenberger of BizGrowth Search Engine Solutions says that testing is important and allows you to generate the maximum amount of return on the minimum amount invested. “Testing will help you learn what your customer wants, but more importantly, it is also an effective way to learn what customers are willing to pay for.”

One effective and simple tactic to use when evaluating your online marketing is A/B or split testing, where one variable is tested to discover what works the best (i.e., black or blue font in a headline). 

He suggests to begin testing the aspects of your marketing directly impact you bottom line. The most common elements to test are:

• Ad Copy
• Promotional Offers
• Landing-Page Design
• E-mail Marketing Messaging and Subject Lines

“It is very important that you test your ad copy,” says Offenberger. I worked for clients where all we did was change one word of the ad copy. That one word change resulted in a 3000% better response.” 

The webinar expands the types of testing beyond one variable to include tactics for multivariate approach, the testing of multiple combinations of elements. The entire audio and Power Point presentation is available for download by clicking here.

Although it’s a year away, the freshened 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-class is showing its new face, caught here by spy photographer Brenda Priddy. Highlights include a new front fascia with a sculpted bumper and fog lamps, new side-view mirrors with more stylish turn signals and slightly modified headlamp layout.

Priddy says this model also features LED daytime running lights fitted to the outer edges of the fog lamps, although it's unclear if this will be a feature in all markets. A slightly re-designed rear bumper rounds out the facelift. Engine choices, however, will remain unchanged.

Kia Motors America is now accepting project-vehicle proposals for companies seeking to build a Kia-themed project vehicle for the 2008 SEMA Show, November 4–7, in Las Vegas. Kia's vehicles offered through the program include the Rio, Rondo, Sportage and all-new Borrego. 

The deadline to submit project-vehicle proposals to Kia is May 27, 2008.

Kia Proposal Guidelines

Submissions should include:

1. Vehicle/Project Theme: Include target market or description of intended customer. 

2. Modification Plan: A list of specific vehicle modification and system upgrades, including partnered sources if appropriate. 

3. Promotion Plan: A proposed list of intended events, trade shows, publications, etc., where the vehicle will be promoted. Availability for the 2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, is required. Please state where the vehicle will be displayed at the SEMA Show and who will sponsor the vehicle if it is placed in a feature spot. A booth space is strongly preferred.

4. Illustrations: Two copies of the proposal and rendering on 8½ x 11 paper are required. The color rendering should illustrate front and side appearance (composite 3/4-views are acceptable) with the intended color and graphic scheme. If the interior will be significantly modified, an interior sketch is recommended as well. An electronic file in PDF format is also required.

5. Schedule: A proposed reporting process to communicate project status to KMA is also requested.

SEMA members interested in developing a Kia Motors America project vehicle for the 2008 SEMA Show are encouraged to prepare a Project Description Plan and submit it to:

Steve Hirashiki  
Kia Motors America    
111 Peters Canyon Road   
Irvine, CA 92606-1790
E-mail:  shirashiki@kiausa.com
Fax: 949/468-4905

Filler for eNews

Proposals for new wilderness areas in the Southwestern portion of the country were approved by the House Natural Resources Committee. The bills were modified from their original versions to incorporate several technical changes at the request of federal officials and various stakeholders.

By law, wilderness areas generally prohibit roads and the use of motorized vehicles. The issue is consequential to SEMA members as off-roaders will have less riding areas in the region and potentially less demand for OHV equipment. Currently there are more than 20 other wilderness bills pending before Congress. 

Among the bills approved by the House was a proposal that would expand federal protection to 190,000 acres of Southern California desert and forest by creating four new wilderness areas and increasing the size of six existing areas. In addition, it would add about 5,000 acres to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Under the bill, 41,000 acres of Joshua Tree National Park would be labeled "potential wilderness" until the National Park Service settles property claims, at which point they would become true wilderness areas. 

A second California proposal creating a wilderness area in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park was also approved by the House Natural Resources Committee. The bill would designate approximately 70,000 acres in the Mineral King Valley as wilderness. The area was added to the National Park system in 1978 after the Walt Disney Co. attempted to build a ski area there. The current proposal would also add an additional 43,500 acres to an existing wilderness area within the park.

After several months of negotiations, the Committee also approved a bill creating the Sabinoso Wilderness Area in northeast New Mexico. Through continued discussions with the Bureau of Land Management and other stakeholders, the amount of land in the proposal was reduced from 19,880 acres to 15,995 acres.

SEMA continues to support land-use decisions that allow local communities and government authorities to participate in the decision-making process. Within that context, SEMA supports the conservation of land and protection of wildlife together with appropriate, regulated use of motorized vehicles on federal lands.

Details: Jason Tolleson at jasont@sema.org.