Tune into the Discovery Network's TLC SEMA Show 2007 one-hour special on Thursday, December 13, at 10 p.m. Industry expert Jimmy Shine takes viewers on an exclusive behind-the-scenes look of the massive event and profiles how the four-day show brings more than 130,000 industry professionals together for an experience that is truly unlike anything else in the world.
Check local listings for specific air time and channel, or visit http://dsc.discovery.com.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has completed a two-year process of reorganizing and simplifying the lighting standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, without making any changes of substance. The regulation has been amended many times since it was first adopted in 1967 in order to address technological advances and enhance safety. As a consequence, the old regulation was unnecessarily complex and difficult to understand.
SEMA submitted comprehensive comments to NHTSA when it issued its draft revision in December 2005. SEMA was generally pleased with the proposal and commended NHTSA on its continued treatment of FMVSS No. 108 as a performance standard. SEMA is still reviewing the final revision to confirm that the completed product achieves the results desired by both the NHTSA and the industry—a streamlined rule with no changes of substance.
As SEMA recommended, the revised standard incorporates previous clarifications to FMVSS No. 108 issued via “letters of interpretation” over the past several decades. These 2,000 letters of interpretation continue to have the force of law and remain accessible to those who seek clarification on specific agency policy. Among the letters are confirmations issued by NHTSA in November 2005 and August 2006 in response to SEMA inquiries that confirm that aftermarket products may have different designs than original equipment, so long as it complies with FMVSS No. 108's performance requirements.
NHTSA also incorporated performance and test requirements previously referenced in about 35 standards adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). SEMA supported this approach in order to create a self-contained standard. As SEMA also recommended, NHTSA removed a reference to “auxiliary lamps” since such lamps are not regulated by the federal government (but are subject to state regulation).
SEMA worked with SEMA’s Lighting Task Force, the Transportation Safety Equipment Institute (TSEI), the Motor Vehicle Lighting Council (MVLC) and other industry associations and businesses to prepare its comments on the draft rule.
For a copy of NHTSA’s final rule:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-5644.pdf.
Questions or comments may be directed to Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.
Is your company exhibiting at the 2008 SEMA Spring Expo/SEMA OFFROAD on February 8–9, in Indianapolis? If so, send in your product release now! As part of our comprehensive coverage of the event, SEMA News will offer buyers and attendees a preview of the new products on display at the Show in our February issue. Exhibitors are encouraged to e-mail a press release, high-resolution image and company contact information to Carrw@sema.org. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, December 12. Please include "SSE/SOR" on the e-mail subject line.
Registration for SEMA Spring Expo and SEMA OFFROAD, February 8–9, 2008, in Indianapolis, is in full swing and available for attendees online by visiting www.semaspringexpo.com and www.semaoffroad.com. The spring events deliver the acclaimed SEMA Show experience to the Indianapolis area and surrounding regions.
With a special emphasis on trucks and SUVs, attendees will see a variety of products and services covering accessories, restyling, wheels and tires and mobile electronics. The Show is sponsored by the Light-Truck Accessory Alliance (TORA) and Professional Restylers Organization (PRO). For more information about TORA, click here or e-mail Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org. For more information about PRO, click here or e-mail Ellen McKoy at ellenm@sema.org.
Want to be seen in the guide that specialty-equipment and automotive aftermarket industry professionals look to first to find potential customers, suppliers, information, products and more? Then make your company stand out from the crowd by advertising in the 2008 SEMA Membership Directory.
As a limited time bonus, buy a 1/2-page or larger ad in the 2008 SEMA Membership Directory and receive a FREE 1/6-page black-and-white ad in the March 2008 issue of SEMA News—a $750 value.
To reserve space, call now! Material deadline is extended until December 14.
Contact Motor Media to reserve your space at 818/248-4449 or e-mail at: sales@motormediainc.com.
The 2008 SEMA News Editorial Calendar and Rate Card is now available online. To download a PDF copy click here.
SEMA News connects with the industry in a big way. Chock-full of late-breaking new-product information, as well as market industry reports and SEMA Show guides, SEMA News not only offers informative feature articles, but also serves as a resource for events and current market trends. SEMA News contains everything professionals need to know about the specialty automotive industry.
Best of all, SEMA News goes right to the core of the specialty-equipment and OEM environments through a specially qualified circulation database of manufacturers, warehouse distributors, jobbers/retailers, dealers and other industry professionals.
Interested in advertising in SEMA News? Please contact your sales representative:
Eastern Territory:
Joe Sebergandio
Motor Media Inc.
E-mail: sales@motormediainc.com
818/248-4449
Fax: 818/248-4249
Western Territory:
Don Crassweller
Crassweller Media
E-mail: sales@crasswellermedia.com
951/246-8465
Fax: 951/246-8466
Industry professionals interested in receiving a free subscription to SEMA News may click here.
SEMA members are encouraged to tune in for the next SEMA webinar, “Use Electronic Marketing to Increase Profits and Decrease Costs.”
Description: Electronic marketing channels, including the Internet and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feeds, offer companies unprecedented opportunities to increase profits while lowering costs. Join the session on Thursday, December 13, at 10:00 a.m., to learn specific, put-to-work-now actions you can take online to determine/segment your audience, boost revenues, improve ROI/profits and increase lifetime customer value.
When: December 13, at 10:00 a.m. (PST)
Presented by: Brian Offenberger (aka RSS Ray), BizGrowth Search Engine Solutions
For more information, visit www.sema.org/webinar. Reminder: All SEMA webinars are recorded and available for download to view at your convenience. Check out the past sessions and business-building information you missed by clicking here.
Filler for eNews
Want to find out how simple changes to your store layout can help increase your sales and motivate your customers to buy and spend more? As a benefit to its members, SEMA offers expert advice on how to get the most from your retail space—and the best part is, it's free. Submit high-resolution photos of your store to editors@sema.org. Be sure the images are 300-dpi JPEGs, and be sure to include your name, company name, address, phone number, e-mail address and website URL (if applicable). Please include the words “Store Layout” on the e-mail subject line. Photos of your store along with the expert evaluation will be featured in an upcoming issue of SEMA News.
To see examples of past retail store evaluations click here. For more information on all the resources available to SEMA member Jobbers, Retailers and Installers, click here.
Filler for eNews
From the lenses of the Brenda Priddy & Co. spy photographers, new photos have surfaced of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GLK, a compact SUV entering the ring with the BMW X3 and Audi’s forthcoming Q5. The GLK moniker basically translates as "short version of GL" as “K” is a diminutive of the German "kurz," meaning short.
The GLK will use technical components from the new C-class, and will stay very close in design to the larger GL. A 3.5L V6 will send power through the 7G-Tronic TouchShift automatic transmission—expected standard on all versions—to the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. A V8-powered GLK63 AMG is also not unlikely.
Expected to debut at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the GLK will launch as a 2009 model, and Benz is betting on it to appeal to Americans’ sense for downsized SUVs.