Recognizing the increasing global appeal of specialty automotive style and performance equipment, SEMA presented the fourth annual Global Media Awards to select member companies. Held at the 2007 SEMA Show, the award ceremony attracted hundreds of international buyers, U.S. Department of Commerce officials, SEMA-member company representatives and the press.

Winners were selected by a prestigious jury comprised of international journalists representing 51 titles. The voting panel reviewed over 1,500 new style and performance products introduced at the SEMA Show, and from these each journalist selected products that would most interest enthusiasts in their respective country.

"Our goal was to have media experts from around the world determine which new products are likely to succeed in their home markets,” said Linda Spencer, SEMA director of international and government relations. “Publications from 25 countries were represented on our panel of judges this year.”

In total, 263 new products from 180 companies were honored, ranging from sophisticated performance and navigation computer systems to replica car chassis and body parts builders.

“SEMA’s Global Media Award reflects the niche market segments our member companies have helped establish,” Spencer added. “This award represents one of SEMA’s latest initiatives to recognize the innovation, creativity and drive of our member companies. These awards confirm that the specialty-equipment market has indeed gone global.”

Following are the winners of the 2007 SEMA Global Media Awards:

For information on SEMA's international programs and opportunities, visit www.sema.org/international or contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

Want to increase the efficiency of all those cold calls and hard-won leads? "Turbocharge Your Telephone Effectiveness," led by The Call Coach Peter Belanger, will teach you the best practices in Telephone Business Development (inside sales, telesales, telemarketing and more) for in-house salespeople, field salespeople, marketing professionals, management, or simply anyone who wants to convert more business over the phone.

Turbocharge Your Telephone Effectiveness
Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 10 a.m. (PST)
Presenter: Peter Belanger, The Call Coach

How to Participate
During the webinar, you'll be able to interact and ask questions through the computer or over the phone. Simply follow these steps:

• View the presentation during the webinar by clicking here the day of the webinar.
• Connect to the audio portion of the webinar by calling toll-free 866/637-2754, pin 1542 (The audio portion can be heard from your telephone used during the webinar.)

Be sure to explore all past webinars and plan for upcoming sessions by clicking here.

SEMA's webinar sessions throughout the year provide business-building tools and insight to members anywhere with a computer. Past sessions have covered industry issues such as minimum advertised pricing policies and intellectual property rights, and provided tools for success, including how to take advantage of media opportunities and maximize your trade show experience.

The four webinar sessions recently made available for download here include:

• Lean Thinking - The Toyota Way of Doing Business
  
• Making the Most of Your Media Moments at the SEMA Show
  
• Unlocking Hidden Profits Through OEM CAD Data
  
• Get Paid: Avoiding Slow / Non-paying Customers and Collecting Debt
  

To view all webinars available for download, click here. To view upcoming presentations that you can attend via the telephone and Internet, click here.

The SEMA staff and volunteers extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to those in the SEMA community who have suffered losses in the Southern California wildfires.

Members who have fire-related issues and are seeking assistance can call the SEMA Membership Department: 909-396-0289 ext. 138 or ext. 121.

Exhibitors that have difficulty delivering their freight to the SEMA Show due to the fires should call the SEMA Show HOTLINE: 702-943-3505.

The SEMA Show Management will assist with your needs, and the hall will remain available as needed for show setup.  Call NOW if you need more information and to keep Show Management apprised of your status.

In addition, up-to-the-minute traffic info is available from Caltrans at www.dot.ca.gov.

Filler for eNews

Toyota Corporate Marketing Manager Brian Smith will deliver his presentation "Marketing for Personalization" at the 2007 SEMA Show Luncheon and Keynote Address, 12:00 p.m., Monday, October 29, in the Las Vegas Hilton, Ballrooms A & B. The presentation includes a 20-minute PowerPoint and Q&A session, and will touch on specialty-equipment marketing support for both Scion and the Tundra. The luncheon discussion will illustrate the importance of vehicle personalization and the specialty-equipment industry to the Toyota brands.

As part of its partnership with the 2007 SEMA Show, Hot Wheels will introduce the Hot Wheels Design Award, which will be awarded to four customized vehicles that embody the essence of the Hot Wheels brand, including speed, power, performance and attitude. Hot Wheels will also present the Best Custom Car and Best Custom Truck awards, both new to the Show, at the annual New Product Awards Breakfast.

“Hot Wheels has been a participant at SEMA for many years, and we’re thrilled to kick off our 40th anniversary with an even bigger presence at this year’s Show,” said Geoff Walker, vice president of wheels marketing, Mattel brands. “The theme ‘Fueling the Passion for Hot Wheels’ captures the influence the automotive industry has had on the Hot Wheels brand over the years, as well as our influence and inspiration on the industry.”

Hot Wheels will also make its mark with life-size Hot Wheels vehicles, various brand artifacts, memorabilia and collectibles placed throughout the hall.

To view all of the activities at the 2007 SEMA Show, click here.

Hot Rod Magazine will recognize the 10 charter inductees of the Speed Parts Hall of Fame during the SEMA New Product Awards Breakfast at the 2007 SEMA Show. The Hot Rod Speed Parts Hall of Fame showcases will also be on display near the entrance to the Grand Lobby between the North and Central halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The New Product Awards Breakfast is scheduled for Tuesday, October 30, 7:30 a.m.–8:45 a.m., Las Vegas Hilton, Ballrooms A–C and E–F.

Hot Rod conceived the Speed Parts Hall of Fame after recognizing the lack of a formal, permanent hall of fame that recognizes the impact that specific performance parts have had on the industry’s success, its culture, and, ultimately, on the readers of Hot Rod. After the 2007 SEMA Show, the Hot Rod Speed Parts Hall of Fame showcases will be part of Hot Rod’s 60th anniversary exhibit at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at the Fairplex in Pomona, California.

To view all of the activities at the 2007 SEMA Show, click here.

Bobit Business Media has acquired Hotrod & Restoration magazine and trade show from Hotrod & Performance, LLC, based in Fullerton, California.

Hotrod & Restoration magazine is targeted to hot rod and restoration businesses including retailers, rod builders, restorers, engine builders, fabricators and machine shops. The Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show, held annually in Indianapolis, is the largest hot-rod and restoration trade show in the world with more than 3,000 attendees and over 200 exhibitors.

Corporate Solutions of Westport, Connecticut was Hotrod & Performance’s exclusive advisor in arranging, structuring and negotiating this transaction. 

“Hotrod & Restoration will be a great addition to our automotive aftermarket media group," stated Ty Bobit, President and CEO of Bobit Business Media. "The magazine and trade show totally complement our Precision Engine and Auto Trim & Restyling News publications, and this provides us with an event platform for the automotive aftermarket. We’re also pleased that Debbie Lewis, HRR’s publisher, will be joining us. She and her late husband, Jim Lewis, built a great property and are heroes to the hot rod world.” 

Group publisher Travis Weeks, manages BBM’s automotive aftermarket portfolio.

"I personally am very excited to have the opportunity to join a larger family of automotive aftermarket business publications," Lewis said. "This affords Hotrod & Restoration as a company, and the entire hot-rod, street-rod and restoration market and its members access to greater resources to facilitate our growth. Through this acquisition we are all in a very good place, even better positioned for a lot more cohesive growth in the future. Bobit Business Media has the same entrepreneurial spirit that has gotten us all to where we are today. I see that continuing and getting even better."

Bobit Business Media was founded in 1961 with the launching of Automotive Fleet in Glenview, Illinois. For over 45 years, the company has grown to publishing over 20 various trade publications covering five different markets: automotive, automotive aftermarket, ground transportation, protection and beauty.

Hotrod and Performance, LLC was founded in 1998. The hot-rod, street-rod, musclecar, performance and restoration trade show in Indianapolis draws thousands of buyers each year, a connection that continues year-round in the pages of Hotrod & Restoration.