SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Meet PRO’s Leadership: Scott Wolin and Ellen McKoy

	Scott Wolin is the new chair of PRO.

Scott Wolin is an industry veteran who has served in a number of roles within SEMA and the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) over the past 25 years. He became PRO’s chair on July 1, his second run in the position. Wolin is the sales manager for Chicago Parts & Sound (CPS), a company focused on supporting dealership customers by improving their sales. As such, he focuses on educating dealers about the benefits of accessorizing and growing CPS’s key markets.

Ellen McKoy is now the chair-elect, and she also brings a wealth of experience to the select committee. Though she has been active in the industry in a variety of roles since the mid-’70s, she currently focuses on two enterprises. McKoy owns EMK Marketing—a marketing, public relations and editorial consulting company—and is also the editor of Trucking Times magazine.

Wolin and McKoy caught up with SEMA Member News and shared a few thoughts about council membership.

SEMA Member News: Why are you involved in PRO?

Scott Wolin: I’ve been involved in PRO for a long time because I’m dedicated to this industry and wanted to learn as much as possible and meet other industry enthusiasts and business owners. I now enjoy being in the position where I can help our industry grow and work on continuous improvements in all aspects of our business.

Ellen McKoy is the new chair-elect of PRO.

Ellen McKoy: I’ve always believed the restyling industry needs a collective voice to address issues that are important to our market segment. PRO is that voice. I’ve been active in PRO in one capacity or another since I helped to found the group in 1988, and I want to continue to share my experience, learn from others and support the industry.

SMN: What have you gained from your council involvement?

SW: As I mentioned earlier, I’ve learned about our industry and business and met industry leaders, business owners and other talented people. I also gained a network of great friends along the way. I believe that being part of a professional organization is essential for professional development and growth and to give back to our business community.

EM: Being involved helps me stay abreast of what’s happening in our industry. It’s an exceptional opportunity to work with like-minded colleagues on issues relevant to our market and develop strategies for dealing with them. The networking opportunities are invaluable and the friendships long-lasting.

SMN: What do you hope to accomplish during your term?

SW: I look forward to finalizing and launching the projects that we are currently working on. These include our Seating Certificate Program and our many SEMA Show activities—all of which are designed to bring business value to our PRO membership. And, of course, an important goal is to increase our membership. I also plan to work closely with the other SEMA councils, board members and staff to share PRO activities and best practices. My main objective is to work together as a team, grow our industry and provide value to our membership.

EM: Restylers are the primary conduit to the car-dealer community. It’s important that we continue to inform dealers of the benefits of vehicle accessorization and provide our members with the tools to be successful. Whether we’re providing resources to improve members’ businesses or skill levels, addressing challenges and exploring opportunities or mentoring the next generation, my goal is to help in these efforts.

SMN: Why should companies join the council?

SW: Council membership shows your support for our industry and raises the bar of professionalism for your company. The information and networking opportunities provided are invaluable and are guaranteed to help you grow and develop your business for the long run. I look forward to seeing all of you at the SEMA Show this year.

EM: There is strength in numbers. By joining PRO and becoming actively involved, every member can make a difference, share ideas, build new relationships and be part of that collective voice for change and progress.

SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Meet PRO’s Leadership: Scott Wolin and Ellen McKoy

	Scott Wolin is the new chair of PRO.

Scott Wolin is an industry veteran who has served in a number of roles within SEMA and the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) over the past 25 years. He became PRO’s chair on July 1, his second run in the position. Wolin is the sales manager for Chicago Parts & Sound (CPS), a company focused on supporting dealership customers by improving their sales. As such, he focuses on educating dealers about the benefits of accessorizing and growing CPS’s key markets.

Ellen McKoy is now the chair-elect, and she also brings a wealth of experience to the select committee. Though she has been active in the industry in a variety of roles since the mid-’70s, she currently focuses on two enterprises. McKoy owns EMK Marketing—a marketing, public relations and editorial consulting company—and is also the editor of Trucking Times magazine.

Wolin and McKoy caught up with SEMA Member News and shared a few thoughts about council membership.

SEMA Member News: Why are you involved in PRO?

Scott Wolin: I’ve been involved in PRO for a long time because I’m dedicated to this industry and wanted to learn as much as possible and meet other industry enthusiasts and business owners. I now enjoy being in the position where I can help our industry grow and work on continuous improvements in all aspects of our business.

Ellen McKoy is the new chair-elect of PRO.

Ellen McKoy: I’ve always believed the restyling industry needs a collective voice to address issues that are important to our market segment. PRO is that voice. I’ve been active in PRO in one capacity or another since I helped to found the group in 1988, and I want to continue to share my experience, learn from others and support the industry.

SMN: What have you gained from your council involvement?

SW: As I mentioned earlier, I’ve learned about our industry and business and met industry leaders, business owners and other talented people. I also gained a network of great friends along the way. I believe that being part of a professional organization is essential for professional development and growth and to give back to our business community.

EM: Being involved helps me stay abreast of what’s happening in our industry. It’s an exceptional opportunity to work with like-minded colleagues on issues relevant to our market and develop strategies for dealing with them. The networking opportunities are invaluable and the friendships long-lasting.

SMN: What do you hope to accomplish during your term?

SW: I look forward to finalizing and launching the projects that we are currently working on. These include our Seating Certificate Program and our many SEMA Show activities—all of which are designed to bring business value to our PRO membership. And, of course, an important goal is to increase our membership. I also plan to work closely with the other SEMA councils, board members and staff to share PRO activities and best practices. My main objective is to work together as a team, grow our industry and provide value to our membership.

EM: Restylers are the primary conduit to the car-dealer community. It’s important that we continue to inform dealers of the benefits of vehicle accessorization and provide our members with the tools to be successful. Whether we’re providing resources to improve members’ businesses or skill levels, addressing challenges and exploring opportunities or mentoring the next generation, my goal is to help in these efforts.

SMN: Why should companies join the council?

SW: Council membership shows your support for our industry and raises the bar of professionalism for your company. The information and networking opportunities provided are invaluable and are guaranteed to help you grow and develop your business for the long run. I look forward to seeing all of you at the SEMA Show this year.

EM: There is strength in numbers. By joining PRO and becoming actively involved, every member can make a difference, share ideas, build new relationships and be part of that collective voice for change and progress.

SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Media Trade Conference Creates Opportunities for Manufacturers

	The 18th MPMC Media Trade Conference was held January in Santa Ana, California. Every year, 100 MPMC-member companies meet individually with editors from around the country.

After 18 years of success, the SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council’s (MPMC) annual Media Trade Conference (MTC) is still going strong. Every January, the conference takes place at an Embassy Suites in Southern California, where 100 MPMC members set up meeting space in their own individual suites and host 30-minute meetings with journalists.

Key company executives ranging from company owners, presidents and marketing staff to R&D experts and technical experts set up the suites, and members of the media are invited to sign up for private, uninterrupted appointments. During the meetings, the editors learn in-depth details about each company and its products.

Council leadership regularly hears from journalists that the MTC is one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn about what is new in the motorsports industry. After the three-day event, many editors walk away knowing what their next year’s content will be. With that kind of response from motorsports media, it follows that the week is a valuable investment for manufacturers seeking
product exposure.

Brian Downard, vice president of sales and marketing for Lokar, remarked how pleased he was with the quality of participants at this year’s MTC. Lokar personnel have participated in the event several times and often get to meet with media they might not see anywhere else.

Throughout the year, Downard’s team keeps a close eye out for coverage resulting from the event. In addition to magazine articles, the company has had the opportunity to participate in interviews for television, radio and web-based publications. Downard and his team track all of this, which helps them prepare for their meetings at the conference and start building relationships with the editors.

“If it’s someone that we haven’t met with before, we just kind of get to know them,” Downard said of his onsite strategy. “It’s really good for building relationships and taking a minute to know what these guys are up to, what they think, what they’re working on. I don’t know of a better venue to sit and meet people and talk strictly about you. You need to sit there and learn about who you’re dealing with, but you also need to take that time and talk about you. You need to talk about your program and what you have, what projects you’re pushing.”

Downard also knows that his job isn’t finished at the end of the 30-minute meeting.

“The main thing is follow-up,” he said. “Don’t walk out of there in January thinking that’s it for the year. Make sure you follow up with people and keep track of them and see what’s going on—how things are going, if there’s anything that has caused them delays in their deadlines or anything you can help them with.”

His best advice for other exhibitors is this: “It’s like anything else in life—you get out of it what you put into it.”

MPMC Award Winners Honored

John DiBartolomeo, editor of Drag Racing Action, was presented with the Robert E. Petersen Award during the MTC. Each year, MPMC takes time during an evening reception to honor and thank an individual in the media whose work has enhanced the motorsports industry.

DiBartolomeo is known among racers for his enthusiastic support of motorsports and the parts manufacturing niche. He routinely publishes technical articles, bringing exposure to many council-member companies’ products. Along with his coverage of drag-racing events around the country, DiBartolomeo supports the council as a media attendee at the MTC and volunteers his time to photograph MPMC’s events at the Performance Racing Industry Show.

MPMC Chair Rich Barsamian also took a moment to present Chair-Elect Chris Douglas with a chairman’s award in thanks for his leadership. Douglas grew up in a family of circle-track racers and raced professionally with career starts in NASCAR, ARCA and ASA. After spending several years as the operating partner of a start-up stock-car driving school, he joined Comp Cams as a marketing coordinator in 2003 and has since progressed to the position of vice president of marketing. He has participated in numerous volunteer positions with SEMA and its councils, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to the industry and prepare the way for future generations.

The MPMC Media Trade Conference exhibitor application will open at the beginning of August. For more information about the event, contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org.

SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Media Trade Conference Creates Opportunities for Manufacturers

	The 18th MPMC Media Trade Conference was held January in Santa Ana, California. Every year, 100 MPMC-member companies meet individually with editors from around the country.

After 18 years of success, the SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council’s (MPMC) annual Media Trade Conference (MTC) is still going strong. Every January, the conference takes place at an Embassy Suites in Southern California, where 100 MPMC members set up meeting space in their own individual suites and host 30-minute meetings with journalists.

Key company executives ranging from company owners, presidents and marketing staff to R&D experts and technical experts set up the suites, and members of the media are invited to sign up for private, uninterrupted appointments. During the meetings, the editors learn in-depth details about each company and its products.

Council leadership regularly hears from journalists that the MTC is one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn about what is new in the motorsports industry. After the three-day event, many editors walk away knowing what their next year’s content will be. With that kind of response from motorsports media, it follows that the week is a valuable investment for manufacturers seeking
product exposure.

Brian Downard, vice president of sales and marketing for Lokar, remarked how pleased he was with the quality of participants at this year’s MTC. Lokar personnel have participated in the event several times and often get to meet with media they might not see anywhere else.

Throughout the year, Downard’s team keeps a close eye out for coverage resulting from the event. In addition to magazine articles, the company has had the opportunity to participate in interviews for television, radio and web-based publications. Downard and his team track all of this, which helps them prepare for their meetings at the conference and start building relationships with the editors.

“If it’s someone that we haven’t met with before, we just kind of get to know them,” Downard said of his onsite strategy. “It’s really good for building relationships and taking a minute to know what these guys are up to, what they think, what they’re working on. I don’t know of a better venue to sit and meet people and talk strictly about you. You need to sit there and learn about who you’re dealing with, but you also need to take that time and talk about you. You need to talk about your program and what you have, what projects you’re pushing.”

Downard also knows that his job isn’t finished at the end of the 30-minute meeting.

“The main thing is follow-up,” he said. “Don’t walk out of there in January thinking that’s it for the year. Make sure you follow up with people and keep track of them and see what’s going on—how things are going, if there’s anything that has caused them delays in their deadlines or anything you can help them with.”

His best advice for other exhibitors is this: “It’s like anything else in life—you get out of it what you put into it.”

MPMC Award Winners Honored

John DiBartolomeo, editor of Drag Racing Action, was presented with the Robert E. Petersen Award during the MTC. Each year, MPMC takes time during an evening reception to honor and thank an individual in the media whose work has enhanced the motorsports industry.

DiBartolomeo is known among racers for his enthusiastic support of motorsports and the parts manufacturing niche. He routinely publishes technical articles, bringing exposure to many council-member companies’ products. Along with his coverage of drag-racing events around the country, DiBartolomeo supports the council as a media attendee at the MTC and volunteers his time to photograph MPMC’s events at the Performance Racing Industry Show.

MPMC Chair Rich Barsamian also took a moment to present Chair-Elect Chris Douglas with a chairman’s award in thanks for his leadership. Douglas grew up in a family of circle-track racers and raced professionally with career starts in NASCAR, ARCA and ASA. After spending several years as the operating partner of a start-up stock-car driving school, he joined Comp Cams as a marketing coordinator in 2003 and has since progressed to the position of vice president of marketing. He has participated in numerous volunteer positions with SEMA and its councils, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to the industry and prepare the way for future generations.

The MPMC Media Trade Conference exhibitor application will open at the beginning of August. For more information about the event, contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org.

SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Media Trade Conference Creates Opportunities for Manufacturers

	The 18th MPMC Media Trade Conference was held January in Santa Ana, California. Every year, 100 MPMC-member companies meet individually with editors from around the country.

After 18 years of success, the SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council’s (MPMC) annual Media Trade Conference (MTC) is still going strong. Every January, the conference takes place at an Embassy Suites in Southern California, where 100 MPMC members set up meeting space in their own individual suites and host 30-minute meetings with journalists.

Key company executives ranging from company owners, presidents and marketing staff to R&D experts and technical experts set up the suites, and members of the media are invited to sign up for private, uninterrupted appointments. During the meetings, the editors learn in-depth details about each company and its products.

Council leadership regularly hears from journalists that the MTC is one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn about what is new in the motorsports industry. After the three-day event, many editors walk away knowing what their next year’s content will be. With that kind of response from motorsports media, it follows that the week is a valuable investment for manufacturers seeking
product exposure.

Brian Downard, vice president of sales and marketing for Lokar, remarked how pleased he was with the quality of participants at this year’s MTC. Lokar personnel have participated in the event several times and often get to meet with media they might not see anywhere else.

Throughout the year, Downard’s team keeps a close eye out for coverage resulting from the event. In addition to magazine articles, the company has had the opportunity to participate in interviews for television, radio and web-based publications. Downard and his team track all of this, which helps them prepare for their meetings at the conference and start building relationships with the editors.

“If it’s someone that we haven’t met with before, we just kind of get to know them,” Downard said of his onsite strategy. “It’s really good for building relationships and taking a minute to know what these guys are up to, what they think, what they’re working on. I don’t know of a better venue to sit and meet people and talk strictly about you. You need to sit there and learn about who you’re dealing with, but you also need to take that time and talk about you. You need to talk about your program and what you have, what projects you’re pushing.”

Downard also knows that his job isn’t finished at the end of the 30-minute meeting.

“The main thing is follow-up,” he said. “Don’t walk out of there in January thinking that’s it for the year. Make sure you follow up with people and keep track of them and see what’s going on—how things are going, if there’s anything that has caused them delays in their deadlines or anything you can help them with.”

His best advice for other exhibitors is this: “It’s like anything else in life—you get out of it what you put into it.”

MPMC Award Winners Honored

John DiBartolomeo, editor of Drag Racing Action, was presented with the Robert E. Petersen Award during the MTC. Each year, MPMC takes time during an evening reception to honor and thank an individual in the media whose work has enhanced the motorsports industry.

DiBartolomeo is known among racers for his enthusiastic support of motorsports and the parts manufacturing niche. He routinely publishes technical articles, bringing exposure to many council-member companies’ products. Along with his coverage of drag-racing events around the country, DiBartolomeo supports the council as a media attendee at the MTC and volunteers his time to photograph MPMC’s events at the Performance Racing Industry Show.

MPMC Chair Rich Barsamian also took a moment to present Chair-Elect Chris Douglas with a chairman’s award in thanks for his leadership. Douglas grew up in a family of circle-track racers and raced professionally with career starts in NASCAR, ARCA and ASA. After spending several years as the operating partner of a start-up stock-car driving school, he joined Comp Cams as a marketing coordinator in 2003 and has since progressed to the position of vice president of marketing. He has participated in numerous volunteer positions with SEMA and its councils, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to the industry and prepare the way for future generations.

The MPMC Media Trade Conference exhibitor application will open at the beginning of August. For more information about the event, contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org.

SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Media Trade Conference Creates Opportunities for Manufacturers

	The 18th MPMC Media Trade Conference was held January in Santa Ana, California. Every year, 100 MPMC-member companies meet individually with editors from around the country.

After 18 years of success, the SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council’s (MPMC) annual Media Trade Conference (MTC) is still going strong. Every January, the conference takes place at an Embassy Suites in Southern California, where 100 MPMC members set up meeting space in their own individual suites and host 30-minute meetings with journalists.

Key company executives ranging from company owners, presidents and marketing staff to R&D experts and technical experts set up the suites, and members of the media are invited to sign up for private, uninterrupted appointments. During the meetings, the editors learn in-depth details about each company and its products.

Council leadership regularly hears from journalists that the MTC is one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn about what is new in the motorsports industry. After the three-day event, many editors walk away knowing what their next year’s content will be. With that kind of response from motorsports media, it follows that the week is a valuable investment for manufacturers seeking
product exposure.

Brian Downard, vice president of sales and marketing for Lokar, remarked how pleased he was with the quality of participants at this year’s MTC. Lokar personnel have participated in the event several times and often get to meet with media they might not see anywhere else.

Throughout the year, Downard’s team keeps a close eye out for coverage resulting from the event. In addition to magazine articles, the company has had the opportunity to participate in interviews for television, radio and web-based publications. Downard and his team track all of this, which helps them prepare for their meetings at the conference and start building relationships with the editors.

“If it’s someone that we haven’t met with before, we just kind of get to know them,” Downard said of his onsite strategy. “It’s really good for building relationships and taking a minute to know what these guys are up to, what they think, what they’re working on. I don’t know of a better venue to sit and meet people and talk strictly about you. You need to sit there and learn about who you’re dealing with, but you also need to take that time and talk about you. You need to talk about your program and what you have, what projects you’re pushing.”

Downard also knows that his job isn’t finished at the end of the 30-minute meeting.

“The main thing is follow-up,” he said. “Don’t walk out of there in January thinking that’s it for the year. Make sure you follow up with people and keep track of them and see what’s going on—how things are going, if there’s anything that has caused them delays in their deadlines or anything you can help them with.”

His best advice for other exhibitors is this: “It’s like anything else in life—you get out of it what you put into it.”

MPMC Award Winners Honored

John DiBartolomeo, editor of Drag Racing Action, was presented with the Robert E. Petersen Award during the MTC. Each year, MPMC takes time during an evening reception to honor and thank an individual in the media whose work has enhanced the motorsports industry.

DiBartolomeo is known among racers for his enthusiastic support of motorsports and the parts manufacturing niche. He routinely publishes technical articles, bringing exposure to many council-member companies’ products. Along with his coverage of drag-racing events around the country, DiBartolomeo supports the council as a media attendee at the MTC and volunteers his time to photograph MPMC’s events at the Performance Racing Industry Show.

MPMC Chair Rich Barsamian also took a moment to present Chair-Elect Chris Douglas with a chairman’s award in thanks for his leadership. Douglas grew up in a family of circle-track racers and raced professionally with career starts in NASCAR, ARCA and ASA. After spending several years as the operating partner of a start-up stock-car driving school, he joined Comp Cams as a marketing coordinator in 2003 and has since progressed to the position of vice president of marketing. He has participated in numerous volunteer positions with SEMA and its councils, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to the industry and prepare the way for future generations.

The MPMC Media Trade Conference exhibitor application will open at the beginning of August. For more information about the event, contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org.

SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Media Trade Conference Creates Opportunities for Manufacturers

	The 18th MPMC Media Trade Conference was held January in Santa Ana, California. Every year, 100 MPMC-member companies meet individually with editors from around the country.

After 18 years of success, the SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council’s (MPMC) annual Media Trade Conference (MTC) is still going strong. Every January, the conference takes place at an Embassy Suites in Southern California, where 100 MPMC members set up meeting space in their own individual suites and host 30-minute meetings with journalists.

Key company executives ranging from company owners, presidents and marketing staff to R&D experts and technical experts set up the suites, and members of the media are invited to sign up for private, uninterrupted appointments. During the meetings, the editors learn in-depth details about each company and its products.

Council leadership regularly hears from journalists that the MTC is one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn about what is new in the motorsports industry. After the three-day event, many editors walk away knowing what their next year’s content will be. With that kind of response from motorsports media, it follows that the week is a valuable investment for manufacturers seeking
product exposure.

Brian Downard, vice president of sales and marketing for Lokar, remarked how pleased he was with the quality of participants at this year’s MTC. Lokar personnel have participated in the event several times and often get to meet with media they might not see anywhere else.

Throughout the year, Downard’s team keeps a close eye out for coverage resulting from the event. In addition to magazine articles, the company has had the opportunity to participate in interviews for television, radio and web-based publications. Downard and his team track all of this, which helps them prepare for their meetings at the conference and start building relationships with the editors.

“If it’s someone that we haven’t met with before, we just kind of get to know them,” Downard said of his onsite strategy. “It’s really good for building relationships and taking a minute to know what these guys are up to, what they think, what they’re working on. I don’t know of a better venue to sit and meet people and talk strictly about you. You need to sit there and learn about who you’re dealing with, but you also need to take that time and talk about you. You need to talk about your program and what you have, what projects you’re pushing.”

Downard also knows that his job isn’t finished at the end of the 30-minute meeting.

“The main thing is follow-up,” he said. “Don’t walk out of there in January thinking that’s it for the year. Make sure you follow up with people and keep track of them and see what’s going on—how things are going, if there’s anything that has caused them delays in their deadlines or anything you can help them with.”

His best advice for other exhibitors is this: “It’s like anything else in life—you get out of it what you put into it.”

MPMC Award Winners Honored

John DiBartolomeo, editor of Drag Racing Action, was presented with the Robert E. Petersen Award during the MTC. Each year, MPMC takes time during an evening reception to honor and thank an individual in the media whose work has enhanced the motorsports industry.

DiBartolomeo is known among racers for his enthusiastic support of motorsports and the parts manufacturing niche. He routinely publishes technical articles, bringing exposure to many council-member companies’ products. Along with his coverage of drag-racing events around the country, DiBartolomeo supports the council as a media attendee at the MTC and volunteers his time to photograph MPMC’s events at the Performance Racing Industry Show.

MPMC Chair Rich Barsamian also took a moment to present Chair-Elect Chris Douglas with a chairman’s award in thanks for his leadership. Douglas grew up in a family of circle-track racers and raced professionally with career starts in NASCAR, ARCA and ASA. After spending several years as the operating partner of a start-up stock-car driving school, he joined Comp Cams as a marketing coordinator in 2003 and has since progressed to the position of vice president of marketing. He has participated in numerous volunteer positions with SEMA and its councils, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to the industry and prepare the way for future generations.

The MPMC Media Trade Conference exhibitor application will open at the beginning of August. For more information about the event, contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org.

SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Media Trade Conference Creates Opportunities for Manufacturers

	The 18th MPMC Media Trade Conference was held January in Santa Ana, California. Every year, 100 MPMC-member companies meet individually with editors from around the country.

After 18 years of success, the SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council’s (MPMC) annual Media Trade Conference (MTC) is still going strong. Every January, the conference takes place at an Embassy Suites in Southern California, where 100 MPMC members set up meeting space in their own individual suites and host 30-minute meetings with journalists.

Key company executives ranging from company owners, presidents and marketing staff to R&D experts and technical experts set up the suites, and members of the media are invited to sign up for private, uninterrupted appointments. During the meetings, the editors learn in-depth details about each company and its products.

Council leadership regularly hears from journalists that the MTC is one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn about what is new in the motorsports industry. After the three-day event, many editors walk away knowing what their next year’s content will be. With that kind of response from motorsports media, it follows that the week is a valuable investment for manufacturers seeking
product exposure.

Brian Downard, vice president of sales and marketing for Lokar, remarked how pleased he was with the quality of participants at this year’s MTC. Lokar personnel have participated in the event several times and often get to meet with media they might not see anywhere else.

Throughout the year, Downard’s team keeps a close eye out for coverage resulting from the event. In addition to magazine articles, the company has had the opportunity to participate in interviews for television, radio and web-based publications. Downard and his team track all of this, which helps them prepare for their meetings at the conference and start building relationships with the editors.

“If it’s someone that we haven’t met with before, we just kind of get to know them,” Downard said of his onsite strategy. “It’s really good for building relationships and taking a minute to know what these guys are up to, what they think, what they’re working on. I don’t know of a better venue to sit and meet people and talk strictly about you. You need to sit there and learn about who you’re dealing with, but you also need to take that time and talk about you. You need to talk about your program and what you have, what projects you’re pushing.”

Downard also knows that his job isn’t finished at the end of the 30-minute meeting.

“The main thing is follow-up,” he said. “Don’t walk out of there in January thinking that’s it for the year. Make sure you follow up with people and keep track of them and see what’s going on—how things are going, if there’s anything that has caused them delays in their deadlines or anything you can help them with.”

His best advice for other exhibitors is this: “It’s like anything else in life—you get out of it what you put into it.”

MPMC Award Winners Honored

John DiBartolomeo, editor of Drag Racing Action, was presented with the Robert E. Petersen Award during the MTC. Each year, MPMC takes time during an evening reception to honor and thank an individual in the media whose work has enhanced the motorsports industry.

DiBartolomeo is known among racers for his enthusiastic support of motorsports and the parts manufacturing niche. He routinely publishes technical articles, bringing exposure to many council-member companies’ products. Along with his coverage of drag-racing events around the country, DiBartolomeo supports the council as a media attendee at the MTC and volunteers his time to photograph MPMC’s events at the Performance Racing Industry Show.

MPMC Chair Rich Barsamian also took a moment to present Chair-Elect Chris Douglas with a chairman’s award in thanks for his leadership. Douglas grew up in a family of circle-track racers and raced professionally with career starts in NASCAR, ARCA and ASA. After spending several years as the operating partner of a start-up stock-car driving school, he joined Comp Cams as a marketing coordinator in 2003 and has since progressed to the position of vice president of marketing. He has participated in numerous volunteer positions with SEMA and its councils, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to the industry and prepare the way for future generations.

The MPMC Media Trade Conference exhibitor application will open at the beginning of August. For more information about the event, contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org.

SEMA Member News—July/August 2015

Media Trade Conference Creates Opportunities for Manufacturers

	The 18th MPMC Media Trade Conference was held January in Santa Ana, California. Every year, 100 MPMC-member companies meet individually with editors from around the country.

After 18 years of success, the SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council’s (MPMC) annual Media Trade Conference (MTC) is still going strong. Every January, the conference takes place at an Embassy Suites in Southern California, where 100 MPMC members set up meeting space in their own individual suites and host 30-minute meetings with journalists.

Key company executives ranging from company owners, presidents and marketing staff to R&D experts and technical experts set up the suites, and members of the media are invited to sign up for private, uninterrupted appointments. During the meetings, the editors learn in-depth details about each company and its products.

Council leadership regularly hears from journalists that the MTC is one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn about what is new in the motorsports industry. After the three-day event, many editors walk away knowing what their next year’s content will be. With that kind of response from motorsports media, it follows that the week is a valuable investment for manufacturers seeking
product exposure.

Brian Downard, vice president of sales and marketing for Lokar, remarked how pleased he was with the quality of participants at this year’s MTC. Lokar personnel have participated in the event several times and often get to meet with media they might not see anywhere else.

Throughout the year, Downard’s team keeps a close eye out for coverage resulting from the event. In addition to magazine articles, the company has had the opportunity to participate in interviews for television, radio and web-based publications. Downard and his team track all of this, which helps them prepare for their meetings at the conference and start building relationships with the editors.

“If it’s someone that we haven’t met with before, we just kind of get to know them,” Downard said of his onsite strategy. “It’s really good for building relationships and taking a minute to know what these guys are up to, what they think, what they’re working on. I don’t know of a better venue to sit and meet people and talk strictly about you. You need to sit there and learn about who you’re dealing with, but you also need to take that time and talk about you. You need to talk about your program and what you have, what projects you’re pushing.”

Downard also knows that his job isn’t finished at the end of the 30-minute meeting.

“The main thing is follow-up,” he said. “Don’t walk out of there in January thinking that’s it for the year. Make sure you follow up with people and keep track of them and see what’s going on—how things are going, if there’s anything that has caused them delays in their deadlines or anything you can help them with.”

His best advice for other exhibitors is this: “It’s like anything else in life—you get out of it what you put into it.”

MPMC Award Winners Honored

John DiBartolomeo, editor of Drag Racing Action, was presented with the Robert E. Petersen Award during the MTC. Each year, MPMC takes time during an evening reception to honor and thank an individual in the media whose work has enhanced the motorsports industry.

DiBartolomeo is known among racers for his enthusiastic support of motorsports and the parts manufacturing niche. He routinely publishes technical articles, bringing exposure to many council-member companies’ products. Along with his coverage of drag-racing events around the country, DiBartolomeo supports the council as a media attendee at the MTC and volunteers his time to photograph MPMC’s events at the Performance Racing Industry Show.

MPMC Chair Rich Barsamian also took a moment to present Chair-Elect Chris Douglas with a chairman’s award in thanks for his leadership. Douglas grew up in a family of circle-track racers and raced professionally with career starts in NASCAR, ARCA and ASA. After spending several years as the operating partner of a start-up stock-car driving school, he joined Comp Cams as a marketing coordinator in 2003 and has since progressed to the position of vice president of marketing. He has participated in numerous volunteer positions with SEMA and its councils, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to the industry and prepare the way for future generations.

The MPMC Media Trade Conference exhibitor application will open at the beginning of August. For more information about the event, contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org.

SEMA News—July 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

SEMA: Delivering Business Tools for You—Are You Using Them Yet?

With the arrival of July, SEMA initiates a new fiscal year and budget. It’s an exciting and challenging time for both the association staff and the Board of Directors. As we embark on another financial cycle, we can report that good management and long-term financial planning have put the association in position to invest in tools and programs to help members with product development, vehicle technology integration, regulatory compliance and delivering digital marketing content to the world. We are pressing forward today with significant services and tools that will benefit members for years to come. But you have to use the programs to get the benefits!

For example, we purchased the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show and magazine and consolidated them with the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) in Indianapolis, creating a more efficient trade show landscape for the racing segment. The PRI Trade Show is delivering outstanding return on investment (ROI) for attendees, and the 2015 show is shaping up to be another great event. If you have not been to the show lately, I urge you to join us in Indy this December and check it out for yourself.

We’re helping members grow sales through the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC), our member-owned product data repository, which now boasts industry-leading data volume and reseller participation. SDC is bringing more manufacturer product lines into the “search-click-found” era, and it’s helping resellers to easily use this powerful marketing information. The new SEMA Search look-up tool further enhances the ROI for those participating in the SDC. If you aren’t benefitting yet as an SDC member, take the time to contact us and make joining a priority.

We’ve also expanded SEMA’s Vehicle Technology tools by launching the SEMA Garage and leveraging OE relationships to support benefits such as Tech Transfer. Member manufacturers now have access to original OEM computer-aided design files, rapid prototyping technology and a smooth pathway to California Air Resources Board and Environmental Protection Agency emissions certification—all at the SEMA Garage.

We’ve expanded our International Trade Conferences, which have been highly rated by participants and earned significant financial support from the U.S. Department of Commerce. These initiatives have yielded new sales in excess of $62 million by member companies since 2011. Join us and learn how to grow sales in strong enthusiast
markets overseas.

We’ve launched SEMA Ignited along with the Battle of the Builders competition and television special, leading a consumer awareness initiative to leverage the creativity and innovation of SEMA Show exhibitors by exposing their products more broadly to the media and consumers. The inaugural SEMA Ignited event was a tremendous success, and SEMA Ignited moves directly across the street from the SEMA Show this year—making it more convenient for more of the industry to participate.

The above are examples of how SEMA is investing your member resources to provide you with great tools to help your business succeed. As we work through considerations for the 2016 budget picture, I want to note that SEMA has been able to provide these benefits without raising dues since the early ’80s or booth fees for SEMA Show exhibitors for the past 11 years.

In the future, costs are likely to rise. For example, the Las Vegas Convention Center has informed SEMA of another increase in the hall rental rates we pay, and our related costs have grown as well. However, SEMA will continue to strive to return dues and Show earnings to exhibitors through programs such as the SDC, the SEMA Garage, SEMA Ignited and Battle of the Builders, while keeping fee increases as low as possible.

Our low fees and high level of benefits have been a boon to our members. My message to you: Take advantage of the great tools your association invests in on your behalf! Contact us today to enroll in the many programs and benefits your association is delivering. The ROI is real!

—Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO