The 2015–2016 Board pictured here was empaneled during July’s SEMA Installation Gala at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

SEMA News—December 2015

PEOPLE

By Mike Imlay

Meet the 2015–2016 SEMA Board of Directors

A Board of Directors, elected by the trade association’s membership at large, governs SEMA. Board members serve three-year terms, with the chairman-elect automatically assuming the role of chairman after completing his or her two-year term. The 2015–2016 Board pictured here was recently empaneled at the annual SEMA Installation Gala, held July 24, 2015, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

“Representing all segments of the automotive specialty-equipment industry, the SEMA Board of Directors sets association priorities, addresses key issues affecting our members, and promotes the growth of all our businesses and markets,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We are very much indebted to their volunteerism and leadership, along with the considerable experience and insights they bring to charting our industry’s future.”

2015–2016 SEMA Board of Directors

1. Chairman of the Board: Doug Evans, Executive Vice President/COO, Luken Communications

2. Chairman-Elect: Wade Kawasaki, President and COO, Coker Group

3. Immediate-Past Chairman/Secretary: Nate Shelton, Chief Marketing Officer, Driven Performance Brands

4. Treasurer: John Johnson, Managing Director, The Spartan Group

5. General Counsel: Russ Deane, Trainum, Snowdon & Deane (not pictured)

Board Members

6. Greg Adler, CEO, Transamerican Auto Parts

7. Jeff Bates, Partner, Bob Cook Sales

8. Jim Bingham, President and CEO, Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom Inc.

9. Susan Carpenter, President, JR Products

10. Laurel Dasher, National Sales Director, Magnaflow

11. Kyle Fickler, Director of Business Development, Aeromotive Inc.

12. Nick Gramelspacher, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Meyer Distributing

13. Dan Kahn, President, Kahn Media Inc.

14. Tim Martin, COO, K&N Engineering

15. Tim Watts, President, Superlift Suspension

The 2015–2016 Board pictured here was empaneled during July’s SEMA Installation Gala at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

SEMA News—December 2015

PEOPLE

By Mike Imlay

Meet the 2015–2016 SEMA Board of Directors

A Board of Directors, elected by the trade association’s membership at large, governs SEMA. Board members serve three-year terms, with the chairman-elect automatically assuming the role of chairman after completing his or her two-year term. The 2015–2016 Board pictured here was recently empaneled at the annual SEMA Installation Gala, held July 24, 2015, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

“Representing all segments of the automotive specialty-equipment industry, the SEMA Board of Directors sets association priorities, addresses key issues affecting our members, and promotes the growth of all our businesses and markets,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “We are very much indebted to their volunteerism and leadership, along with the considerable experience and insights they bring to charting our industry’s future.”

2015–2016 SEMA Board of Directors

1. Chairman of the Board: Doug Evans, Executive Vice President/COO, Luken Communications

2. Chairman-Elect: Wade Kawasaki, President and COO, Coker Group

3. Immediate-Past Chairman/Secretary: Nate Shelton, Chief Marketing Officer, Driven Performance Brands

4. Treasurer: John Johnson, Managing Director, The Spartan Group

5. General Counsel: Russ Deane, Trainum, Snowdon & Deane (not pictured)

Board Members

6. Greg Adler, CEO, Transamerican Auto Parts

7. Jeff Bates, Partner, Bob Cook Sales

8. Jim Bingham, President and CEO, Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom Inc.

9. Susan Carpenter, President, JR Products

10. Laurel Dasher, National Sales Director, Magnaflow

11. Kyle Fickler, Director of Business Development, Aeromotive Inc.

12. Nick Gramelspacher, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Meyer Distributing

13. Dan Kahn, President, Kahn Media Inc.

14. Tim Martin, COO, K&N Engineering

15. Tim Watts, President, Superlift Suspension

SEMA News—December 2015

INTERNET

By Joe Dysart

Windows 10

Much Improved—But Programmed to Gobble Up Your Personal Data and Computing Power for Microsoft’s Use

Windows 10 is much improved—but it’s programmed to gobble up your personal data and computing power for Microsoft’s use.

Windows 10’s official release mid-summer was greeted with mostly well-deserved glowing reviews, but business users need to tread carefully before powering it up for the first time. The reason: Amid many great improvements, Microsoft has auto-programmed the newest version of its operating system to vacuum up as much of your personal data as possible and even listen in on your PC’s microphone.

Moreover, Windows 10 is also auto-programmed to use your PC’s computing power to help redistribute Windows 10 updates and apps around the Internet to other users. Plus, Windows 10 will also allow your machine’s WiFi to be used by your neighbors and other businesses close to your own if you’re not careful.

It needs to be clearly underscored that Windows 10 offers a significant bonus overall to the business community, as detailed in a June 2015 article in SEMA News (“Windows 10: Microsoft’s Mea Culpa to PC Users”).

“Windows 10 delivers on our more personal computing vision,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and devices group at Microsoft.

But prudent business users will want to carefully evaluate all the different ways Microsoft has decided to help itself to their personal data—and their computing power—before donning a party hat in Windows 10’s honor.

Here’s a gameplan to uncover all the ways Microsoft is gobbling up your personal data and more with Windows 10—and how to stop it.

Do a Custom Install of Windows 10: Cleverly (some may say nefariously), Microsoft has programmed Windows 10 to help itself to all your personal data when you opt for an Express Install of its Windows 10 upgrade software. Essentially, all the protections you have for keeping your personal data from Microsoft are erased when you opt for Express Install. Don’t fall for that. Instead, click Custom Install when upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, and you’ll be able to click “No” to many of the data-grabbing options Microsoft cheerfully offers you as you complete the installation.

Get Start 10, by Stardock: Given that most users will be moving to Windows 10 from Windows 7, XP and even older versions of Windows, they’ll probably be more comfortable using a Start Menu that they instantly recognize when firing up Windows 10 for the first time. Start 10 (www.stardock.com/products/start10) is the solution. Install this $5 program on your machine, and you’ll have a Start Menu that looks and works exactly like the Start Menus used in Windows 7 and XP. Granted, Microsoft has brought back the Start Menu with Windows 10. But it’s just different enough to cause some initial head scratching—something you don’t need to trifle with when scouting for privacy invasions and the like.

Say No to Data Pilfering: With Express Install, Microsoft also automatically tags your machine with an advertising ID that its advertisers use to track what you buy and look at on the Internet. Express Install also enables Cortana—Windows 10’s onboard personal assistant—to keep records of what you type, what questions you ask and even what you say into your PC’s microphone.

You may appreciate this kind of personal data collection if you like seeing ads popping up on the Internet advertising the goods and services you’re typing, talking about and thinking about when using your machine. And you may think it’s just dandy if you adore the idea of Microsoft compiling an ever-growing dossier on you for its own uses and the use of its advertising partners and other partners.

But if that kind of monitoring creeps you out, click Start >Settings >Privacy to undo many of the permissions Microsoft gave itself when you Express Installed Windows 10. Under Settings, you’ll also want to visit Location and Speech, Inking and Typing to undo similar auto-snooping.

Turn Off Windows 10’s Ability to Steal Your Bandwidth: Incredibly, Microsoft also auto-programs your Windows 10 machine to share your copies of the Windows 10 Apps and Updates you have with other machines on the Internet that need updating. For example: If your neighbor’s PC needs a Windows 10 update, your buddy Microsoft has given itself permission to reach into your machine—and use your Internet bandwidth—to transfer the latest Windows 10 update file from your machine to your neighbor’s machine.

What a pal.

Euphemistically, Microsoft calls this practice “Windows Update Delivery Optimization.” You’ll more likely think of it as theft of Internet speed—especially if you’re trying to upload a large file while Microsoft is busy poking around your machine for the pesky Windows update your neighbor needs.

Shut it down by clicking Start >Settings >Update & Security >Windows Update >Advanced Options >Choose How Updates Are Delivered, and click/unclick the appropriate boxes.

Say No to Sharing Your WiFi With Others: With Express Install, Microsoft is also very generous about sharing your WiFi Internet connection with your neighbors.

Essentially, it’s “WiFi Sense” feature enables the WiFi on your machine—the WiFi you pay for—to be used by nearby homes and businesses.

Double-check to be sure that this feature is off—unless sharing your WiFi service with neighboring consumers and businesses sounds like fun to you—by clicking Start >Settings >Network & Internet >WiFi >Manage WiFi Settings. Once you’re there, disable Connect to Suggested Open Hotspots, and disable Connect to Networks Shared by My Contacts.

Activate God Mode: Given that Microsoft is very handsy about helping itself to your personal data and your machine’s computing power and bandwidth, you’ll want to keep an eye on what other moves the Redmond Goliath has up its sleeve in the coming months and years. This is especially critical to users of the Windows 10 Home version, which Microsoft will be regularly updating from the Internet—whether or not users want those updates.

Think of forced updates as your daily spoonful of castor oil. You may not like it, and you’ll probably make a face, but Microsoft has decided it’s good for you—and that’s that. (Users of Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education have the option of turning off automatic updates.)

With God Mode, you’ll be able to get a comprehensive, bird’s-eye view of all the ways your machine will be “personalized” by Microsoft in coming months and years—with or without your permission—along with all the other settings on your machine. To activate God Mode in Windows 10, first create a new folder on your desktop by right clicking anywhere on the desktop. Then click Rename Folder and cut and paste in this string as the folder’s name: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

You’ll find access to all your personalized settings and more inside the new folder.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.

joe@joedysart.com

www.joedysart.com

SEMA News—December 2015

By Mike Imlay

Celebrating Leadership

Highlights From SEMA’s Annual Installation Gala

SEMA members and industry leaders filled the ballroom of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles for the recent SEMA Installation Gala, celebrating new Board of Directors and council members and Hall of Fame inductees.

Each year, the SEMA Installation Gala gathers the industry together to thank outgoing SEMA Board of Directors members, install newly elected leaders and celebrate the association’s latest Hall of Fame inductees. In addition, daytime events leading up to the banquet include high-level Board and council discussions along with a heavy dose of fundraising for SEMA Cares, the association’s charity initiative. This year, the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles played host to the July 24 events, with the evening’s gala emceed by the legendary “Voice of the NHRA,” Dave McClelland.

With SEMA members representing every segment of the industry filling the banquet hall that night, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting took the stage to officially recognize outgoing and newly elected members of the SEMA Board of Directors. Susan Carpenter of JR Products, Laurel Dasher of Powerteq and Dan Kahn of Kahn Media Inc. are the newest members elected to the SEMA Board. In addition to the new volunteers, Jim Bingham of Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom Inc. and Nick Gramelspacher of Meyer Distributing were re-elected, and Wade Kawasaki of the Coker Group was chosen as SEMA’s chairman-elect. (Meet the entire SEMA Board on page 28 in this issue.)

“The SEMA Installation Gala is always a night filled with excitement for our industry and appreciation for the dedication, service and volunteerism of our association members who remain at the heart of its passion and drive,” said Kersting. “It’s a great celebration of leadership and, just as importantly, the enthusiasm we all share for the entire industry’s ongoing growth
and accomplishments.”

Among the evening’s highlights, Joel Ayres, Jim Bingham and Dennis Gage received SEMA’s highest honor with their formal induction into the elite SEMA Hall of Fame. Truly accomplished professionals, each has helped to shape and inspire the $33-billion automotive specialty-equipment market in distinctive ways.

Leaders of SEMA’s industry councils gathered before the gala evening to network, identify common industry priorities and chart future initiatives.	(Left to right) SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting with SEMA Chairman-Elect Wade Kawasaki, Immediate Past Chairman Nate Shelton and current Chairman of the Board Doug Evans.
Gala attendees cheered their favorite cars in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which raised much-appreciated funds for association-supported charities.	Joel Ayres, executive director, Aftermarket Foundation.
Jim Bingham, president and CEO, Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom.	Dennis Gage, host of “My Classic Car.”

Along with his contributions in the truck industry and the role he played in merging the Truck Cap Industry Association (now known as the Light Truck & Accessory Alliance, TORA) with SEMA, Ayres has long been committed to giving back to those in need, helping to found SEMA Cares nearly 10 years ago. The nonprofit group unites SEMA’s industry fundraising efforts and provides member businesses with a range of ways to give to charities.

To date, SEMA Cares has raised more than $1 million for a variety of causes. Most recently, Ayres was also named the first-ever executive director of the Aftermarket Foundation, where he plays a key role in assisting automotive aftermarket individuals who, because of catastrophic illness or accident, have fallen onto hard times.

Bingham began his career in 1968 at Lang Auto Parts. As a farm boy just breaking into business, he was the store’s youngest counter guy, but he proved to be a quick learner. After just two years, he founded Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom Inc., which has since grown to include three retail locations, wholesale distribution under the name 1st Performance Warehouse, and two major trade events.

In addition to serving on the SEMA Board of Directors, Bingham has been a board member for the Performance Warehouse Association and is an original owner of Route 66 Raceway. He has also been a major promoter of youth involvement in the aftermarket and motorsports through Hot Rodders of Tomorrow.

Though interested in cars at an early age, Gage’s career in the industry took a more circuitous route. After graduating college with degrees in physics and chemistry, he started a country rock band, touring for two years before returning to graduate school and later joining Proctor & Gamble, where he helped develop the Pringles potato chip. Next, he moved on to Bristol-Myers Squibb, leading the development of Boost energy drinks and undertaking a 20-city media tour to promote the brand. His unique personna caught on, and in the mid-’90s, he became the host of “My Classic Car.” Now in its 20th season, the TV program has reached nearly 90 million households.

Dedicated to the industry, Gage has served on several SEMA committees, including three terms on the Board of Directors and the select committee of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization.

Throughout the day of the gala, onlookers cheered their favorite racers in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which featured carefully crafted pinewood race cars competing in several classes, including Stock, Build-It-For-Me (BIFM) and Unlimited. In what has become a yearly tradition, children living at Childhelp facilities and campers attending Victory Junction built the vehicles for the BIFM class, and donors sponsored their race cars for $95, with proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Of course, there were also the traditional Hot Rod Industry Alliance Builder’s Challenge and SEMA Council Cup grudge matches, which were waged during Friday’s cocktail reception and into the gala itself.

When the dust finally settled, the leaderboard read as follows below:

• First Place, SEMA Builder’s Class, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Stock: Kathryn Reinhardt, Magnaflow
• Second Place, Stock: Wade Kawasaki, Coker Group
• Third Place, Stock: Michael Timmons, BedRug Inc.
• First Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• Second Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kyle Tucker, Detroit Speed Inc.
• Second Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kevin McGowan, Auto Trim Restyling
• Third Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage
• People’s Choice Award: Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage

SEMA News—December 2015

By Mike Imlay

Celebrating Leadership

Highlights From SEMA’s Annual Installation Gala

SEMA members and industry leaders filled the ballroom of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles for the recent SEMA Installation Gala, celebrating new Board of Directors and council members and Hall of Fame inductees.

Each year, the SEMA Installation Gala gathers the industry together to thank outgoing SEMA Board of Directors members, install newly elected leaders and celebrate the association’s latest Hall of Fame inductees. In addition, daytime events leading up to the banquet include high-level Board and council discussions along with a heavy dose of fundraising for SEMA Cares, the association’s charity initiative. This year, the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles played host to the July 24 events, with the evening’s gala emceed by the legendary “Voice of the NHRA,” Dave McClelland.

With SEMA members representing every segment of the industry filling the banquet hall that night, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting took the stage to officially recognize outgoing and newly elected members of the SEMA Board of Directors. Susan Carpenter of JR Products, Laurel Dasher of Powerteq and Dan Kahn of Kahn Media Inc. are the newest members elected to the SEMA Board. In addition to the new volunteers, Jim Bingham of Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom Inc. and Nick Gramelspacher of Meyer Distributing were re-elected, and Wade Kawasaki of the Coker Group was chosen as SEMA’s chairman-elect. (Meet the entire SEMA Board on page 28 in this issue.)

“The SEMA Installation Gala is always a night filled with excitement for our industry and appreciation for the dedication, service and volunteerism of our association members who remain at the heart of its passion and drive,” said Kersting. “It’s a great celebration of leadership and, just as importantly, the enthusiasm we all share for the entire industry’s ongoing growth
and accomplishments.”

Among the evening’s highlights, Joel Ayres, Jim Bingham and Dennis Gage received SEMA’s highest honor with their formal induction into the elite SEMA Hall of Fame. Truly accomplished professionals, each has helped to shape and inspire the $33-billion automotive specialty-equipment market in distinctive ways.

Leaders of SEMA’s industry councils gathered before the gala evening to network, identify common industry priorities and chart future initiatives.	(Left to right) SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting with SEMA Chairman-Elect Wade Kawasaki, Immediate Past Chairman Nate Shelton and current Chairman of the Board Doug Evans.
Gala attendees cheered their favorite cars in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which raised much-appreciated funds for association-supported charities.	Joel Ayres, executive director, Aftermarket Foundation.
Jim Bingham, president and CEO, Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom.	Dennis Gage, host of “My Classic Car.”

Along with his contributions in the truck industry and the role he played in merging the Truck Cap Industry Association (now known as the Light Truck & Accessory Alliance, TORA) with SEMA, Ayres has long been committed to giving back to those in need, helping to found SEMA Cares nearly 10 years ago. The nonprofit group unites SEMA’s industry fundraising efforts and provides member businesses with a range of ways to give to charities.

To date, SEMA Cares has raised more than $1 million for a variety of causes. Most recently, Ayres was also named the first-ever executive director of the Aftermarket Foundation, where he plays a key role in assisting automotive aftermarket individuals who, because of catastrophic illness or accident, have fallen onto hard times.

Bingham began his career in 1968 at Lang Auto Parts. As a farm boy just breaking into business, he was the store’s youngest counter guy, but he proved to be a quick learner. After just two years, he founded Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom Inc., which has since grown to include three retail locations, wholesale distribution under the name 1st Performance Warehouse, and two major trade events.

In addition to serving on the SEMA Board of Directors, Bingham has been a board member for the Performance Warehouse Association and is an original owner of Route 66 Raceway. He has also been a major promoter of youth involvement in the aftermarket and motorsports through Hot Rodders of Tomorrow.

Though interested in cars at an early age, Gage’s career in the industry took a more circuitous route. After graduating college with degrees in physics and chemistry, he started a country rock band, touring for two years before returning to graduate school and later joining Proctor & Gamble, where he helped develop the Pringles potato chip. Next, he moved on to Bristol-Myers Squibb, leading the development of Boost energy drinks and undertaking a 20-city media tour to promote the brand. His unique personna caught on, and in the mid-’90s, he became the host of “My Classic Car.” Now in its 20th season, the TV program has reached nearly 90 million households.

Dedicated to the industry, Gage has served on several SEMA committees, including three terms on the Board of Directors and the select committee of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization.

Throughout the day of the gala, onlookers cheered their favorite racers in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which featured carefully crafted pinewood race cars competing in several classes, including Stock, Build-It-For-Me (BIFM) and Unlimited. In what has become a yearly tradition, children living at Childhelp facilities and campers attending Victory Junction built the vehicles for the BIFM class, and donors sponsored their race cars for $95, with proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Of course, there were also the traditional Hot Rod Industry Alliance Builder’s Challenge and SEMA Council Cup grudge matches, which were waged during Friday’s cocktail reception and into the gala itself.

When the dust finally settled, the leaderboard read as follows below:

• First Place, SEMA Builder’s Class, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Stock: Kathryn Reinhardt, Magnaflow
• Second Place, Stock: Wade Kawasaki, Coker Group
• Third Place, Stock: Michael Timmons, BedRug Inc.
• First Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• Second Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kyle Tucker, Detroit Speed Inc.
• Second Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kevin McGowan, Auto Trim Restyling
• Third Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage
• People’s Choice Award: Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage

SEMA News—December 2015

By Mike Imlay

Celebrating Leadership

Highlights From SEMA’s Annual Installation Gala

SEMA members and industry leaders filled the ballroom of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles for the recent SEMA Installation Gala, celebrating new Board of Directors and council members and Hall of Fame inductees.

Each year, the SEMA Installation Gala gathers the industry together to thank outgoing SEMA Board of Directors members, install newly elected leaders and celebrate the association’s latest Hall of Fame inductees. In addition, daytime events leading up to the banquet include high-level Board and council discussions along with a heavy dose of fundraising for SEMA Cares, the association’s charity initiative. This year, the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles played host to the July 24 events, with the evening’s gala emceed by the legendary “Voice of the NHRA,” Dave McClelland.

With SEMA members representing every segment of the industry filling the banquet hall that night, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting took the stage to officially recognize outgoing and newly elected members of the SEMA Board of Directors. Susan Carpenter of JR Products, Laurel Dasher of Powerteq and Dan Kahn of Kahn Media Inc. are the newest members elected to the SEMA Board. In addition to the new volunteers, Jim Bingham of Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom Inc. and Nick Gramelspacher of Meyer Distributing were re-elected, and Wade Kawasaki of the Coker Group was chosen as SEMA’s chairman-elect. (Meet the entire SEMA Board on page 28 in this issue.)

“The SEMA Installation Gala is always a night filled with excitement for our industry and appreciation for the dedication, service and volunteerism of our association members who remain at the heart of its passion and drive,” said Kersting. “It’s a great celebration of leadership and, just as importantly, the enthusiasm we all share for the entire industry’s ongoing growth
and accomplishments.”

Among the evening’s highlights, Joel Ayres, Jim Bingham and Dennis Gage received SEMA’s highest honor with their formal induction into the elite SEMA Hall of Fame. Truly accomplished professionals, each has helped to shape and inspire the $33-billion automotive specialty-equipment market in distinctive ways.

Leaders of SEMA’s industry councils gathered before the gala evening to network, identify common industry priorities and chart future initiatives.	(Left to right) SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting with SEMA Chairman-Elect Wade Kawasaki, Immediate Past Chairman Nate Shelton and current Chairman of the Board Doug Evans.
Gala attendees cheered their favorite cars in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which raised much-appreciated funds for association-supported charities.	Joel Ayres, executive director, Aftermarket Foundation.
Jim Bingham, president and CEO, Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom.	Dennis Gage, host of “My Classic Car.”

Along with his contributions in the truck industry and the role he played in merging the Truck Cap Industry Association (now known as the Light Truck & Accessory Alliance, TORA) with SEMA, Ayres has long been committed to giving back to those in need, helping to found SEMA Cares nearly 10 years ago. The nonprofit group unites SEMA’s industry fundraising efforts and provides member businesses with a range of ways to give to charities.

To date, SEMA Cares has raised more than $1 million for a variety of causes. Most recently, Ayres was also named the first-ever executive director of the Aftermarket Foundation, where he plays a key role in assisting automotive aftermarket individuals who, because of catastrophic illness or accident, have fallen onto hard times.

Bingham began his career in 1968 at Lang Auto Parts. As a farm boy just breaking into business, he was the store’s youngest counter guy, but he proved to be a quick learner. After just two years, he founded Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom Inc., which has since grown to include three retail locations, wholesale distribution under the name 1st Performance Warehouse, and two major trade events.

In addition to serving on the SEMA Board of Directors, Bingham has been a board member for the Performance Warehouse Association and is an original owner of Route 66 Raceway. He has also been a major promoter of youth involvement in the aftermarket and motorsports through Hot Rodders of Tomorrow.

Though interested in cars at an early age, Gage’s career in the industry took a more circuitous route. After graduating college with degrees in physics and chemistry, he started a country rock band, touring for two years before returning to graduate school and later joining Proctor & Gamble, where he helped develop the Pringles potato chip. Next, he moved on to Bristol-Myers Squibb, leading the development of Boost energy drinks and undertaking a 20-city media tour to promote the brand. His unique personna caught on, and in the mid-’90s, he became the host of “My Classic Car.” Now in its 20th season, the TV program has reached nearly 90 million households.

Dedicated to the industry, Gage has served on several SEMA committees, including three terms on the Board of Directors and the select committee of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization.

Throughout the day of the gala, onlookers cheered their favorite racers in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which featured carefully crafted pinewood race cars competing in several classes, including Stock, Build-It-For-Me (BIFM) and Unlimited. In what has become a yearly tradition, children living at Childhelp facilities and campers attending Victory Junction built the vehicles for the BIFM class, and donors sponsored their race cars for $95, with proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Of course, there were also the traditional Hot Rod Industry Alliance Builder’s Challenge and SEMA Council Cup grudge matches, which were waged during Friday’s cocktail reception and into the gala itself.

When the dust finally settled, the leaderboard read as follows below:

• First Place, SEMA Builder’s Class, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Stock: Kathryn Reinhardt, Magnaflow
• Second Place, Stock: Wade Kawasaki, Coker Group
• Third Place, Stock: Michael Timmons, BedRug Inc.
• First Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• Second Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kyle Tucker, Detroit Speed Inc.
• Second Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kevin McGowan, Auto Trim Restyling
• Third Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage
• People’s Choice Award: Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage

SEMA News—December 2015

By Mike Imlay

Celebrating Leadership

Highlights From SEMA’s Annual Installation Gala

SEMA members and industry leaders filled the ballroom of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles for the recent SEMA Installation Gala, celebrating new Board of Directors and council members and Hall of Fame inductees.

Each year, the SEMA Installation Gala gathers the industry together to thank outgoing SEMA Board of Directors members, install newly elected leaders and celebrate the association’s latest Hall of Fame inductees. In addition, daytime events leading up to the banquet include high-level Board and council discussions along with a heavy dose of fundraising for SEMA Cares, the association’s charity initiative. This year, the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles played host to the July 24 events, with the evening’s gala emceed by the legendary “Voice of the NHRA,” Dave McClelland.

With SEMA members representing every segment of the industry filling the banquet hall that night, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting took the stage to officially recognize outgoing and newly elected members of the SEMA Board of Directors. Susan Carpenter of JR Products, Laurel Dasher of Powerteq and Dan Kahn of Kahn Media Inc. are the newest members elected to the SEMA Board. In addition to the new volunteers, Jim Bingham of Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom Inc. and Nick Gramelspacher of Meyer Distributing were re-elected, and Wade Kawasaki of the Coker Group was chosen as SEMA’s chairman-elect. (Meet the entire SEMA Board on page 28 in this issue.)

“The SEMA Installation Gala is always a night filled with excitement for our industry and appreciation for the dedication, service and volunteerism of our association members who remain at the heart of its passion and drive,” said Kersting. “It’s a great celebration of leadership and, just as importantly, the enthusiasm we all share for the entire industry’s ongoing growth
and accomplishments.”

Among the evening’s highlights, Joel Ayres, Jim Bingham and Dennis Gage received SEMA’s highest honor with their formal induction into the elite SEMA Hall of Fame. Truly accomplished professionals, each has helped to shape and inspire the $33-billion automotive specialty-equipment market in distinctive ways.

Leaders of SEMA’s industry councils gathered before the gala evening to network, identify common industry priorities and chart future initiatives.	(Left to right) SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting with SEMA Chairman-Elect Wade Kawasaki, Immediate Past Chairman Nate Shelton and current Chairman of the Board Doug Evans.
Gala attendees cheered their favorite cars in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which raised much-appreciated funds for association-supported charities.	Joel Ayres, executive director, Aftermarket Foundation.
Jim Bingham, president and CEO, Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom.	Dennis Gage, host of “My Classic Car.”

Along with his contributions in the truck industry and the role he played in merging the Truck Cap Industry Association (now known as the Light Truck & Accessory Alliance, TORA) with SEMA, Ayres has long been committed to giving back to those in need, helping to found SEMA Cares nearly 10 years ago. The nonprofit group unites SEMA’s industry fundraising efforts and provides member businesses with a range of ways to give to charities.

To date, SEMA Cares has raised more than $1 million for a variety of causes. Most recently, Ayres was also named the first-ever executive director of the Aftermarket Foundation, where he plays a key role in assisting automotive aftermarket individuals who, because of catastrophic illness or accident, have fallen onto hard times.

Bingham began his career in 1968 at Lang Auto Parts. As a farm boy just breaking into business, he was the store’s youngest counter guy, but he proved to be a quick learner. After just two years, he founded Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom Inc., which has since grown to include three retail locations, wholesale distribution under the name 1st Performance Warehouse, and two major trade events.

In addition to serving on the SEMA Board of Directors, Bingham has been a board member for the Performance Warehouse Association and is an original owner of Route 66 Raceway. He has also been a major promoter of youth involvement in the aftermarket and motorsports through Hot Rodders of Tomorrow.

Though interested in cars at an early age, Gage’s career in the industry took a more circuitous route. After graduating college with degrees in physics and chemistry, he started a country rock band, touring for two years before returning to graduate school and later joining Proctor & Gamble, where he helped develop the Pringles potato chip. Next, he moved on to Bristol-Myers Squibb, leading the development of Boost energy drinks and undertaking a 20-city media tour to promote the brand. His unique personna caught on, and in the mid-’90s, he became the host of “My Classic Car.” Now in its 20th season, the TV program has reached nearly 90 million households.

Dedicated to the industry, Gage has served on several SEMA committees, including three terms on the Board of Directors and the select committee of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization.

Throughout the day of the gala, onlookers cheered their favorite racers in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which featured carefully crafted pinewood race cars competing in several classes, including Stock, Build-It-For-Me (BIFM) and Unlimited. In what has become a yearly tradition, children living at Childhelp facilities and campers attending Victory Junction built the vehicles for the BIFM class, and donors sponsored their race cars for $95, with proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Of course, there were also the traditional Hot Rod Industry Alliance Builder’s Challenge and SEMA Council Cup grudge matches, which were waged during Friday’s cocktail reception and into the gala itself.

When the dust finally settled, the leaderboard read as follows below:

• First Place, SEMA Builder’s Class, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Stock: Kathryn Reinhardt, Magnaflow
• Second Place, Stock: Wade Kawasaki, Coker Group
• Third Place, Stock: Michael Timmons, BedRug Inc.
• First Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• Second Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kyle Tucker, Detroit Speed Inc.
• Second Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kevin McGowan, Auto Trim Restyling
• Third Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage
• People’s Choice Award: Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage

SEMA News—December 2015

By Mike Imlay

Celebrating Leadership

Highlights From SEMA’s Annual Installation Gala

SEMA members and industry leaders filled the ballroom of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles for the recent SEMA Installation Gala, celebrating new Board of Directors and council members and Hall of Fame inductees.

Each year, the SEMA Installation Gala gathers the industry together to thank outgoing SEMA Board of Directors members, install newly elected leaders and celebrate the association’s latest Hall of Fame inductees. In addition, daytime events leading up to the banquet include high-level Board and council discussions along with a heavy dose of fundraising for SEMA Cares, the association’s charity initiative. This year, the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles played host to the July 24 events, with the evening’s gala emceed by the legendary “Voice of the NHRA,” Dave McClelland.

With SEMA members representing every segment of the industry filling the banquet hall that night, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting took the stage to officially recognize outgoing and newly elected members of the SEMA Board of Directors. Susan Carpenter of JR Products, Laurel Dasher of Powerteq and Dan Kahn of Kahn Media Inc. are the newest members elected to the SEMA Board. In addition to the new volunteers, Jim Bingham of Winner’s Circle Speed & Custom Inc. and Nick Gramelspacher of Meyer Distributing were re-elected, and Wade Kawasaki of the Coker Group was chosen as SEMA’s chairman-elect. (Meet the entire SEMA Board on page 28 in this issue.)

“The SEMA Installation Gala is always a night filled with excitement for our industry and appreciation for the dedication, service and volunteerism of our association members who remain at the heart of its passion and drive,” said Kersting. “It’s a great celebration of leadership and, just as importantly, the enthusiasm we all share for the entire industry’s ongoing growth
and accomplishments.”

Among the evening’s highlights, Joel Ayres, Jim Bingham and Dennis Gage received SEMA’s highest honor with their formal induction into the elite SEMA Hall of Fame. Truly accomplished professionals, each has helped to shape and inspire the $33-billion automotive specialty-equipment market in distinctive ways.

Leaders of SEMA’s industry councils gathered before the gala evening to network, identify common industry priorities and chart future initiatives.	(Left to right) SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting with SEMA Chairman-Elect Wade Kawasaki, Immediate Past Chairman Nate Shelton and current Chairman of the Board Doug Evans.
Gala attendees cheered their favorite cars in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which raised much-appreciated funds for association-supported charities.	Joel Ayres, executive director, Aftermarket Foundation.
Jim Bingham, president and CEO, Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom.	Dennis Gage, host of “My Classic Car.”

Along with his contributions in the truck industry and the role he played in merging the Truck Cap Industry Association (now known as the Light Truck & Accessory Alliance, TORA) with SEMA, Ayres has long been committed to giving back to those in need, helping to found SEMA Cares nearly 10 years ago. The nonprofit group unites SEMA’s industry fundraising efforts and provides member businesses with a range of ways to give to charities.

To date, SEMA Cares has raised more than $1 million for a variety of causes. Most recently, Ayres was also named the first-ever executive director of the Aftermarket Foundation, where he plays a key role in assisting automotive aftermarket individuals who, because of catastrophic illness or accident, have fallen onto hard times.

Bingham began his career in 1968 at Lang Auto Parts. As a farm boy just breaking into business, he was the store’s youngest counter guy, but he proved to be a quick learner. After just two years, he founded Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom Inc., which has since grown to include three retail locations, wholesale distribution under the name 1st Performance Warehouse, and two major trade events.

In addition to serving on the SEMA Board of Directors, Bingham has been a board member for the Performance Warehouse Association and is an original owner of Route 66 Raceway. He has also been a major promoter of youth involvement in the aftermarket and motorsports through Hot Rodders of Tomorrow.

Though interested in cars at an early age, Gage’s career in the industry took a more circuitous route. After graduating college with degrees in physics and chemistry, he started a country rock band, touring for two years before returning to graduate school and later joining Proctor & Gamble, where he helped develop the Pringles potato chip. Next, he moved on to Bristol-Myers Squibb, leading the development of Boost energy drinks and undertaking a 20-city media tour to promote the brand. His unique personna caught on, and in the mid-’90s, he became the host of “My Classic Car.” Now in its 20th season, the TV program has reached nearly 90 million households.

Dedicated to the industry, Gage has served on several SEMA committees, including three terms on the Board of Directors and the select committee of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization.

Throughout the day of the gala, onlookers cheered their favorite racers in the annual SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, which featured carefully crafted pinewood race cars competing in several classes, including Stock, Build-It-For-Me (BIFM) and Unlimited. In what has become a yearly tradition, children living at Childhelp facilities and campers attending Victory Junction built the vehicles for the BIFM class, and donors sponsored their race cars for $95, with proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Of course, there were also the traditional Hot Rod Industry Alliance Builder’s Challenge and SEMA Council Cup grudge matches, which were waged during Friday’s cocktail reception and into the gala itself.

When the dust finally settled, the leaderboard read as follows below:

• First Place, SEMA Builder’s Class, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Stock: Kathryn Reinhardt, Magnaflow
• Second Place, Stock: Wade Kawasaki, Coker Group
• Third Place, Stock: Michael Timmons, BedRug Inc.
• First Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• Second Place, Unlimited: Mitch Williams, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc.
• First Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kyle Tucker, Detroit Speed Inc.
• Second Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Kevin McGowan, Auto Trim Restyling
• Third Place, Sponsor a Child (BIFM): Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage
• People’s Choice Award: Mike Spagnola, SEMA Garage

SEMA News—December 2015

INDUSTRY NEWS

SPY PHOTOS

Photos courtesy SpiedBilde, Brian Williams. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

SEMA News—December 2015

INTERNET

By Joe Dysart

Social Media Done Right

The Top Dashboards for Marketing With Social Media

Marketers looking to manage all of their social-media campaigns from a single dashboard have some good news from Forrester (www.forrester.com): The market-research firm did all the legwork for you.

Essentially, Forrester kicked the tires on all of the major social-media dashboards currently on the market and came up with a short list of those worth looking at:

• Percolate (https://percolate.com)
• Sprinklr (www.sprinklr.com)
• Spredfast (www.spredfast.com)

Overall, Forrester found that social-media dashboards make it easier for marketers to manage dozens of social employees and accounts, said Nate Elliot, lead author of “Social Relationship Platforms, Q2 2015,” the Forrester report on social-media dashboards (www.forrester.com/The+Forrester+Wave+Social+Relationship+Platforms+Q2+2015/fulltext/-/E-res120645).

“Nearly every marketer we surveyed agreed that social media dashboards save them time,” Elliot said.

And while no one tool does it all, most go a long way toward pulling together and managing virtually all the elements of a highly effective and highly interactive social-media presence. Specifically, most of the products Forrester put at the front of the pack automate the scheduling and posting of text and multimedia across a wide array of social-media networks. And most also enable a company to monitor how its brand is faring on social media—both among casual users of Facebook and other networks as well as with more engaged influencers such
as bloggers.

Dashboards in the top three are also best at helping marketers greatly automate the processing of messages, including reading, analyzing and sorting out who at the company should respond to a specific post. In addition, these “social relationship platforms” help marketers manage all of their social accounts as well as all of the employees permitted to post to those accounts. And most of the solutions can assign different permission levels to different employees and offer workflow tools for routing inbound posts to the right teams.

All told, Forrester evaluated social-media dashboards using a 41-point checklist. The company also surveyed each vendor about its product and asked for product demos.

Here’s how the top three programs stacked up, according to Forrester:

Percolate

	Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe, got a ho-hum review from Forrester for his dashboard product, Adobe Social.

This package is a good bet for users looking to integrate their social marketing into much broader marketing strategies, Elliot said. The drive behind Percolate was to “build a marketing system of record that lets clients centralize their operations across all marketing channels, streamline their workflows and governance, analyze their results and optimize their marketing programs,” Elliot said.

He also said that the platform boasts best-in-class workflow and content-creation tools. Percolate also has a rather nifty “Brew” tool, which tracks custom-defined lists of media outlets and influencers that marketers are monitoring, looks for topics related to a company’s marketing themes, and then prioritizes the specific topics on which the company should publish.

On the downside, Percolate has room to improve its current offering, Elliot said.

“Its analysis, prioritization and routing of inbound posts can’t compete with what the other leaders offer,” he noted. “The tool monitors only Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It can’t analyze for sentiment and, at the time of evaluation, it couldn’t route posts automatically. The product tells marketers when posts have performed best in the past but offers no scheduling recommendations. And its global capabilities are underdeveloped for a vendor with such grand ambitions.”

Spredfast

This package is best at offering users insights and advice as they work on a social-media marketing campaign, Elliot said. Specifically, it tracks comments and questions that pop up from customers and others that a marketer is trying to engage on social media.

Moreover, as social-media marketers use the package, “it recommends popular hashtags related to their content and suggests alternative wording that might generate more interest,” Elliot said. “Clients love Spredfast’s onboarding and support and like the fact that it partners with other leading social vendors such as Brandwatch and Kenshoo rather than trying to build an end-to-end social suite.”

On the downside, Spredfast makes it tough for social-media marketers to collaborate and share ideas via the package.

“And not only do clients think Spredfast’s own measurement tools are merely average, but also the vendor does little to help marketers share their social data into third-party measurement tools,” Elliot said.

Sprinklr

“Consider Sprinklr if you have broad social needs and global ambitions,” Elliot said. “Sprinklr endeavors to offer clients every imaginable social tool—not just a full range of SRP features but also social command center displays, social ad-buying functionality and more. And anything its standard SRP can’t do, Sprinklr’s team can custom build using the product’s impressive rules engine.”

Especially strong with Sprinkler is the package’s monitoring and publishing features, Elliot added.

“But we question Sprinklr’s vision and focus,” he said. “The vendor’s recent buying spree finds it focused more on integrating a series of lackluster technologies into an end-to-end social suite than on helping marketers connect their social efforts to their broader marketing programs. And the product’s complexity—combined with its relatively poor ease of use—means that Sprinklr clients pay far more than average in services fees.”

Not surprisingly, there are also a number of middle-of-the-pack solutions on the market that could do the trick for a marketer in certain circumstances. Elliot said that these often have singular strengths, citing the following:

• Shoutlet (www.shoutlet.com): Good if you want a well-rounded tool at a good price.
• Expion (www.expion.com): Very good at customer support and measurement.
• Hootsuite (www.hootsuite.com): Offers the best content and publishing automation available.
• Falcon Social (www.falconsocial.com): The perfect tool for marketers most concerned with responding to customer comments on social media.

Elliot also found a number of also-ran products that were less impressive than the industry leaders but still helpful:

• Sprout Social (http://sproutsocial.com): A competitive tool at a great price that outperforms market leaders for ease of use and scheduling.
• Adobe Social (www.adobe.com/marketing-cloud/social-media-marketing.html): A good tool for businesses that are marketing globally on social media.
• Oracle Social Cloud (www.oracle.com/us/solutions/social/overview/index.html): Another good global tool that can analyze social-media sentiment in seven languages.
• Salesforce Social Studio (www.salesforce.com/marketing-cloud/features/social-media-marketing): A decent choice if you’re already using other Salesforce tools.

Bonus: For marketers that want to dig deeper and do extremely detailed comparisons of the strong performers, Forrester also offers a “vendor comparison tool” that enables organizations to adapt Forrester’s criteria weightings to fit their specific needs.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.

Email: joe@joedysart.com

Website: www.joedysart.com