Strengthen Your Company Through Community

No matter what niche you're in—rods, restoration, racing, restyling, reps, trucks or wheels and tires—there's a SEMA council or professional network that's right for your company. SEMA councils and networks offer members a variety of market-specific programs and activities designed to provide educational and networking opportunities while promoting their particular industry segment.

Visit YEN's website

Apply Now for Young Entrepreneur Business Competition

By Katie Carson

Applications are being accepted for the 2016 SEMA Launch Pad, presented by the Young Executives Network (YEN). The competition, now entering its fourth year, gives automotive innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs under the age of 40 an industry platform to raise awareness of their brand, gain access to critical industry decision makers and the opportunity to earn amazing prizes along the way. Apply now! 

14 semi-finalists receive:

• A one-year complimentary SEMA membership (up to a value of $2,000).  
• Complimentary registration to the 2016 Exhibitor Summit (June 21–22) with a $500 voucher for travel expenses.
• Increased awareness via thousands of unique views of their business through competing in the official SEMA Facebook voting competition.
• Inclusion in multiple electronic SEMA eNews features with a readership in excess of 150,000 people.

10 finalists receive:

• A complimentary 5x5-ft. SEMA kiosk-style booth at the 2016 SEMA Show and two exhibitor passes. 
• Two tickets to the 2016 SEMA Banquet (Up to a value of $1,000).
• A one-hour mentoring session with an industry icon.
• Increased awareness of their business via participating in the live SEMA Show event.

Winner receives:

• SEMA News: One full-page, four-color ad.
• SEMA YEN Member News: Featured section in one article.
• SEMA Show: One 10x10-ft. booth with premium space positioning at the SEMA Show and a basic booth package (two 3-ft. side walls and an 8 ft. back wall, plus a 7x44-in. ID sign).
• SEMA Garage: One full day of photography studio usage and up to three hours of free custom scanning services.
• SEMA Data Co-op: 50% off supplier monthly membership fees for your first year (up to a $3,600 value).
• SEMA Education: One video feature in SEMA’s “BizTips” video series. 
• SEMA Manufacturers’ Rep Network: Distribution/sales support consultation meeting.

Applications are being accepted through May 6. You do not need to be a SEMA or YEN member to submit an application. Take your business to the next level—apply now!

For more information on the competition and the grand prize, visit the SEMA Launch Pad website. For more information on YEN, contact SEMA’s Director of Networks Bryan Harrison at 909-978-6691 or bryanh@sema.org.

YEN Power Tour Applications Now Open!

The Young Executives Network is now accepting applications for 10 young automotive professionals to earn the opportunity to participate in the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour. Participants will receive:

• Hotel accommodations.
• A $500 grant for passengers and a $1,750 grant for drivers.
• VIP entry into the Power Tour.
• Tickets to the opening night hospitality party.
• A premier parking location at the YEN Corral.
• Long-hauler gifts.
• SEMA swag.

YEN participants will represent different niches of the specialty-equipment market as they interact with tour attendees and students on the seven different stops along the seven-city, seven-day journey.

“The YEN Power Tour is about more than hitting the road in your musclecar or hot rod; it’s about forging relationships and making connections,” said SEMA Board member Dan Kahn. “There are literally thousands of job opportunities in the automotive aftermarket for young people across the nation in the automotive aftermarket—we want to tell that story and show that in our high-performance family, young people aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.”

Learn more and apply today to join the YEN Power Tour. The application period ends April 8. All YEN members are eligible to apply. Not yet a member? Join today.

 Back to Top

Visit ARMO's website.

Register Your Products for ARMO’s Hot Products Showcase

The ARMO Hot Products Showcase is an exciting and valuable opportunity for ARMO-member companies to put their product(s) in front of 100,000 restoration enthusiasts at Spring Carlisle. The Showcase is open Thursday–Saturday, April 21–23. For just the cost of shipping your product(s) to the Carlisle Fairgrounds, you’ll receive:

• Product placement in the ARMO Hot Products Tent, located strategically in the center of the event grounds.
• Professional product photography.
• Product photo placement in the ARMO booth at the SEMA Show and in a photo gallery on SEMA.org.
• Consideration for an ARMO New Product award in one of nine categories.

If you are going to Carlisle, you can save on shipping costs by dropping off and picking up your product on-site.

Register your product(s) now!

ARMO Industry Mixer

ARMO is hosting an industry mixer at Spring Carlisle amongst the top restored vehicles in the country. Gather in the ARMO Hot Products Tent conveniently located in the middle of the fairgrounds for drinks and finger food. Network with industry friends while checking out the hottest products in restoration. SEMA staff and council leadership will be there to discuss council initiatives and benefits for your company. The mixer will take place Thursday, April 21, at 5:00 p.m. We’ll see you there!

For more information, contact Council Director Jim Skelly at 909-978-6690 or jimsk@sema.org.

Back to Top

Visit HRIA's website

HRIA is hosting a Long-Range Planning Meeting at the Charlotte Auto Fair in Charlotte, North Carolina, where an expected 150,000 automotive enthusiasts will gather to buy and sell unique vehicles and restoration parts.

HRIA Long-Range Planning Meeting

The Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) is hosting a Long-Range Planning Meeting at the Charlotte Auto Fair in Concord, North Carolina, where an expected 150,000 automotive enthusiasts gather to buy and sell unique vehicles and restoration parts. The meeting kicks off Thursday, April 7, at 9:00 a.m. HRIA members and aspiring members will discuss relevant topics specific to the hot-rod industry, mingle with council leadership and learn about the 2016 initiatives. A complimentary lunch will be served to those who attend the meeting, which will be held in the Media Center Auditorium, located in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Infield.

Discussion topics will include:

• What is the biggest challenge for your company today?
• What is the biggest opportunity for your company today?
• How can HRIA/SEMA help?

RSVP by Monday, March 28, and receive one full event credential for Charlotte Auto Fair, one special parking pass to get closer to the Media Center Auditorium and a detailed map.

For questions, contact Jim Skelly, SEMA Council Director at 909-978-6690 or jimsk@sema.org.

Back to Top

By SEMA Editors

Following are dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, measuring sessions and activities.

For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (manya.p@travelstoreusa.com) at Travel Store USA, 949-930-9268.

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 29, 2016, at the Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California.

The 2016 Pinewood Drag Races season is now open! Nothing is more Americana than a good old-fashioned pinewood race, and this year’s SEMA Cares-sponsored event promises to be the biggest ever. Each year, hundreds of SEMA-member companies step up to generously sponsor pinewood cars, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. To learn more and register, visit www.sema.org/pinewood.

Once again held in conjunction with the SEMA Installation Gala Fundraiser, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 29, 2016, at the Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California. There’s no better location for drag racing than Pomona—home of NHRA’s famed 1/4-mile and the NHRA Museum. The finals will take place during the cocktail reception, shortly before the banquet begins.

SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build It For Me (BIFM) or Stock Class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-Class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 seconds on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited Class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 seconds, and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.

SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned-off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.

If you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to attend one of several to-be-announced build days where you can help the children sand, paint and assemble cars for the races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual. Members interested in participating in one of the build days are invited to contact gracielas@sema.org or visit the SEMA Cares Facebook page.

Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides the camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!  

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 29, 2016, at the Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California.

The 2016 Pinewood Drag Races season is now open! Nothing is more Americana than a good old-fashioned pinewood race, and this year’s SEMA Cares-sponsored event promises to be the biggest ever. Each year, hundreds of SEMA-member companies step up to generously sponsor pinewood cars, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. To learn more and register, visit www.sema.org/pinewood.

Once again held in conjunction with the SEMA Installation Gala Fundraiser, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 29, 2016, at the Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California. There’s no better location for drag racing than Pomona—home of NHRA’s famed 1/4-mile and the NHRA Museum. The finals will take place during the cocktail reception, shortly before the banquet begins.

SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build It For Me (BIFM) or Stock Class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-Class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 seconds on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited Class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 seconds, and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.

SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned-off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.

If you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to attend one of several to-be-announced build days where you can help the children sand, paint and assemble cars for the races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual. Members interested in participating in one of the build days are invited to contact gracielas@sema.org or visit the SEMA Cares Facebook page.

Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides the camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!  

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 29, 2016, at the Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California.

The 2016 Pinewood Drag Races season is now open! Nothing is more Americana than a good old-fashioned pinewood race, and this year’s SEMA Cares-sponsored event promises to be the biggest ever. Each year, hundreds of SEMA-member companies step up to generously sponsor pinewood cars, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. To learn more and register, visit www.sema.org/pinewood.

Once again held in conjunction with the SEMA Installation Gala Fundraiser, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 29, 2016, at the Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California. There’s no better location for drag racing than Pomona—home of NHRA’s famed 1/4-mile and the NHRA Museum. The finals will take place during the cocktail reception, shortly before the banquet begins.

SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build It For Me (BIFM) or Stock Class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-Class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 seconds on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited Class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 seconds, and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.

SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned-off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.

If you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to attend one of several to-be-announced build days where you can help the children sand, paint and assemble cars for the races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual. Members interested in participating in one of the build days are invited to contact gracielas@sema.org or visit the SEMA Cares Facebook page.

Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides the camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!  

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Click the image to watch the hearing. Kersting’s opening statement begins at the 46-minute mark.

Earlier this week, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting testified before the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Oversight Subcommittee, urging the group to continue allowing street vehicles to be modified and converted for motorsports competition.

Kersting joined President of National Speed Sports News Ralph Sheheen, lawmakers and legislative experts at the hearing, which examined how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule on converting emissions-certified vehicles into racecars would impact the racing community.

“The EPA’s new interpretation of the law puts racing and the motorsports industry into jeopardy,” said Kersting. “SEMA is urging Congress to adopt a measure that would eliminate any uncertainty now and in the future about how the Clean Air Act is interpreted, and make it clear that the law allows emissions-certified street vehicles to be modified and converted for competition use.”

The bipartisan “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016” (RPM Act) clarifies the Clean Air Act to explain that it has always been legal to modify a street vehicle into a racecar used exclusively at the track. The bill also confirms that modifying these vehicles for exclusive track use would not be considered tampering. The bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 4715) and in the Senate (S.2659) last week.

Join Chris in urging Congress to save our racecars and support the RPM Act of 2016. Sign the letter today!

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Click the image to watch the hearing. Kersting’s opening statement begins at the 46-minute mark.

Earlier this week, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting testified before the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Oversight Subcommittee, urging the group to continue allowing street vehicles to be modified and converted for motorsports competition.

Kersting joined President of National Speed Sports News Ralph Sheheen, lawmakers and legislative experts at the hearing, which examined how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule on converting emissions-certified vehicles into racecars would impact the racing community.

“The EPA’s new interpretation of the law puts racing and the motorsports industry into jeopardy,” said Kersting. “SEMA is urging Congress to adopt a measure that would eliminate any uncertainty now and in the future about how the Clean Air Act is interpreted, and make it clear that the law allows emissions-certified street vehicles to be modified and converted for competition use.”

The bipartisan “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016” (RPM Act) clarifies the Clean Air Act to explain that it has always been legal to modify a street vehicle into a racecar used exclusively at the track. The bill also confirms that modifying these vehicles for exclusive track use would not be considered tampering. The bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 4715) and in the Senate (S.2659) last week.

Join Chris in urging Congress to save our racecars and support the RPM Act of 2016. Sign the letter today!

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Click the image to watch the hearing. Kersting’s opening statement begins at the 46-minute mark.

Earlier this week, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting testified before the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Oversight Subcommittee, urging the group to continue allowing street vehicles to be modified and converted for motorsports competition.

Kersting joined President of National Speed Sports News Ralph Sheheen, lawmakers and legislative experts at the hearing, which examined how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule on converting emissions-certified vehicles into racecars would impact the racing community.

“The EPA’s new interpretation of the law puts racing and the motorsports industry into jeopardy,” said Kersting. “SEMA is urging Congress to adopt a measure that would eliminate any uncertainty now and in the future about how the Clean Air Act is interpreted, and make it clear that the law allows emissions-certified street vehicles to be modified and converted for competition use.”

The bipartisan “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016” (RPM Act) clarifies the Clean Air Act to explain that it has always been legal to modify a street vehicle into a racecar used exclusively at the track. The bill also confirms that modifying these vehicles for exclusive track use would not be considered tampering. The bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 4715) and in the Senate (S.2659) last week.

Join Chris in urging Congress to save our racecars and support the RPM Act of 2016. Sign the letter today!

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Click the image to watch the hearing. Kersting’s opening statement begins at the 46-minute mark.

Earlier this week, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting testified before the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Oversight Subcommittee, urging the group to continue allowing street vehicles to be modified and converted for motorsports competition.

Kersting joined President of National Speed Sports News Ralph Sheheen, lawmakers and legislative experts at the hearing, which examined how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule on converting emissions-certified vehicles into racecars would impact the racing community.

“The EPA’s new interpretation of the law puts racing and the motorsports industry into jeopardy,” said Kersting. “SEMA is urging Congress to adopt a measure that would eliminate any uncertainty now and in the future about how the Clean Air Act is interpreted, and make it clear that the law allows emissions-certified street vehicles to be modified and converted for competition use.”

The bipartisan “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016” (RPM Act) clarifies the Clean Air Act to explain that it has always been legal to modify a street vehicle into a racecar used exclusively at the track. The bill also confirms that modifying these vehicles for exclusive track use would not be considered tampering. The bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 4715) and in the Senate (S.2659) last week.

Join Chris in urging Congress to save our racecars and support the RPM Act of 2016. Sign the letter today!

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Click the image to watch the hearing. Kersting’s opening statement begins at the 46-minute mark.

Earlier this week, SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting testified before the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Oversight Subcommittee, urging the group to continue allowing street vehicles to be modified and converted for motorsports competition.

Kersting joined President of National Speed Sports News Ralph Sheheen, lawmakers and legislative experts at the hearing, which examined how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule on converting emissions-certified vehicles into racecars would impact the racing community.

“The EPA’s new interpretation of the law puts racing and the motorsports industry into jeopardy,” said Kersting. “SEMA is urging Congress to adopt a measure that would eliminate any uncertainty now and in the future about how the Clean Air Act is interpreted, and make it clear that the law allows emissions-certified street vehicles to be modified and converted for competition use.”

The bipartisan “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016” (RPM Act) clarifies the Clean Air Act to explain that it has always been legal to modify a street vehicle into a racecar used exclusively at the track. The bill also confirms that modifying these vehicles for exclusive track use would not be considered tampering. The bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 4715) and in the Senate (S.2659) last week.

Join Chris in urging Congress to save our racecars and support the RPM Act of 2016. Sign the letter today!