By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA’s Government Affairs office is bringing together a collection of legal experts to help businesses navigate several of today’s most pressing issues. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in roundtable discussions on the following topics:

• California Proposition 65 Product Labeling
• Design Copyrights
• Minimum Advertising Pricing (MAP) Policies
• Exporting
• Product Liability

When: Thursday, November 2, 2017
Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, Upper North Hall, N263C
Time: 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Register now to take advantage of this opportunity to ask the experts. For more information, contact Daniel Ingber at danieli@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA’s Government Affairs office is bringing together a collection of legal experts to help businesses navigate several of today’s most pressing issues. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in roundtable discussions on the following topics:

• California Proposition 65 Product Labeling
• Design Copyrights
• Minimum Advertising Pricing (MAP) Policies
• Exporting
• Product Liability

When: Thursday, November 2, 2017
Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, Upper North Hall, N263C
Time: 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Register now to take advantage of this opportunity to ask the experts. For more information, contact Daniel Ingber at danieli@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

The SDC’s new dashboard will debut at the 2017 SEMA Show, Tuesday, October 31, where industry professionals at the annual trade show will have the first opportunity to experience how the PIMS 2.0 system helps manage data and contributes to increased sales.

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is launching the first system upgrade to its dashboard since the program debuted in 2012, giving users greater flexibility and ownership in the management and distribution of their data than ever before. The new dashboard will debut at the 2017 SEMA Show, Tuesday, October 31, where industry professionals at the annual trade show will have the first opportunity to experience how the PIMS 2.0 system helps manage data and contributes to increased sales.

“We've had the benefit of five years of feedback from companies who have used the system,” said Craig Schmutzler, vice president of operations for the SDC. “The result is a truly user-friendly system that is easy to use and intuitive to navigate."

Among the improvements to the system are:

• New user interface for managing and distributing product information.
• Notification and messaging tools between suppliers and receivers.
• Rating system that allows receivers to rate and share feedback with suppliers.
• API Integration.
• Do-It-For-Me data services.
• New Fitment Builders.
• Online part editor.

“I love that I have the option to fix individual parts on the site,” said Kevin Martin of COMP Performance Group, who is among the members that have been beta testing the new program.

The official launch of the upgraded system is set to take place during the SEMA Show. The SDC will exhibit at the event in booth #20679, located in Central Hall. Showgoers are invited to stop by and learn more about the SDC and how standardized and compliant data contributes to increased sales.

By SEMA Editors

The SDC’s new dashboard will debut at the 2017 SEMA Show, Tuesday, October 31, where industry professionals at the annual trade show will have the first opportunity to experience how the PIMS 2.0 system helps manage data and contributes to increased sales.

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is launching the first system upgrade to its dashboard since the program debuted in 2012, giving users greater flexibility and ownership in the management and distribution of their data than ever before. The new dashboard will debut at the 2017 SEMA Show, Tuesday, October 31, where industry professionals at the annual trade show will have the first opportunity to experience how the PIMS 2.0 system helps manage data and contributes to increased sales.

“We've had the benefit of five years of feedback from companies who have used the system,” said Craig Schmutzler, vice president of operations for the SDC. “The result is a truly user-friendly system that is easy to use and intuitive to navigate."

Among the improvements to the system are:

• New user interface for managing and distributing product information.
• Notification and messaging tools between suppliers and receivers.
• Rating system that allows receivers to rate and share feedback with suppliers.
• API Integration.
• Do-It-For-Me data services.
• New Fitment Builders.
• Online part editor.

“I love that I have the option to fix individual parts on the site,” said Kevin Martin of COMP Performance Group, who is among the members that have been beta testing the new program.

The official launch of the upgraded system is set to take place during the SEMA Show. The SDC will exhibit at the event in booth #20679, located in Central Hall. Showgoers are invited to stop by and learn more about the SDC and how standardized and compliant data contributes to increased sales.

By SEMA Editors

Carl Robinson	George Finch

SEMA’s Wheel & Tire Council (WTC) announced that Carl Robinson and George Finch will be inducted into the WTC Hall of Fame during the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The 2017 WTC Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized during the council’s annual industry reception on October  31.

“I am delighted to announce that Carl Robinson and George Finch, two longtime select committee members of SEMA’s Wheel & Tire Council, will be inducted into the WTC Hall of Fame in recognition of their many contributions to the work of our council and to the automotive aftermarket industry at large,” said WTC Chair Gregory Parker, national account sales and marketing director at Wegmann Automotive. “For many years, these men have willingly shared their professional and technical expertise in helping to address issues facing our industry, and we’re excited to be able to honor them in this way.”

Robinson has spent more than three decades in the performance aftermarket industry and served as a WTC select committee member for 10 years. He was director of motorsports for Weld Racing Wheels for 13 years and worked for a decade with Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels in the motorsports and new product development divisions.

Robinson is principal of Race Wheel Enterprises, where he handles marketing and sales for InduraPower lithium-ion batteries and consults with a wheel manufacturer on a project for the performance aftermarket industry. He also serves as a race-day announcer for the Professional Drag Racing Association. A New York native and a graduate of Denver Automotive & Diesel College, Robinson resides in the Flagstaff, Arizona, area.

Finch has more than 20 years of experience in product development, including the areas of product portfolio planning, voice-of-customer research, product design and performance analysis, product lab and field testing, and product sales and vitality index analysis. Finch served as a WTC select committee member for more than 16 years and was elected council chairman in 2006. During his tenure, he was instrumental in the implementation of J2530, an SAE-recommended practice that provides performance and sampling requirements, test procedures and marking requirements for aftermarket wheels intended for normal highway use on passenger cars, light trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles.

Finch worked with American Racing for 10 years, serving as CAE/R&D engineering lead and manager of research and development. He was senior product design engineer for Exemplis LLC, and presently is principal engineer for the wheel product line at The Carlstar Group in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University-Pomona with a BSME in mechanical engineering.

The WTC Hall of Fame was founded to recognize and honor outstanding individuals in the wheel and tire industry whose creativity, dignity, integrity, industriousness and accomplishments on a national basis have enhanced the status of the industry, while significantly contributing to its growth, progress and professionalism.

For more information on SEMA’s Wheel & Tire Council, visit www.sema.org/wtc.

By SEMA Editors

Carl Robinson	George Finch

SEMA’s Wheel & Tire Council (WTC) announced that Carl Robinson and George Finch will be inducted into the WTC Hall of Fame during the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The 2017 WTC Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized during the council’s annual industry reception on October  31.

“I am delighted to announce that Carl Robinson and George Finch, two longtime select committee members of SEMA’s Wheel & Tire Council, will be inducted into the WTC Hall of Fame in recognition of their many contributions to the work of our council and to the automotive aftermarket industry at large,” said WTC Chair Gregory Parker, national account sales and marketing director at Wegmann Automotive. “For many years, these men have willingly shared their professional and technical expertise in helping to address issues facing our industry, and we’re excited to be able to honor them in this way.”

Robinson has spent more than three decades in the performance aftermarket industry and served as a WTC select committee member for 10 years. He was director of motorsports for Weld Racing Wheels for 13 years and worked for a decade with Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels in the motorsports and new product development divisions.

Robinson is principal of Race Wheel Enterprises, where he handles marketing and sales for InduraPower lithium-ion batteries and consults with a wheel manufacturer on a project for the performance aftermarket industry. He also serves as a race-day announcer for the Professional Drag Racing Association. A New York native and a graduate of Denver Automotive & Diesel College, Robinson resides in the Flagstaff, Arizona, area.

Finch has more than 20 years of experience in product development, including the areas of product portfolio planning, voice-of-customer research, product design and performance analysis, product lab and field testing, and product sales and vitality index analysis. Finch served as a WTC select committee member for more than 16 years and was elected council chairman in 2006. During his tenure, he was instrumental in the implementation of J2530, an SAE-recommended practice that provides performance and sampling requirements, test procedures and marking requirements for aftermarket wheels intended for normal highway use on passenger cars, light trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles.

Finch worked with American Racing for 10 years, serving as CAE/R&D engineering lead and manager of research and development. He was senior product design engineer for Exemplis LLC, and presently is principal engineer for the wheel product line at The Carlstar Group in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University-Pomona with a BSME in mechanical engineering.

The WTC Hall of Fame was founded to recognize and honor outstanding individuals in the wheel and tire industry whose creativity, dignity, integrity, industriousness and accomplishments on a national basis have enhanced the status of the industry, while significantly contributing to its growth, progress and professionalism.

For more information on SEMA’s Wheel & Tire Council, visit www.sema.org/wtc.

By SEMA Editors

The Diecast Hall of Fame ceremony will be held Thursday, November 2, from 9:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m., at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, where the 2017 inductees will be announced.

Customizers, designers and executives from brands such as BMW, Chrysler, Johnny Lightning, M2 Machines, Minichamps and OttOmobile will be in attendance. View all nominated collectors, models and brands. Purchase tickets here. All net proceeds will go to There With Care—a charity that helps families who have children with critical illnesses.

The Official SEMA Show Press Conference Schedule helps journalists and media attend the news events that are important to their readers.

The Official SEMA Show Press Conference Schedule helps journalists and media attend the news events that are important to their readers.

When you’re spending busy days at the SEMA Show, sooner or later you’ll need to eat. Fortunately, there is a wide array of options.