By SEMA Editors

	Celebrity Appearance Notification Forms are due September 5.

Exhibitors of the 2014 SEMA Show with a celebrity appearance or industry personality featured in their booth need to submit a Celebrity Appearance Notification Form by September 5. Celebrity Appearances are promoted in SEMA’s print and digital publications and promotions leading up to the opening of the 2014 SEMA Show, November 4–7, Las Vegas.

The Association has compiled a partial list of celebrity appearances to date. More will be added in the coming months.

View or print the 2014 SEMA Show Celebrity Appearance list.

As the largest annual gathering of small businesses in the United States, as well as the hotbed for new parts and equipment from all corners of the industry, booth appearances by recognizable personalities provide buyers with an identifiable, visual connection to the company's target market.

More information on the 2014 SEMA Show—including registration and additional destinations for buyers—can be accessed through the Attendees section on the SEMA Show homepage.

By Michael Hart

	Kordell Norton

Kordell Norton, the "Revenue Mechanic," will lead two conference sessions during SEMA Show Education Days, one of them entitled “Status Quo to Status Grow: 4 Elements of Explosive Business Growth.” Norton spoke with SEMA about what attendees can expect from his session.

SEMA: What exactly is a Revenue Mechanic?

Kordell Norton: How do you describe yourself when a customer calls and says, “My car’s making this funny noise. Can you look at it and tell me what I need?” You’d call yourself an auto mechanic. Most of what I do is geared around growing revenue, growing sales. So what we’re saying is that I’m really a mechanic for your revenue.

SEMA: You say that in your session during the SEMA Show you’ll explain how companies can break out of the “status quo” and into “status grow.” How do you do that?

Norton: People are brainwashed to see the world a certain way. It’s called life. I will play a few tricks on the audience that will cause them to say, “Wow, he caught me. Now, how am I catching my customers?” We’ll give them some skills to bust through the barriers that the customer has put in place that annoy them.

SEMA: You also say you’ll explain how to beat the big guys when you have a little guy’s budget.

Norton: Proctor & Gamble is talking about selling off hundreds of its brands. It’s too big; they’ve become an oil tanker. You can’t turn an oil tanker on a dime, but there are things you can do when you’re in a speedboat to run circles around the big, lumbering oil tanker. Because you get to use guerilla methods, they can be very cost-effective.

SEMA: Do you have an example?

Norton: Sure. Zappos, on the busiest travel day of the year, moved into the Houston airport. At the luggage claim area, they set up shop and put stickers on the turnstile so, as luggage came down out of the chute, the stickers fell on various pieces of luggage. If the sticker said “iPad” on it, somebody from Zappos walked over and said, “Congratulations, you won a Zappos iPad” and handed it to them. It cost them next to nothing—the cost to rent the baggage area for a few hours and the iPads and pens that they gave away. But it got them millions of dollars in free advertising. That’s what I mean about the speedboat running circles around the oil tanker.

SEMA Show Education Days will feature more than 60 educational sessions in 12 different tracks, ranging from new-vehicle technology to best business practices to marketing strategies and emerging trends in the industry. To see the complete schedule of SEMA Show Education courses and pre-register, visit www.SEMAShow.com/education.

By Michael Hart

	Kordell Norton

Kordell Norton, the "Revenue Mechanic," will lead two conference sessions during SEMA Show Education Days, one of them entitled “Status Quo to Status Grow: 4 Elements of Explosive Business Growth.” Norton spoke with SEMA about what attendees can expect from his session.

SEMA: What exactly is a Revenue Mechanic?

Kordell Norton: How do you describe yourself when a customer calls and says, “My car’s making this funny noise. Can you look at it and tell me what I need?” You’d call yourself an auto mechanic. Most of what I do is geared around growing revenue, growing sales. So what we’re saying is that I’m really a mechanic for your revenue.

SEMA: You say that in your session during the SEMA Show you’ll explain how companies can break out of the “status quo” and into “status grow.” How do you do that?

Norton: People are brainwashed to see the world a certain way. It’s called life. I will play a few tricks on the audience that will cause them to say, “Wow, he caught me. Now, how am I catching my customers?” We’ll give them some skills to bust through the barriers that the customer has put in place that annoy them.

SEMA: You also say you’ll explain how to beat the big guys when you have a little guy’s budget.

Norton: Proctor & Gamble is talking about selling off hundreds of its brands. It’s too big; they’ve become an oil tanker. You can’t turn an oil tanker on a dime, but there are things you can do when you’re in a speedboat to run circles around the big, lumbering oil tanker. Because you get to use guerilla methods, they can be very cost-effective.

SEMA: Do you have an example?

Norton: Sure. Zappos, on the busiest travel day of the year, moved into the Houston airport. At the luggage claim area, they set up shop and put stickers on the turnstile so, as luggage came down out of the chute, the stickers fell on various pieces of luggage. If the sticker said “iPad” on it, somebody from Zappos walked over and said, “Congratulations, you won a Zappos iPad” and handed it to them. It cost them next to nothing—the cost to rent the baggage area for a few hours and the iPads and pens that they gave away. But it got them millions of dollars in free advertising. That’s what I mean about the speedboat running circles around the oil tanker.

SEMA Show Education Days will feature more than 60 educational sessions in 12 different tracks, ranging from new-vehicle technology to best business practices to marketing strategies and emerging trends in the industry. To see the complete schedule of SEMA Show Education courses and pre-register, visit www.SEMAShow.com/education.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Motorsports professionals will be able to hear the colorful racing stories behind one of the most popular rivalries in racing at the PRI Trade Show Grand Opening Breakfast, as Don "Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "Mongoose" McEwen join MAVTV's Dave Despain on stage.

Snake & Mongoose to Join MAVTV's Dave Despain on Stage at PRI Trade Show's Grand Opening Breakfast
The Grand Opening Breakfast at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show will feature special appearance of two of the biggest names in drag racing's storied history—Don "Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "Mongoose" McEwen—on the morning of Thursday, December 11, 2014.

With 49 career victories, Prudhomme ranks sixth in NHRA history for most wins. Beginning his driving career in 1962, he was the first driver to win the NHRA series title four consecutive times. McEwen is listed as number 16 of the 50 most significant drivers of NHRA's first 50 years, winning five NHRA national events.

McEwen started racing in 1953, and received the nickname the "Mongoose" in 1964 from engine builder Ed Donovan as a way to promote Funny Car match races against Prudhomme. McEwen's promotional abilities evolved into a 1969 deal with Mattel's Hot Wheels toy line that become one of the biggest, most successful national promotions in racing history.

The Hot Wheels promotion of Prudhomme's Plymouth Barracuda and McEwen's Plymouth Duster was so big, and made such an impact on so many children at the time, that Mattel organized a two-day, 35-year anniversary celebration in 2005. The original Hot Wheels Snake and Mongoose toys are now highly sought-after collectibles.

A film on the two Southern Callifornia drag racers came out in 2013.

"We're honored to have Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen as our special on-stage guests at the Grand Opening Breakfast," said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. "In addition to their skills as racers, they were responsible for a promotion that started countless boys, as well as girls, dreaming about becoming drag racers.

The Grand Opening Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m., Thursday, December 11, 2014, with doors set to open at 7:00 a.m. It will be held in the Sagamore Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center.

	Jason Voss finished in first place in the Best In the Desert race.

Kroyer Racing Engines Brings the Heat to the Baja and Nevada Desert
Kroyer Racing Engines swept this past June's BAJA 500 Trophy Truck podium and had five drivers finish in the top six: 1st – Bryce Menzies (8:51:50), 2nd – Jason Voss (8:55:17), 3rd – Jesse Jones (8:57:21), 4th – BJ Baldwin (9:04:58), 6th – Luke McMillin (9:19:58)

In the Best In The Desert, Kroyer Racing Engines Trick Trucks finished three out of the top five for this year's race: 1st – Jason Voss (8:29:28), 4th – Steve Strobel (8:56:00), 5th – Jesse Jones (8:58:24).

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORS) is running down the final stretch of the season and with rounds 11&12 this weekend in Sparks, Nevada.

Jeff Gordon and No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS Win in Michigan
Axalta Coating Systems and driver Jeff Gordon got another win at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), August 17. This is the third win of the season and the 91st career win for the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Record-breaking speed led Gordon to capture a second pole position of the season, making it his sixth at MIS and his 76th career pole.

	Bubba Burger will serve as the primary sponsor on Sarah Burgess' Chevrolet Sonic Red Bull Global Rallycross car.

Sarah Burgess, Bubba Burger Team Up for Red Bull Global Rallycross Daytona
Sarah Burgess and her team BMI Racing have officially teamed up with Bubba Burger, which will serve as the primary sponsor on Burgess' Chevrolet Sonic Red Bull Global Rallycross car at round 6 of the Red Bull Global Rallycross Series being held at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida, August 22–23. After dealing with a variety of setbacks in the first half of the season, Burgess and her team have regrouped for the second half of the season and are ready to fight back.

Banning Motorsports Triumphant at the 2014 BITD Vegas To Reno
In the 2014 Best In The Desert (BITD) Vegas to Reno series 10 class, Banning Motorsports' Lee Banning Sr. piloted the #1023 car to a third-place finish, while Hayden Melton, behind the wheel of the 1178 car, crossed the finish line and onto the podium to claim the win.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Motorsports professionals will be able to hear the colorful racing stories behind one of the most popular rivalries in racing at the PRI Trade Show Grand Opening Breakfast, as Don "Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "Mongoose" McEwen join MAVTV's Dave Despain on stage.

Snake & Mongoose to Join MAVTV's Dave Despain on Stage at PRI Trade Show's Grand Opening Breakfast
The Grand Opening Breakfast at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show will feature special appearance of two of the biggest names in drag racing's storied history—Don "Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "Mongoose" McEwen—on the morning of Thursday, December 11, 2014.

With 49 career victories, Prudhomme ranks sixth in NHRA history for most wins. Beginning his driving career in 1962, he was the first driver to win the NHRA series title four consecutive times. McEwen is listed as number 16 of the 50 most significant drivers of NHRA's first 50 years, winning five NHRA national events.

McEwen started racing in 1953, and received the nickname the "Mongoose" in 1964 from engine builder Ed Donovan as a way to promote Funny Car match races against Prudhomme. McEwen's promotional abilities evolved into a 1969 deal with Mattel's Hot Wheels toy line that become one of the biggest, most successful national promotions in racing history.

The Hot Wheels promotion of Prudhomme's Plymouth Barracuda and McEwen's Plymouth Duster was so big, and made such an impact on so many children at the time, that Mattel organized a two-day, 35-year anniversary celebration in 2005. The original Hot Wheels Snake and Mongoose toys are now highly sought-after collectibles.

A film on the two Southern Callifornia drag racers came out in 2013.

"We're honored to have Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen as our special on-stage guests at the Grand Opening Breakfast," said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. "In addition to their skills as racers, they were responsible for a promotion that started countless boys, as well as girls, dreaming about becoming drag racers.

The Grand Opening Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m., Thursday, December 11, 2014, with doors set to open at 7:00 a.m. It will be held in the Sagamore Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center.

	Jason Voss finished in first place in the Best In the Desert race.

Kroyer Racing Engines Brings the Heat to the Baja and Nevada Desert
Kroyer Racing Engines swept this past June's BAJA 500 Trophy Truck podium and had five drivers finish in the top six: 1st – Bryce Menzies (8:51:50), 2nd – Jason Voss (8:55:17), 3rd – Jesse Jones (8:57:21), 4th – BJ Baldwin (9:04:58), 6th – Luke McMillin (9:19:58)

In the Best In The Desert, Kroyer Racing Engines Trick Trucks finished three out of the top five for this year's race: 1st – Jason Voss (8:29:28), 4th – Steve Strobel (8:56:00), 5th – Jesse Jones (8:58:24).

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORS) is running down the final stretch of the season and with rounds 11&12 this weekend in Sparks, Nevada.

Jeff Gordon and No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS Win in Michigan
Axalta Coating Systems and driver Jeff Gordon got another win at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), August 17. This is the third win of the season and the 91st career win for the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Record-breaking speed led Gordon to capture a second pole position of the season, making it his sixth at MIS and his 76th career pole.

	Bubba Burger will serve as the primary sponsor on Sarah Burgess' Chevrolet Sonic Red Bull Global Rallycross car.

Sarah Burgess, Bubba Burger Team Up for Red Bull Global Rallycross Daytona
Sarah Burgess and her team BMI Racing have officially teamed up with Bubba Burger, which will serve as the primary sponsor on Burgess' Chevrolet Sonic Red Bull Global Rallycross car at round 6 of the Red Bull Global Rallycross Series being held at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida, August 22–23. After dealing with a variety of setbacks in the first half of the season, Burgess and her team have regrouped for the second half of the season and are ready to fight back.

Banning Motorsports Triumphant at the 2014 BITD Vegas To Reno
In the 2014 Best In The Desert (BITD) Vegas to Reno series 10 class, Banning Motorsports' Lee Banning Sr. piloted the #1023 car to a third-place finish, while Hayden Melton, behind the wheel of the 1178 car, crossed the finish line and onto the podium to claim the win.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Royal Purple selected Frank Daniels’ ’10 Chevrolet Camaro as the winner of its 2014 Show it Off at SEMA contest. Photo Credit: Super Chevy/Rod Short

Royal Purple Selects 2010 Camaro as its 2014 Show It Off at SEMA Winner

Royal Purple announced that Frank Daniels’ custom ’10 Chevrolet Camaro is the grand-prize winner of the its Show It Off at SEMA contest. As this year’s winner, Daniels’ Camaro will be sponsored by Royal Purple as a feature vehicle on display at the 2014 SEMA Show, November 4–7, Las Vegas.

The Royal Purple Show It Off at SEMA contest was hosted online on Royal Purple’s Facebook fan page throughout July and August. Vehicle owners submitted a photo of their vehicle for the opportunity to display it as a feature vehicle at the SEMA Show. The top-five finalists who received the most votes, from more than 30 entries, were chosen by Royal Purple, with the grand-prize winner selected by an expert panel of five judges.

As part of the grand prize, Royal Purple will handle all SEMA feature vehicle fees and show registration for Daniels. He will also receive two SEMA Show credentials, five nights of hotel accommodations in Las Vegas, a variety of Royal Purple apparel to wear, and a seat at Royal Purple’s VIP dinner in Las Vegas.

SpeedDirect Announces S. Kellie Colf as National Sales & Marketing Manager

SpeedDirect has announced the addition of S. Kellie Colf as national sales and marketing manager. Colf brings with her 14 years of professional sales and management experience in the wholesale and retail aftermarket. Her background includes positions as corporate sales development manager at Stainless Steel Brakes, market development manager at EATON Detroit Spring, president of Colf Creative Resources and service on several SEMA Select Committees. Colf was awarded the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network Woman of the Year Award in 2010.

Gumout Performance Additives Launches New Website

Gumout Performance Additives has announced the complete redesign of www.Gumout.com. The new website was constructed to align with the brand’s science-focused message and optimized for a consumer-friendly experience. The site includes extensive information with key features to explore, including in-depth science pages that explain how fuel additives work and show the science behind Gumout, a new easy-to-understand product guide, new videos demonstrating the science of fuel additives, completely redesigned product pages focused on the science and benefits, and a motorsports page with videos from The Gumout Gang.

MAHLE Service Solutions Announces Expanded Distribution for West Coast and Canadian Customers

According to Jon Douglas, general manager, MAHLE Aftermarket Inc., the new satellite warehouse in Bell, California, enables the company to quickly fulfill orders to West Coast customers. With the new California facility, MAHLE Aftermarket, Service Solutions can now ship orders up until 6:00 p.m. (EST) to anywhere in the country. Douglas says the new facility in Canada is another positive development for the company. Formerly the RTI Division of MAHLE Aftermarket, the division is now MAHLE Aftermarket, Service Solutions.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org. 

The shooters at KGP Photography caught this Ford Raptor wearing performance upgrades and testing at Ford Dearborn Development Center.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

The shooters at KGP Photography caught this Ford Raptor wearing performance upgrades and testing at Ford Dearborn Development Center.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

The shooters at KGP Photography caught this Ford Raptor wearing performance upgrades and testing at Ford Dearborn Development Center.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

By SEMA Editors

	The deadline to ensure that exhibitor information is listed accurately in the 2014 SEMA Show Directory for buyers and media is Friday, August 29.

SEMA Show exhibitors are encouraged to take a few minutes to review their company information that will appear in the 2014 SEMA Show Directory. The deadline to ensure that exhibitor information is listed accurately for Show buyers and media is Friday, August 29.

Since the submission of their online Exhibit Space Rental Agreement, exhibitors may have company information that needs to be updated, or has changed completely. While verifying the information, exhibitors should pay particular attention to applicable product categories. Only an exhibitor’s product category will be included in the printed 2014 SEMA Show Directory.

Post-Show data provided by SEMA Show management reveals that 51% of buyers are influenced to meet with a company because of the directory, and it is one of the top sources that influences buyers to visit an exhibitor. Also, 63% say the directory is a useful tool for helping them navigate the Show.

The deadline for changes to the printed publication is Friday, August 29. Any changes made after the deadline will appear on the online floorplan only.

Get Started

1. Go to SEMA Show Directory Update
2. Click on your Company Name
3. Enter your company password (your password is nine digits followed by the letter "O")
4. Click "login"

Additional SEMA Show Directory Update Instructions are available online. Contact Marel Del Rio at mareld@sema.org with questions.