During the 2012 SEMA Show, social network users continually voiced their enthusiasm not only for the Show, but also for the year ahead.

The 2012 SEMA Show was four days of the hottest products and latest trends in automotive specialty-equipment. Exhibitors and attendees agree that enthusiasm was high across the board and all signs point to bigger profits in 2013. As a testament to the building excitement in specialty-equipment, the SEMA Show was an extremely popular topic across all the major social networking hubs. Here is just a sample of some recent entries on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.   

LinkedIn:

Dean Satterfield, TMI Products: "TMI Products of Corona, California, had a fantastic Show. Our new SPORT-R Interior line was very well received by dealers and media alike. Our sales and marketing team has been extremely busy following up on the qualified sales leads and dealer applications. It was the perfect launch for a strong 2013."

Robert Dipede: "As an exhibitor....I can tell you that the traffic was definitely greater than the last two years. We also witnessed a higher interest level and more international opportunities than domestic. That might be a result from our social marketing efforts, but overall we were very pleased with the Show. (SHINING MONKEY CORP.)

John Cole: "Show was a huge success for Parker Ionics. Great traffic (best in years...) and sincere interest in our products made for a BIG win. Looking forward to next year already.....

Twitter:

@DynoDrive: one more week before going to #SEMASHOW looking for new products and technology to keep us at the sharp end of tuning!

@staticap @SEMASHOW Eager to launch our product at such a prestigious event #SEMASHOW 6 DAYS TO GO. #statiCap #makeanimpression

@ESHyperflex: #SEMASHOW is a great place to help launch new products and new events such as the Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge. http://t.co/WTPViCdM

Matthew Heller, Owner of Hornblasters, Inc.: "We received great feedback from exhibiting at the SEMA Show. The seasoned and knowledgeable staff provided a smooth experience for us first-time exhibitors. We made some great connections at the show."

Beanco Inc. (first-time exhibitor) @TheMobileHome #TheMobileHome was featured on Las Vegas CBS affiliate as a #SEMASHOW stand-out product with a focus on safety! www.DriveWithSiri.com

Facebook:

RaceDeck Garage Flooring: It's been the best SEMA Show ever for us at RaceDeck - Some really exciting things now in the works as a result of this Show.

Roboreel: Just wanted to say THANK YOU to the folks at SEMA and Freeman for being the best group of people in the world to deal with at a tradeshow. Thanks so much. We cannot wait to be a part of such a fun event!

GFS - Global Finishing Solutions: The GFS/Dupont/Champion Cromax Pro Experience paint booth was a big hit! Every painting session we had was full. Great feedback from the attendees that they loved the booth, loved the paint. We're really happy to have been a part of it!

Sonny Johns: The @ShifttConfig team has been blown away by the extremely positive reception we've had from all of the Jeep JK parts manufacturers! Can't wait to get all of it finalized!

	During the 2012 SEMA Show, social network users continually voiced their enthusiasm not only for the Show, but also for the year ahead.

The 2012 SEMA Show was four days of the hottest products and latest trends in automotive specialty-equipment. Exhibitors and attendees agree that enthusiasm was high across the board and all signs point to bigger profits in 2013. As a testament to the building excitement in specialty-equipment, the SEMA Show was an extremely popular topic across all the major social networking hubs. Here is just a sample of some recent entries on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.   

LinkedIn:

Dean Satterfield, TMI Products: "TMI Products of Corona, California, had a fantastic Show. Our new SPORT-R Interior line was very well received by dealers and media alike. Our sales and marketing team has been extremely busy following up on the qualified sales leads and dealer applications. It was the perfect launch for a strong 2013."

Robert Dipede: "As an exhibitor....I can tell you that the traffic was definitely greater than the last two years. We also witnessed a higher interest level and more international opportunities than domestic. That might be a result from our social marketing efforts, but overall we were very pleased with the Show. (SHINING MONKEY CORP.)

John Cole: "Show was a huge success for Parker Ionics. Great traffic (best in years...) and sincere interest in our products made for a BIG win. Looking forward to next year already.....

Twitter:

@DynoDrive: one more week before going to #SEMASHOW looking for new products and technology to keep us at the sharp end of tuning!

@staticap @SEMASHOW Eager to launch our product at such a prestigious event #SEMASHOW 6 DAYS TO GO. #statiCap #makeanimpression

@ESHyperflex: #SEMASHOW is a great place to help launch new products and new events such as the Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge. http://t.co/WTPViCdM

Matthew Heller, Owner of Hornblasters, Inc.: "We received great feedback from exhibiting at the SEMA Show. The seasoned and knowledgeable staff provided a smooth experience for us first-time exhibitors. We made some great connections at the show."

Beanco Inc. (first-time exhibitor) @TheMobileHome #TheMobileHome was featured on Las Vegas CBS affiliate as a #SEMASHOW stand-out product with a focus on safety! www.DriveWithSiri.com

Facebook:

RaceDeck Garage Flooring: It's been the best SEMA Show ever for us at RaceDeck - Some really exciting things now in the works as a result of this Show.

Roboreel: Just wanted to say THANK YOU to the folks at SEMA and Freeman for being the best group of people in the world to deal with at a tradeshow. Thanks so much. We cannot wait to be a part of such a fun event!

GFS - Global Finishing Solutions: The GFS/Dupont/Champion Cromax Pro Experience paint booth was a big hit! Every painting session we had was full. Great feedback from the attendees that they loved the booth, loved the paint. We're really happy to have been a part of it!

Sonny Johns: The @ShifttConfig team has been blown away by the extremely positive reception we've had from all of the Jeep JK parts manufacturers! Can't wait to get all of it finalized!

	During the 2012 SEMA Show, social network users continually voiced their enthusiasm not only for the Show, but also for the year ahead.

The 2012 SEMA Show was four days of the hottest products and latest trends in automotive specialty-equipment. Exhibitors and attendees agree that enthusiasm was high across the board and all signs point to bigger profits in 2013. As a testament to the building excitement in specialty-equipment, the SEMA Show was an extremely popular topic across all the major social networking hubs. Here is just a sample of some recent entries on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.   

LinkedIn:

Dean Satterfield, TMI Products: "TMI Products of Corona, California, had a fantastic Show. Our new SPORT-R Interior line was very well received by dealers and media alike. Our sales and marketing team has been extremely busy following up on the qualified sales leads and dealer applications. It was the perfect launch for a strong 2013."

Robert Dipede: "As an exhibitor....I can tell you that the traffic was definitely greater than the last two years. We also witnessed a higher interest level and more international opportunities than domestic. That might be a result from our social marketing efforts, but overall we were very pleased with the Show. (SHINING MONKEY CORP.)

John Cole: "Show was a huge success for Parker Ionics. Great traffic (best in years...) and sincere interest in our products made for a BIG win. Looking forward to next year already.....

Twitter:

@DynoDrive: one more week before going to #SEMASHOW looking for new products and technology to keep us at the sharp end of tuning!

@staticap @SEMASHOW Eager to launch our product at such a prestigious event #SEMASHOW 6 DAYS TO GO. #statiCap #makeanimpression

@ESHyperflex: #SEMASHOW is a great place to help launch new products and new events such as the Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge. http://t.co/WTPViCdM

Matthew Heller, Owner of Hornblasters, Inc.: "We received great feedback from exhibiting at the SEMA Show. The seasoned and knowledgeable staff provided a smooth experience for us first-time exhibitors. We made some great connections at the show."

Beanco Inc. (first-time exhibitor) @TheMobileHome #TheMobileHome was featured on Las Vegas CBS affiliate as a #SEMASHOW stand-out product with a focus on safety! www.DriveWithSiri.com

Facebook:

RaceDeck Garage Flooring: It's been the best SEMA Show ever for us at RaceDeck - Some really exciting things now in the works as a result of this Show.

Roboreel: Just wanted to say THANK YOU to the folks at SEMA and Freeman for being the best group of people in the world to deal with at a tradeshow. Thanks so much. We cannot wait to be a part of such a fun event!

GFS - Global Finishing Solutions: The GFS/Dupont/Champion Cromax Pro Experience paint booth was a big hit! Every painting session we had was full. Great feedback from the attendees that they loved the booth, loved the paint. We're really happy to have been a part of it!

Sonny Johns: The @ShifttConfig team has been blown away by the extremely positive reception we've had from all of the Jeep JK parts manufacturers! Can't wait to get all of it finalized!

	During the 2012 SEMA Show, social network users continually voiced their enthusiasm not only for the Show, but also for the year ahead.

The 2012 SEMA Show was four days of the hottest products and latest trends in automotive specialty-equipment. Exhibitors and attendees agree that enthusiasm was high across the board and all signs point to bigger profits in 2013. As a testament to the building excitement in specialty-equipment, the SEMA Show was an extremely popular topic across all the major social networking hubs. Here is just a sample of some recent entries on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.   

LinkedIn:

Dean Satterfield, TMI Products: "TMI Products of Corona, California, had a fantastic Show. Our new SPORT-R Interior line was very well received by dealers and media alike. Our sales and marketing team has been extremely busy following up on the qualified sales leads and dealer applications. It was the perfect launch for a strong 2013."

Robert Dipede: "As an exhibitor....I can tell you that the traffic was definitely greater than the last two years. We also witnessed a higher interest level and more international opportunities than domestic. That might be a result from our social marketing efforts, but overall we were very pleased with the Show. (SHINING MONKEY CORP.)

John Cole: "Show was a huge success for Parker Ionics. Great traffic (best in years...) and sincere interest in our products made for a BIG win. Looking forward to next year already.....

Twitter:

@DynoDrive: one more week before going to #SEMASHOW looking for new products and technology to keep us at the sharp end of tuning!

@staticap @SEMASHOW Eager to launch our product at such a prestigious event #SEMASHOW 6 DAYS TO GO. #statiCap #makeanimpression

@ESHyperflex: #SEMASHOW is a great place to help launch new products and new events such as the Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge. http://t.co/WTPViCdM

Matthew Heller, Owner of Hornblasters, Inc.: "We received great feedback from exhibiting at the SEMA Show. The seasoned and knowledgeable staff provided a smooth experience for us first-time exhibitors. We made some great connections at the show."

Beanco Inc. (first-time exhibitor) @TheMobileHome #TheMobileHome was featured on Las Vegas CBS affiliate as a #SEMASHOW stand-out product with a focus on safety! www.DriveWithSiri.com

Facebook:

RaceDeck Garage Flooring: It's been the best SEMA Show ever for us at RaceDeck - Some really exciting things now in the works as a result of this Show.

Roboreel: Just wanted to say THANK YOU to the folks at SEMA and Freeman for being the best group of people in the world to deal with at a tradeshow. Thanks so much. We cannot wait to be a part of such a fun event!

GFS - Global Finishing Solutions: The GFS/Dupont/Champion Cromax Pro Experience paint booth was a big hit! Every painting session we had was full. Great feedback from the attendees that they loved the booth, loved the paint. We're really happy to have been a part of it!

Sonny Johns: The @ShifttConfig team has been blown away by the extremely positive reception we've had from all of the Jeep JK parts manufacturers! Can't wait to get all of it finalized!

	A Nat Danas Scholarship has been established as part of the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. Danas, a restyling industry icon, was instrumental in founding SEMA's Professional Restylers Organization.

A Nat Danas Scholarship, to be presented annually to students pursuing or advancing a career in the auto trim and restyling industry, has been established as part of the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund with an endowment of $58,000. The announcement was made by the Nat Danas Scholarship Committee at the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, held during the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Danas, who passed away in May, was the founder and publisher of Auto Trim & Restyling News magazine. A restyling industry icon, Danas began his career in the 1940s as owner of an auto-trim business. He founded the magazine in 1952 to serve the trim, restoration and restyling industries. In 1953, he formed the industry's first trade association—the National Association of Auto Trim Shops.

Danas produced numerous trade shows and conferences showcasing emerging trim and restyling trends, and offering the industry's first formalized educational workshops and technical training clinics. He also pioneered the concepts of adherence to best practices and recognition of skill-level achievement through the establishment of a voluntary code of ethics and the Master Craftsman Award.

In 1988, Danas was instrumental in founding the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO). He later worked with former SEMA President Chuck Blum to bring PRO under the SEMA umbrella in 1990. A long-time SEMA member, he served multiple terms on the PRO Select Committee and received the council's lifetime achievement award in 1995.

Nat Danas

"Nat's knowledge and experience, combined with his dedication to education and training, had a profound impact on the trim and restyling industry," said Ellen McKoy of EMK Marketing and a member of the Danas Scholarship Committee. "Throughout his career, Nat not only earned the respect of colleagues nationwide, he also helped to establish the restyling industry as a vital segment of the specialty automotive equipment marketplace. With this endowment, we know that Nat's vision and legacy will live on in perpetuity."

According to McKoy, the scholarship was initially established at a Midwest university in 1987 with a bequest of $25,000 raised at a restyling industry tribute to Danas. When the auto-trim degree program was discontinued, the Danas Scholarship Committee set its sights on moving the endowment to the SEMA Scholarship Fund. Other committee members include Phil Edwards, Infinity Sales & Marketing; Maria Roman, Roman Chariot; and Neil Rosenberg, ITTCO Sales.

"We are excited by the prospect of offering Nat Danas scholarships to worthy students seeking to advance their career in the restyling industry," said Joel Ayres, chairman of the SEMA Scholarship Committee.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund is a nonprofit group dedicated to fostering industry leadership by supporting the educational pursuits of current and future automotive professionals. The Nat Danas Scholarship will be among the many scholarships SEMA awards annually to students pursuing careers in the automotive aftermarket. A total of $130,000 was awarded to 69 individuals in 2012. Potential applicants can apply now at www.SEMA.org/scholarships, with applications due March 29, 2013.

	A Nat Danas Scholarship has been established as part of the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. Danas, a restyling industry icon, was instrumental in founding SEMA's Professional Restylers Organization.

A Nat Danas Scholarship, to be presented annually to students pursuing or advancing a career in the auto trim and restyling industry, has been established as part of the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund with an endowment of $58,000. The announcement was made by the Nat Danas Scholarship Committee at the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, held during the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Danas, who passed away in May, was the founder and publisher of Auto Trim & Restyling News magazine. A restyling industry icon, Danas began his career in the 1940s as owner of an auto-trim business. He founded the magazine in 1952 to serve the trim, restoration and restyling industries. In 1953, he formed the industry's first trade association—the National Association of Auto Trim Shops.

Danas produced numerous trade shows and conferences showcasing emerging trim and restyling trends, and offering the industry's first formalized educational workshops and technical training clinics. He also pioneered the concepts of adherence to best practices and recognition of skill-level achievement through the establishment of a voluntary code of ethics and the Master Craftsman Award.

In 1988, Danas was instrumental in founding the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO). He later worked with former SEMA President Chuck Blum to bring PRO under the SEMA umbrella in 1990. A long-time SEMA member, he served multiple terms on the PRO Select Committee and received the council's lifetime achievement award in 1995.

Nat Danas

"Nat's knowledge and experience, combined with his dedication to education and training, had a profound impact on the trim and restyling industry," said Ellen McKoy of EMK Marketing and a member of the Danas Scholarship Committee. "Throughout his career, Nat not only earned the respect of colleagues nationwide, he also helped to establish the restyling industry as a vital segment of the specialty automotive equipment marketplace. With this endowment, we know that Nat's vision and legacy will live on in perpetuity."

According to McKoy, the scholarship was initially established at a Midwest university in 1987 with a bequest of $25,000 raised at a restyling industry tribute to Danas. When the auto-trim degree program was discontinued, the Danas Scholarship Committee set its sights on moving the endowment to the SEMA Scholarship Fund. Other committee members include Phil Edwards, Infinity Sales & Marketing; Maria Roman, Roman Chariot; and Neil Rosenberg, ITTCO Sales.

"We are excited by the prospect of offering Nat Danas scholarships to worthy students seeking to advance their career in the restyling industry," said Joel Ayres, chairman of the SEMA Scholarship Committee.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund is a nonprofit group dedicated to fostering industry leadership by supporting the educational pursuits of current and future automotive professionals. The Nat Danas Scholarship will be among the many scholarships SEMA awards annually to students pursuing careers in the automotive aftermarket. A total of $130,000 was awarded to 69 individuals in 2012. Potential applicants can apply now at www.SEMA.org/scholarships, with applications due March 29, 2013.