SEMA-supported legislation to exempt vehicles more than 25 years old from the state’s annual emissions inspection and maintenance program was signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. To qualify for the exemption, these vehicles must be registered as “antique motor vehicles.” Antique vehicles are defined as more than 25 years old with a non-modified engine and body that is used for club activities, exhibits, tours, parades and similar uses as a collector's item; on the highways for the purpose of selling, testing the operation of or obtaining repairs or maintenance; and for general transportation on Saturday and Sunday.

Previous law in Tennessee only exempted vehicles manufactured before the ’75 model year from emissions inspection. The new law provides for a rolling emissions inspection exemption that would exempt qualifying antique vehicles upon enactment and would pick up an additional model year for each year the law is in effect. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

 

All SEMA members are invited to join the children of Childhelp in building pinewood dragsters for the upcoming Pinewood Drag Races.

Held in conjunction with the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors, will return July 29, 2011, at 12:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California. The finals will take place during the cocktail reception shortly before the banquet begins.

This year, SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in two classes: Stock and Unlimited. Council members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build it For Me (BIFM) 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 the current record holder is past SEMA Chairman and one-time YEN member Mitch Williams.

Come out and challenge your peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit two worthwhile children’s charities—Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member increase their chances of winning.

And if you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to help the children of Childhelp sand, paint and assemble the cars for the annual races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual. The build day will take place at Childhelp Village West in Beaumont, California, Saturday, June 4. Members interested in participating are invited to contact derby@sema.org or visit the Pinewood Drag Races and SEMA Cares Facebook pages.

At last year’s award ceremony, the child-built car winner from Childhelp traded smack talk with Williams for building a Stock car that ran consistent 2.99 heats all day and advancing to take the title in his class. Will anyone besides an 11-year-old challenge Williams this year? The SEMA Cares committee hopes you will and thanks you in advance for your support of these two great charities.

Click here to register for the upcoming SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races.

Winners of the 2010 Pinewood Drag Races

Build It for Me



Travis White and Janette Hale, 
Paramount Restyling 

Hot Rod Industry Alliance

Tricel Honeycomb



Modified



Justin Hoffend, Freeman

Joel Ayres, SEMA Cares Committee

Chris Kersting, SEMA



Council Cup Challenge



SEMA Businesswomen’s Network

People’s Choice

Travis White, Janette Hale, Paramount Restyling

Stock

Melanie White, Hellwig Products
Nicolas Hoffend, Freeman
Chuck Schwartz, ConvExx

Unlimited

Famous Rhodes, eBay Motors
Todd Ryden, MSD Ignition
Eric Hoffend, Freeman

Grand National Trophy

SEMA Businesswomen’s Network

 

All SEMA members are invited to join the children of Childhelp in building pinewood dragsters for the upcoming Pinewood Drag Races.

Held in conjunction with the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors, will return July 29, 2011, at 12:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California. The finals will take place during the cocktail reception shortly before the banquet begins.

This year, SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in two classes: Stock and Unlimited. Council members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build it For Me (BIFM) 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 the current record holder is past SEMA Chairman and one-time YEN member Mitch Williams.

Come out and challenge your peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit two worthwhile children’s charities—Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member increase their chances of winning.

And if you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to help the children of Childhelp sand, paint and assemble the cars for the annual races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual. The build day will take place at Childhelp Village West in Beaumont, California, Saturday, June 4. Members interested in participating are invited to contact derby@sema.org or visit the Pinewood Drag Races and SEMA Cares Facebook pages.

At last year’s award ceremony, the child-built car winner from Childhelp traded smack talk with Williams for building a Stock car that ran consistent 2.99 heats all day and advancing to take the title in his class. Will anyone besides an 11-year-old challenge Williams this year? The SEMA Cares committee hopes you will and thanks you in advance for your support of these two great charities.

Click here to register for the upcoming SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races.

Winners of the 2010 Pinewood Drag Races

Build It for Me



Travis White and Janette Hale, 
Paramount Restyling 

Hot Rod Industry Alliance

Tricel Honeycomb



Modified



Justin Hoffend, Freeman

Joel Ayres, SEMA Cares Committee

Chris Kersting, SEMA



Council Cup Challenge



SEMA Businesswomen’s Network

People’s Choice

Travis White, Janette Hale, Paramount Restyling

Stock

Melanie White, Hellwig Products
Nicolas Hoffend, Freeman
Chuck Schwartz, ConvExx

Unlimited

Famous Rhodes, eBay Motors
Todd Ryden, MSD Ignition
Eric Hoffend, Freeman

Grand National Trophy

SEMA Businesswomen’s Network

 

All SEMA members are invited to join the children of Childhelp in building pinewood dragsters for the upcoming Pinewood Drag Races.

Held in conjunction with the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors, will return July 29, 2011, at 12:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California. The finals will take place during the cocktail reception shortly before the banquet begins.

This year, SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in two classes: Stock and Unlimited. Council members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build it For Me (BIFM) 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 the current record holder is past SEMA Chairman and one-time YEN member Mitch Williams.

Come out and challenge your peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit two worthwhile children’s charities—Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member increase their chances of winning.

And if you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to help the children of Childhelp sand, paint and assemble the cars for the annual races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual. The build day will take place at Childhelp Village West in Beaumont, California, Saturday, June 4. Members interested in participating are invited to contact derby@sema.org or visit the Pinewood Drag Races and SEMA Cares Facebook pages.

At last year’s award ceremony, the child-built car winner from Childhelp traded smack talk with Williams for building a Stock car that ran consistent 2.99 heats all day and advancing to take the title in his class. Will anyone besides an 11-year-old challenge Williams this year? The SEMA Cares committee hopes you will and thanks you in advance for your support of these two great charities.

Click here to register for the upcoming SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races.

Winners of the 2010 Pinewood Drag Races

Build It for Me



Travis White and Janette Hale, 
Paramount Restyling 

Hot Rod Industry Alliance

Tricel Honeycomb



Modified



Justin Hoffend, Freeman

Joel Ayres, SEMA Cares Committee

Chris Kersting, SEMA



Council Cup Challenge



SEMA Businesswomen’s Network

People’s Choice

Travis White, Janette Hale, Paramount Restyling

Stock

Melanie White, Hellwig Products
Nicolas Hoffend, Freeman
Chuck Schwartz, ConvExx

Unlimited

Famous Rhodes, eBay Motors
Todd Ryden, MSD Ignition
Eric Hoffend, Freeman

Grand National Trophy

SEMA Businesswomen’s Network

 

All SEMA members are invited to join the children of Childhelp in building pinewood dragsters for the upcoming Pinewood Drag Races.

Held in conjunction with the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors, will return July 29, 2011, at 12:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California. The finals will take place during the cocktail reception shortly before the banquet begins.

This year, SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in two classes: Stock and Unlimited. Council members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build it For Me (BIFM) 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 the current record holder is past SEMA Chairman and one-time YEN member Mitch Williams.

Come out and challenge your peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit two worthwhile children’s charities—Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member increase their chances of winning.

And if you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to help the children of Childhelp sand, paint and assemble the cars for the annual races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual. The build day will take place at Childhelp Village West in Beaumont, California, Saturday, June 4. Members interested in participating are invited to contact derby@sema.org or visit the Pinewood Drag Races and SEMA Cares Facebook pages.

At last year’s award ceremony, the child-built car winner from Childhelp traded smack talk with Williams for building a Stock car that ran consistent 2.99 heats all day and advancing to take the title in his class. Will anyone besides an 11-year-old challenge Williams this year? The SEMA Cares committee hopes you will and thanks you in advance for your support of these two great charities.

Click here to register for the upcoming SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races.

Winners of the 2010 Pinewood Drag Races

Build It for Me



Travis White and Janette Hale, 
Paramount Restyling 

Hot Rod Industry Alliance

Tricel Honeycomb



Modified



Justin Hoffend, Freeman

Joel Ayres, SEMA Cares Committee

Chris Kersting, SEMA



Council Cup Challenge



SEMA Businesswomen’s Network

People’s Choice

Travis White, Janette Hale, Paramount Restyling

Stock

Melanie White, Hellwig Products
Nicolas Hoffend, Freeman
Chuck Schwartz, ConvExx

Unlimited

Famous Rhodes, eBay Motors
Todd Ryden, MSD Ignition
Eric Hoffend, Freeman

Grand National Trophy

SEMA Businesswomen’s Network

	A new Social Media Course designed to help industry professionals develop career-advancing skills was added to the SEMA Educational Institute's comprehensive online library.

The SEMA Education Institute (SEI) has added a new SEMA Social Media course to its comprehensive online library, which is designed to help industry professionals develop career-advancing skills. The six-session course, available for a limited time, without charge, at www.SEMA.org/eLearning, begins with Foundations & Definitions, an introduction to the social-media concept. The five subsequent sessions describe how automotive specialty-equipment companies can leverage outrageously popular social-media channels to help promote and market their businesses.

Your customers are already active participants in social media, and their influence has become far too large to ignore: More than 500 million people currently use Facebook, with 200 million on Twitter and 100 million on LinkedIn. SEMA's SEI has developed this new series to help your business expand its reach, increase brand exposure and drive revenue. SEI has collaborated with social-media experts to develop this comprehensive and practical training course. It is designed to show you how to implement strategies, tactics, monitoring tools and best practices to grow your business.

The SEMA Social Media course will provide a thorough explanation of social media and how it can help build profits. You'll learn how to:

• Market on key social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
• Integrate and execute effective social media campaigns to increase brand awareness and drive sales.
• Use reputation management and listen to your target market to provide high-quality customer service.
• Conduct a social media audit and uncover gaps and opportunities.
• Understand how social media can be used to aid marketing objectives, including advertising, search-engine optimization, public relations and reputation management.
• Create employee guidelines and develop a business culture to support social media.
• Develop practical strategies to position your brand and generate leads.
• Benefit from the latest statistics and recent case studies.
• Utilize tools and tactics that will help you measure engagement and return on investment.
• Manage your own brand and develop a personal social graph that can help you win business or get hired.

Hallie Janssen, vice president of Anvil Media Inc. is the presenter of the SEMA Social Media course. Anvil Media Inc. specializes in search-engine marketing and social-media marketing services. Janssen manages overall client strategy and oversight of the marketing professionals at Anvil Media. She has developed online marketing strategies with hundreds of clients. She regularly speaks at industry events, is a social-media instructor for Online Marketing Institute and co-teaches a class on search-engine marketing at Portland State University. She also writes regularly for industry publications, such as Search Marketing Standard and Online Marketing Connect.

The SEMA Social Media course is part of the new Learning Management System being developed by the SEMA Education Institute. New courses are being added approximately every two weeks. The Social Media course will remain free for employees of SEMA-member companies but, after a brief introductory period, will cost $149 for non-members. Take advantage of this limited-time offer today!

For more information, visit www.SEMA.org/sei or contact SEMA Education Administrator Juliet Marshall by phone at 909/978-6655 or via e-mail at julietm@sema.org.

	A new Social Media Course designed to help industry professionals develop career-advancing skills was added to the SEMA Educational Institute's comprehensive online library.

The SEMA Education Institute (SEI) has added a new SEMA Social Media course to its comprehensive online library, which is designed to help industry professionals develop career-advancing skills. The six-session course, available for a limited time, without charge, at www.SEMA.org/eLearning, begins with Foundations & Definitions, an introduction to the social-media concept. The five subsequent sessions describe how automotive specialty-equipment companies can leverage outrageously popular social-media channels to help promote and market their businesses.

Your customers are already active participants in social media, and their influence has become far too large to ignore: More than 500 million people currently use Facebook, with 200 million on Twitter and 100 million on LinkedIn. SEMA's SEI has developed this new series to help your business expand its reach, increase brand exposure and drive revenue. SEI has collaborated with social-media experts to develop this comprehensive and practical training course. It is designed to show you how to implement strategies, tactics, monitoring tools and best practices to grow your business.

The SEMA Social Media course will provide a thorough explanation of social media and how it can help build profits. You'll learn how to:

• Market on key social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
• Integrate and execute effective social media campaigns to increase brand awareness and drive sales.
• Use reputation management and listen to your target market to provide high-quality customer service.
• Conduct a social media audit and uncover gaps and opportunities.
• Understand how social media can be used to aid marketing objectives, including advertising, search-engine optimization, public relations and reputation management.
• Create employee guidelines and develop a business culture to support social media.
• Develop practical strategies to position your brand and generate leads.
• Benefit from the latest statistics and recent case studies.
• Utilize tools and tactics that will help you measure engagement and return on investment.
• Manage your own brand and develop a personal social graph that can help you win business or get hired.

Hallie Janssen, vice president of Anvil Media Inc. is the presenter of the SEMA Social Media course. Anvil Media Inc. specializes in search-engine marketing and social-media marketing services. Janssen manages overall client strategy and oversight of the marketing professionals at Anvil Media. She has developed online marketing strategies with hundreds of clients. She regularly speaks at industry events, is a social-media instructor for Online Marketing Institute and co-teaches a class on search-engine marketing at Portland State University. She also writes regularly for industry publications, such as Search Marketing Standard and Online Marketing Connect.

The SEMA Social Media course is part of the new Learning Management System being developed by the SEMA Education Institute. New courses are being added approximately every two weeks. The Social Media course will remain free for employees of SEMA-member companies but, after a brief introductory period, will cost $149 for non-members. Take advantage of this limited-time offer today!

For more information, visit www.SEMA.org/sei or contact SEMA Education Administrator Juliet Marshall by phone at 909/978-6655 or via e-mail at julietm@sema.org.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the SEMA block offers a nightly rate of only $159 for this all-suite hotel.

Booking your hotel rooms through Travel Planners, the official SEMA Show Housing Bureau, will ensure you the best rates possible, and booking early is more important than ever with many hotels offering special “early-bird” rates to SEMA exhibitors and attendees.

SEMA has locked in incredible rates yet again and has been able to waive the resort fees, which more and more properties in Las Vegas are adopting—some as much as $20 per night. Book through the official housing block and you won’t have to pay them (with the exception of the Signature at MGM Grand, which has always had a resort fee with its additional services that are not provided to other MGM Grand guests).

And who says there is nothing new to see in Las Vegas this year? Newly opened this past December and quickly becoming one of the hottest and most exciting properties on the Strip, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is truly changing the way people are experiencing Las Vegas. SEMA is pleased to have The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the block at an unbelievable nightly rate of only $159 for this all-suite hotel. Book fast, though, as space is limited and these rooms will go fast.

Please note: Travel Planners is the only official housing company associated with the 2011 SEMA Show. While other hotel resellers may contact you offering housing for your trip, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Show and entering into financial agreements with such companies can have costly consequences.

If you have any questions regarding housing for the upcoming 2011 SEMA Show, please don’t hesitate to contact the Travel Planners at 800/221-3531 or 212/532-1660.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the SEMA block offers a nightly rate of only $159 for this all-suite hotel.

Booking your hotel rooms through Travel Planners, the official SEMA Show Housing Bureau, will ensure you the best rates possible, and booking early is more important than ever with many hotels offering special “early-bird” rates to SEMA exhibitors and attendees.

SEMA has locked in incredible rates yet again and has been able to waive the resort fees, which more and more properties in Las Vegas are adopting—some as much as $20 per night. Book through the official housing block and you won’t have to pay them (with the exception of the Signature at MGM Grand, which has always had a resort fee with its additional services that are not provided to other MGM Grand guests).

And who says there is nothing new to see in Las Vegas this year? Newly opened this past December and quickly becoming one of the hottest and most exciting properties on the Strip, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is truly changing the way people are experiencing Las Vegas. SEMA is pleased to have The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the block at an unbelievable nightly rate of only $159 for this all-suite hotel. Book fast, though, as space is limited and these rooms will go fast.

Please note: Travel Planners is the only official housing company associated with the 2011 SEMA Show. While other hotel resellers may contact you offering housing for your trip, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Show and entering into financial agreements with such companies can have costly consequences.

If you have any questions regarding housing for the upcoming 2011 SEMA Show, please don’t hesitate to contact the Travel Planners at 800/221-3531 or 212/532-1660.

The 2012 Honda Civic sedan and coupe measuring session will be held Wednesday, May 18, 2011, from 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at American Honda headquarters in Torrance, California.