Mobile electronics sales grew 6.1% in 2007 with retail sales of $6.426 billion compared to $6.055 billion in 2006, with sound-system components comprising the top six mobile-electronics items that automotive enthusiasts have installed or plan to install (see graph below). Nearly 30% have or plan to install amps in their vehicles compared to almost 35% in 2006.

It is important to note, however, that the market has shifted from a concentration on sound systems to one that is increasingly about navigation and entertainment systems. In 1999, navigation and entertainment systems accounted for just under 12% of the total mobile-electronics retail sales. By 2007, that market share had increased to 23.75%. In a year-to-year comparison, the navigation systems product category showed increased interest by enthusiasts.

According to a SEMA-conducted survey, the number-one factor considered at the time of purchase is quality. More than 86% of automotive enthusiasts ranked quality as very important. Price came in a distant second at 62.5%.

For more original SEMA market research, visit www.sema.org/research.

Despite concerns with the current economic climate, all signs point to yet another packed and eventful SEMA Show this year, and with some careful planning that includes taking advantage of all Show resources, a few intense days can pave the road to your company's lifelong success.

“The upcoming SEMA Show features a wide range of exhibitors, educational programs, new products, and networking events,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communication and events. “The Show elements provide an unmatched opportunity to build your business in challenging economic times.”

Show buzz is already being generated as more than 1,900 exhibitors, 450 of which are first-time exhibitors, in 11 business categories have signed up so far. Click here for a complete list of Show exhibitors.

"During this challenging economic time, we are grateful that the industry has chosen the SEMA Show to market their products," said MacGillivray. "Their confidence in the Show will create a valuable business tool for the thousands of attendees who will be visiting this year."

The New Products Showcase is on a record pace with more than 1,700 submissions as of today. To ensure that all exhibitors have the chance to get their new products recognized, SEMA has extended the deadline for submissions to Friday, October 17. The first product entered into the New Product Showcase is free if entered by the deadline using the exhibitor password. All additional entries have a $75 fee per product if received by the deadline. After October 17, exhibitors must submit their product entry at the Show at a fee of $250 per product.

A close look at the new products submitted so far reveals that the market for light-truck accessories is still strong. As of October 13, 2008, 18% of all new-product entries came from exhibitors of the trucks, SUVs and off-road section of the SEMA Show. Nine out of 10 of these products are applicable for pre-2008 model light-trucks, which indicate that manufacturers of pickup and SUV parts are maintaining product focus on a mixture of both old and new models. A breakdown of the new-product distribution is shown in the table below.

To submit a new product entry, visit www.SEMAShow.com/newproducts. For questions, contact SEMA Show Management at msandler@ConvExx.com or 702/450-7662, ext. 119. Click here to see the latest new products from SEMA News.

To optimize your time at the Show, spend a few minutes using the My Show Planner to create and save a personalized itinerary. Set goals for yourself beforehand and use pre-show planning resources to achieve them.

"Creating a plan prior to attending the Show is the best way to ensure success," said MacGillivray.

The Show will be offering more than 60 educational programs that are free to all attendees. Networking events include the Keynote Luncheon, New Products Breakfast, NHRA Breakfast and several council and committee activities. Additional space has been secured for these events due to exceptionally high interest.

For more information on the Show and available resources, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

CLICK HERE to register for the SEMA Show today!

SEMA applauded President Bush’s decision to sign into law legislation to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protections for American businesses and consumers. Passage of the Pro-IP Act has been a top legislative priority for SEMA. The new law increases civil and criminal laws against counterfeiting and piracy, and establishes permanent programs in which the U.S. government works with industry and foreign governments to fight global piracy.

“Lawmakers have taken an important step in helping combat the scourge of counterfeiting,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. “Our industry is all about innovation, technology and quality. Counterfeiters rob our companies of those valuable assets. This provides the U.S. government with new tools and resources to fight intellectual property thieves. Our industry owes a particular debt of gratitude to Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) for their leadership in getting the legislation enacted into law.”

Enactment of the new law was the culmination of more than two years of work by SEMA and other industry groups fighting for stronger protection of U.S. copyrights, trademarks and patents. One highlight of the law is the establishment of an IP czar who will coordinate all government anti-counterfeiting actions and report directly to the president.

Over the years, SEMA members have registered an increasing number of complaints about counterfeit products and illegal knock-offs. Enactment of the law authorizes more federal enforcement officers and agents in the field dedicated to investigating counterfeiting claims.  Additional enforcement personnel will help track counterfeiters from the point of foreign production, through importation and distribution to store shelves.

Counterfeiters will face stiffer criminal penalties when they are apprehended, especially if the products potentially affect consumer safety. The law does not change a basic requirement that businesses must first register their copyrights, trademarks and patents with the appropriate government authorities in order to establish enforceable legal rights. 

Counterfeiting has had a large cost on the industry, and the new law holds the potential to provide important relief. “Since 1999, SEMA member Auto Meter has spent over $2 million dollars protecting itself against infringing imports,” said Auto Meter President Jeff King.

“Auto Meter applauds lawmakers for providing industry, federal courts and government agencies with more tools to address this problem. Our company is fighting every day to protect American innovation, jobs and consumers, and share this investment in intellectual property with the rest of the world. Products continue to enter the U.S. market, and every year Auto Meter loses tens of thousands of dollars in sales to these illegal products.”

To help small businesses solve common technology problems, SEMA is offering a lineup of free sessions at the 2008 SEMA Show about information technology issues that can keep business owners up at night.

The "Small Business IT Manager" track, a series of courses during SEMA Show Education Week sponsored by SEMA's Business Technology Committee (BTC), includes five classes that inform attendees on topics such as point-of-sale and inventory management software, automated order processing, IT risk management (including protecting against disgruntled employees), basic software and accounting system software assistance and what a business owner should know before outsourcing a company's IT needs.

The sessions are geared towards small- to medium-sized companies and include speakers and panelists from the automotive aftermarket. They are experts in avoiding all of the aforementioned pitfalls.
 
Speakers for these sessions are:

• Scott O'Toole, manager of pricing and PIES compliance for Motor State Distributing
• Walter Vaughan, vice president of IT for Steele Rubber Products
• Darin Mraz, president of Computer Corner
• Ryan Vernon, IT administrator for DCi
• Dan Jondron, president of Advanced Digital Strategies
• Sterling Raphael, president of NFi Studios
• John Menefee, vice president of IT for Baer Inc.
• Alise Miner, SEMA's vice president of internal systems and project teams
• Steven Smith, CEO, chairman and co-founder of GCommerce Inc. 
  

"In response to increasing member interest, we’ve developed a curriculum that tackles topics rarely addressed by SEMA," says Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA senior director of member services. "We know that technology is rapidly changing the way we all do business, and we want our members to understand this from a 'what's in it for me as an aftermarket company?' approach. With assistance from the SEMA BTC, we have assembled some of the foremost authorities on these topics who can speak to the attendees on a non-technical level that they can understand, no matter their function in business."

"I've worked with companies which have had disgruntled employees leave and try to take their data with them when they did,” says speaker Darin Mraz. “In our session, we'll be giving attendees some steps they can go through to backup their data and questions they can ask an IT person to save them grief later."

"There's nothing I hate more than telling customers that there's nothing that I can do to bring their data back,” Mraz adds. “By taking some pretty simple precautions, there are simple procedures that can be put in place to eliminate the chance of company-owned data being lost.”

The complete schedule follows:

Work Smarter Through Technology! 
Tuesday, November 4, 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
LVCC Room N259

Secure Your Systems
Wednesday, November 5, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
LVCC Room N258

A Roadmap to Small Biz IT
Thursday, November 6, 8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
LVCC Room N254

Care and Feeding of Your Computers
Thursday, November 6, 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
LVCC Room N252

Connect to eCommerce
Thursday, November 6, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
LVCC Room N254

For a list of all sessions at the 2008 SEMA Show, go to www.SEMAShow.com/education.

For more information, contact Alan Dicker, SEMA director of business technology, at 909/396-0289 or aland@sema.org.

Nearly 2,000 exhibitors in 11 business categories have signed up for the 2008 SEMA Show.

"During this challenging economic time, we are grateful that the industry has chosen the SEMA Show to market their products," said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. "Their confidence in the Show will create a valuable business tool for the thousands of attendees who will be visiting the Show this year."

For a complete list of exhibitors, please click here.

Now in its 15th year, the SEMA Show Silent Auction has raised nearly $750,000 for scholarships benefiting students pursuing a career in the automotive industry. This year, the auction and its sponsoring committee, the Young Executives Network (YEN), raise the bar by offering a 2008 Ford Flex customized by West Coast Customs (WCC).

An autographed illustration of singer Kix Brooks is among several great items available in the SEMA Show Silent Auction.

The buildup of this unique machine will even be documented in WCC owner (and 2008 SEMA Show New Product Awards Breakfast speaker) Ryan Friedlinghaus's new TV show "Street Customs" airing on The Learning Channel.

The 2008 SEMA Show Silent Auction will once again be easy to find, located on the Skybridge above the South Hall Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center. You can place your bids during Show hours, Tuesday through Thursday. Bidding closes at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, and all winners must claim their items or arrange for shipping by 4:00 p.m. Friday.

CLICK HERE to read more about the SEMA Show Silent Auction and learn about some of the other great items up for bid, including the following:

- Package for two for Auto Club 500 NASCAR race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, on February 22, 2009.

- Reserved seating for two at "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"

 

This GH Wheels Auttoman, donated by The Sketch Farm, is one of several great items up for bid in the SEMA Show Silent Auction.

Other items include: a football autographed by NCAA champion and Super Bowl-winning coach Jimmy Johnson; a LEER fiberglass tonneau cover; a set of Goodyear Classic Radials from Kelsey Tire; and much more. We even have a set of brand-new snow chains for you to bid on!

Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America
One lucky individual will also have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride alongside NASCAR legend Kyle Petty as part of the 15th Anniversary Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America.

The winning bidder will receive one core rider position on Petty’s riding team, hotel accommodations for nine nights, fuel for one motorcycle at all scheduled pit stops, scheduled group meals, a commemorative designer leather jacket, event T-shirt and cap, company-sponsored T-shirts and transportation for your motorcycle from North Carolina to the designated headquarters of the charity ride. The package is valued at over $13,000.

The winner is responsible for getting his/her motorcycle to North Carolina for shipping (if applicable), his/her own transportation to the headquarters and return transportation from the ride’s end destination for both the individual and motorcycle.

Proceeds from the ride benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which Petty founded in 2004 to serve chronically ill children.

For more information on the ride, visit www.kylepettycharityride.com.

Marcel Horn's 2007 Audi TT won last year's GT Awards for Best European Import and Best of Show. Horn, president of SEMA-member company HPA Motorsports, has seen his car included in the latest installment of the Gran Turismo franchise, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

One of the highest honors a car builder can receive these days is inclusion into the best-selling racing video game franchise, Gran Turismo. In conjunction with the 2008 SEMA Show, Sony Computer Entertainment America—makers of the PLAYSTATION 3 and publisher of the best-selling racing game Gran Turismo—and "Top Gear" host Tanner Foust  will host the sixth annual Gran Turismo Awards on Thursday, November 6 at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

In addition to honoring winning automobiles in categories including Best Hot Rod, Best Japanese Import, Best European Import, Best Domestic Automobile and Best Truck/SUV, an overall GT Awards winner will be selected as Best in Show and given the honor of having their vehicle included in the next Gran Turismo title in full 1080p HD.

Judging for the GT Awards takes place on the SEMA Show floor on Tuesday, November 4 and Wednesday, November 5. Judges will include industry influencers and representatives from various automobile magazines. The overall winner will be selected by the one of the most influential individuals in the automotive industry, father of the Gran Turismo franchise Kazunori Yamauchi.  
 
If your car has what it takes to be the talk of the automotive industry, RSVP to 800/578-4460 or fax to 310/854-4848.

The SEMA Cares Committee, established by the SEMA Board of Directors in 2007, aims to bring the voice and resources of the SEMA community together to make a positive difference in the lives of others. SEMA Cares is proud to join with its newest partner, the Hendrick Marrow Program, to connect bone marrow donors with patients.

“Besides the SEMA Scholarship Fund, SEMA also supports Childhelp, advocates for abused children and Victory Junction Gang Camp, creating a fun camp experience for children with serious illness or disabilities," says SEMA Cares Chairman Joel Ayres. "We are extremely excited to welcome the Hendrick Marrow Program to the SEMA Cares booth this year in Vegas."

All four of these charities will be represented in the SEMA Cares booth inside the Grand Lobby at the 2008 SEMA Show. Stop by for more information on these important programs and sign up for the bone marrow registry and a chance to win autographed goods from the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Nearly 2,000 exhibitors have signed up for the SEMA Show, 453 of them for the first time. Make sure to plan a little time to meet with the industry's newest innovators and entrepreneurs; your next great business partner may be just a handshake away.

Click here for a list of first-time exhibitors at the 2008 SEMA Show.

The 2008 SEMA Show will feature more than 60 free educational programs and seminars to improve and inspire your business. From expert advice on staying profitable in this economic climate to minimizing health care increases and multiple topics in between, these sessions will leave you with hundreds of ideas to take back to your business. Don't wait until the start of the Show to plan your attendance. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so add these to your calendar today! Click here to view the different seminar tracks (HINT: click on the "View All" button to see a list of all sessions offered).