SEMA members and SEMA Show exhibitors are entitled to a free listing in the 2008–2009 SEMA International Buyers' Guide. The annual buyers' guide is distributed to every international buyer at the SEMA Show, shipped to every U.S. embassy and distributed at automotive trade shows worldwide. The deadline to take advantage of this free listing is September 5. A copy of the form is available online at www.SEMAShow.com/ibg.

Questions? Contact lindas@sema.org.

A Beijing-based importer and distributor is seeking U.S. 4x4 products for the Chinese market, specifically products to suit the Toyota FJ Cruiser. Among the products that are sought include:

• Front/rear coil-overs/springs and shocks
• Long travel kits/Hi-lift kits
• Other Suspension products
• Body protection and enhancement products
• In-vehicle automotive computers
• Auxiliary fuel tanks
• Any other upgrade products to suit the FJ Cruiser
  

More information is available at www.sema.org/international.

The nearly 2,000 exhibitors who will present their products and services at the 2008 SEMA Show (November 4–7, Las Vegas Convention Center) invest substantial sums to bring their wares to buyers from around the world. This year, SEMA and the Show managers have developed a number of programs to save exhibitors money and help them draw buyers. Listed below are 10 free programs that qualified exhibitors can use to make the most of their investment as they plan their displays.

Free Small-Exhibitor Material Handling: SEMA Show management and Freeman—the company that handles the event design, décor and movement of exhibit materials in and out of the Las Vegas Convention Center—are offering free material handling for qualified exhibitors. If a company’s total exhibit freight is 1,000 pounds or less, can be delivered in one trip to its booth, and arrives in a privately-owned vehicle (car, pickup or minivan), SEMA has made arrangements with Freeman to deliver the freight to the company's booth at no charge.
    This service will be available from 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 1 through Monday, November 3. If the exhibitor’s total exhibit freight exceeds 1,000 lbs., the free service is not available. If the exhibitor utilizes the free service, but then ships additional freight to the Show, Freeman will charge $567.80 for the 1,000-lb. service.
    If you have any questions regarding freight-handling assistance, contact the General Service Contractor at 702/407-4694.

First Product Entered Into the New Products Showcase Is Free: SEMA presents a New Products Showcase at the SEMA Show each year, providing exhibitors with an outstanding opportunity to introduce products, packaging and merchandising to industry buyers and media.
    For 2008, the first product entered into the New Products Showcase by each company is free if it is entered by Friday, October 3 using the company’s exhibitor password. The password was sent to each company’s Show contact and is the same password used for exhibitor registration and SEMA Show Directory listing updates. If you need to obtain your password or require further information, contact Michelle Lowery at 702/450-7662, ext. 119, or e-mail mlowery@convexx.com.
    Each additional entry has a $75 fee per product if received by October 3. After October 3, exhibitors must submit product entries at the Show for a $250 fee per product. All products entered are professionally photographed. The photos are then made available to media for use in newspapers, magazines, websites and other outlets. Photos and details of each product are also published in the January issue of SEMA News.

Free Distribution of Press Releases/Press Kits: Exhibiting companies may deliver press releases and/or press kits to the SEMA Show Media Center Sponsored by Continental Tire, room S219, on the Skybridge between the Central and South Halls. The Media Center serves as "home base" for thousands of editors and reporters during the Show, and media members visit there often to find press information and obtain releases and press kits.
    To ensure that your materials are available for the media when they arrive, we recommend delivering your materials before Monday, November 3. The Media Center will be open from 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 31 through Sunday, November 2 for the delivery of press releases. We suggest stocking 75 to 100 copies of each release or kit and checking the inventory periodically during the week.

Free Press Conferences: Communicate newsworthy information to the media by holding a press conference. Media at the SEMA Show are given an official press conference schedule and are encouraged to cover every session. Media unable to attend  a conference will receive details of all announcements through a Daily Briefing that SEMA distributes at the end of each day in the Media Center Sponsored by Continental Tire.
    Note that exhibitors are not authorized to hold media conferences outside of the official schedule or off-site during SEMA Show hours. To be included in the official press conference schedule, complete the Media Conference Application located at www.SEMAShow.com/mediaconference. Each media conference is limited to 20 minutes. For more information, call 909/396-0289, ext. 130, or e-mail dellad@sema.org.

Free Listing in the Official SEMA Show Directory: Every SEMA Show exhibitor is entitled to a free listing in the SEMA Show Directory. Each listing includes the company name, address, phone number and website address as well as a company description. The listing also includes details about the products that each company will be exhibiting as well as the vehicle applications and the market segments it deals in.
    The company’s membership status is noted in each listing along with any SEMA council affiliations. The information used to compile each directory listing is taken from the company’s Exhibit Space Rental Agreement, but be sure to check you company’s information at http://sema.experient-inc.com/ExhibitorSearch/Default.aspx to ensure that all of the data is up-to-date.

Free Listing in the SEMA International Buyers' Guide: Expand your business worldwide with the SEMA International Buyers' Guide, an exclusive directory of companies involved in sales outside the United States. There is no charge to be listed in the guide; the only qualifications are that your company be a manufacturer or exclusive distributor of the product lines(s) listed or an export management company. The company also must be either a member of SEMA or an exhibitor at the 2008 SEMA Show.
    The SEMA International Buyers' Guide will be distributed worldwide, including to every international buyer that attends the SEMA Show and throughout the year at international trade shows, such as PAACE Automechanika (Mexico), the Essen Motor Show (Germany), Automechanika (Germany), Equip Auto (France), the International Automotive Aftermarket Expo (Japan), and Australia Auto Trade Fair (Australia).
    It will also be available at more than 50 U.S. embassies throughout the world, including offices in Germany, United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Italy, Brazil and South America, and from SEMA’s offices in China, Mexico and Europe.
    For further information about all of SEMA’s international programs, contact Linda Spencer at 202/783-4032 or via e-mail at lindas@sema.org.

Free Listings About Products for Project-Vehicle Builders: Each year, the SEMA Show features nearly a thousand project vehicles, and the products displayed on them are viewed and noted by the thousands of buyers and media who attend the Show. The “Products for Project-Vehicle Builders” program is an exclusive opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their products on the exhibited cars and trucks by offering products to project-vehicle builders at no charge or at a substantial discount.
    SEMA compiles lists of exhibitors who offer free or discounted products to project-vehicle builders. The listings appear in SEMA eNews (the association’s weekly electronic newsletter) and are then posted on www.sema.org. Listings appear in SEMA eNews on a first-come, first-served basis.
    To be included in a listing, contact Jason Catullo via e-mail at jasonc@sema.org.

Free Listing in Manufacturer’s Rep Matching Service: Is your company looking for a manufacturers’ representative to enhance its sales and marketing efficiency? Don’t miss this opportunity to find the rep you need.
    Download and complete the Manufacturers' Representative Matching form and fax it to 702/450-7732. Your information will be posted in the MRC Manufacturers' Rep Center at the SEMA Show so that reps looking for product lines may contact you. Every major rep is a member of SEMA and will attend the SEMA Show. The deadline to receive the Manufacturers' Representative Matching form is Friday, October 17.

Free Meeting Rooms In Members Lounges: Complimentary conference meeting space is available in either the Grand Lobby Mezzanine Members Lounge (upstairs from the Grand Lobby between the North and Central Halls) or the South Hall Members Lounge (located at the front of the upper South Hall).
    These rooms are available exclusively to SEMA and TIA members (non-exhibiting manufacturers are not allowed) and can accommodate up to 10 people for a maximum of one hour. Meeting times begin and end on the hour from 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on Monday, November 3 through Thursday, November 6, and from 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 7.
    Rooms can only be reserved for two non-consecutive one-hour time slots per day and may be reserved in advance or on site based on availability.
    For more information, call 702/450-7662, ext. 247, or e-mail thanisko@convexx.com.

Free International Buyer-Locator Service: Exhibitors may use a free service to find out which International Buyers are attending the SEMA Show and Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW). Check out which products they are seeking and download a list of all registered international buyers here. 
    Invite international buyers to visit your booth. Check back often, as the list will be updated every two weeks prior to the SEMA Show. Then download a final database of international buyers attending the 2008 SEMA Show/AAIW or after the SEMA Show.

For more information on  the 2008 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Ronn Motor Company plans to debut its Scorpion, a hydrogen fuel-injected hybrid exotic, at the 2008 SEMA Show.

The self-described “design and manufacturing” company, based in Austin, Texas, will focus on building “premium, eco-friendly, handcrafted automobiles,” beginning with the Scorpion. Ronn joins companies such as Tesla seeking to bridge the actual and perceptual divide between high-performance cars and environmental responsibility.  

The Scorpion uses a mid-mounted Acura V6 with an available twin-turbo option outputting over 450 horsepower. The engine features hydrogen fuel injection (HFI) fuel delivery, a Ronn technology featuring dual computer processor controls that produce hydrogen on demand, in real time, which is then inducted through the air intake manifold and blended with gasoline at a ratio of 30–40% hydrogen, according to Ronn Motor Company CEO Ronn Maxwell.

The fuel for this system is derived from fracturing water molecules drawn from a small on-board water tank and does not require a high-pressure, on-board hydrogen storage tank or hydrogen fueling station.

For more information, visit www.ronnmotors.com/cms

One hundred state lawmakers joined the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus during the recently concluded National Conference of State Legislatures conference in New Orleans. Founded in 2005 and supported by SEMA, the caucus is designed as a nonpartisan group of state legislators whose common thread is a love and appreciation for automobiles. The caucus is serving to raise the industry’s profile in the state capitols and in the eyes of the public.

Working with the state legislatures in recent years, SEMA has sought legislation to overhaul existing statutes and create brand-new programs to safeguard and expand the automotive hobby. These efforts have brought a series of significant legislative and regulatory accomplishments for the specialty-equipment industry on issues ranging from equipment standards to registration classifications to emissions test policy to hobbyist rights. The caucus now numbers approximately 350 members from all 50 states.

For more information on the caucus, including a list of its members, visit www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=61681.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA is in the process of creating the 2009 SEMA Membership Directory. The Association is dedicated to ensuring the accuracy of your listing and, to do this correctly, we need your help. The key contact at each SEMA-member company will receive an e-mail containing a link that will guide each user through the simple steps to edit their personal, company and staff records.
 
The Directory is considered by many member companies as the "ultimate sourcebook" to identify and establish partnerships with others in the industry. Whether you want to find manufacturers of specific products, members in particular categories or reps serving certain locations, the Directory’s easy-to-use cross-reference listings provide a straightforward way to get in touch.

For more information on the 2009 SEMA Membership Directory, contact member@sema.org or the SEMA Membership Department at: 909/396-0289.

Disciplined business practices and a little belt-tightening can help keep your doors open and customers at your counter during a sluggish economy.

Whether the United States is in a recession, depression, downturn or long-term financial funk largely determines upon which talk radio pundit you listen to.

By economic definition, the U.S. economy is not in recession, posting growth, however minimal, in the last three successive quarters, according to Department of Commerce data. Most economists define a recession as two consecutive quarters of falling gross domestic product.

But you don’t need macroeconomics expertise to see that rising energy and food prices, along with slumping real estate, has got consumers spooked, which is bad news for those who make their living in the discretionary waters of the specialty-equipment industry.

“Phone calls and walk-ins are down,” says Dave Dragna, general manager of Action Auto Sports, an independent retailer of lift kits, suspension and performance products in Corona, California. “We’re just doing different types of work in order to stay open. People are just holding on to their money.”

Jeff Stillwell, general manager of All American Truck and SUV Accessory Centers in Oregon, says this is the worst business downturn he’s ever experienced.

“It’s impacting us greatly,” he says. “We're feeling the pinch just like everyone else. With the way truck sales are, it affects our industry greater than a lot of other people's industries. All we can do is tighten our belts, watch our expenses, watch our payroll and try and ride it out.”

With a few tips we’ve gathered from industry and general retail experts, you too can prepare your business to ride out the rough patch. Some economists predict that it will last at least into next summer.

TRIM AND TIGHTEN
First, the obvious: Trim expenses anywhere. Stillwell says All American is tightening up on hours, overtime and inventory.

“We're not loading up on stock items as much as we did,” he says. “We’re sort of waiting until it gets sold before we replace it. We’ve closed our corporate office on Fridays. We’re just making smart business moves that we should have been doing all along. But you let a lot of things go when business is rolling.”

Stillwell says that although the company’s cash reserves get tighter “by the day,” it is still in good shape.

“We pretty much pay for everything,” he says. “We are not an in-debt company. We just have to watch what we’re doing. I think it’s going to be a fairly long haul before it starts picking up, but we’re here to stay. We’ve made the right moves in the past to keep things going.”

Layoffs are often inevitable during downturns. Dragna says he had to let a couple of people go. Stillwell’s business was also not immune.

Brian Gillespie, owner of Hasport Performance, the Arizona company whose custom wiring harnesses and billet engine mounts helped light the Honda engine swap craze, agonized over laying off employees. In the end, he managed to switch around some workers and their job duties and found a better, more efficient fit.

And one more small way Gillespie tightened his own belt: he stopped driving the company’s Honda Ridgeline for errands, now using it only for events or heavy hauls. Instead, for around-town driving, he uses a Civic—with various combinations of engine swaps.

More consumers and enthusiasts are researching online before making a trip to their local shop—and some have stopped going to a shop altogether, opting to buy online. Use your website to provide customers with the information they need to make informed purchases.

REVIEW YOUR PURCHASING PROCESS
Along with trimming overhead, Forbes.com’s Gene Marks writes that all businesses could be doing something to shrink line items such as freight, utilities, telecommunications, sanitation and office supplies. But often managers are too locked into certain ways of working with suppliers.

Marks notes that this is understandable, particularly in supplier relationships where protracted or unreasonable negotiation can cause quality, procedural or personnel problems. But every business needs to look again at its purchasing methods to find the best deal.

Marks cites the example of Mark Wuertz, vice president of hotel and restaurant operator Bennett Enterprises, who realized that as the economy started to slow, the company could no longer maintain its margins by raising prices. It had to find ways to lower costs.

Wuertz hired a consultant to examine how the company bought its products and services, and to suggest ways to eliminate inefficiencies, such as three divisions that were all purchasing independently. Wuertz also shook up the purchasing process, making vendors, even those with a long history with the company, re-submit bids.

Wuertz expects the trimming to save about $75,000, about 1.25% of the company’s annual $6 million selling, general and administrative expenses. Although this is an example of a large operation’s methods, the same principles apply to small- and midsize businesses.

WISE TO ADVERTISE?
Experts differ on the wisdom of increasing or decreasing advertising during downturns. Some argue that it’s the time you most need to advertise. Others say it’s an inefficient use of capital.

Both Stillwell and Dragna say that they’ve cut back on local advertising in newspaper, radio and enthusiast magazines. And in tough times, putting ads in newspapers isn’t a good strategy for small businesses because it doesn’t really work, David Sable tells Forbes.com.

Sable, vice chairman of Wunderman, a network of advertising, marketing and consulting companies, says it’s better to forge stronger connections with an existing client base. Make the extra effort to understand their needs. Ask a lot of questions and send them updates on new products you know they’ll like.

Remind them that your small business can offer a level of service that big box retailers or Web-only stores can’t.

“Personal touch is everything,” Sable says.

Meanwhile, put your website to good use. It’s both a vehicle to advertise your products and services, but also a possible revenue stream.

Forbes.com’s Marc E. Babej and Tim Pollak write that this is the first recession (their words) in which the Internet will play a central role for American consumers. Although the Internet was around during the shallow 2001 recession, only about 50% of the population was online. Of those, only about 20% were using high-speed broadband connections.

Now almost 70% of the population is online, and 80% of those are broadband users, say Babej and Pollak. And in tough times, people are apt to research their purchases more thoroughly. With gas prices high, consumers are also more likely to purchase more online. There has been an explosion of online retailers, from Amazon.com to the mom-and-pop equivalents doing business as eBay storefronts.

“It adds up to a bonanza of choices for cash-strapped consumers, and a new set of challenges for those who sell to them,” Babej and Pollak write.

Virtually anyone selling anything should be online with as much sophistication as they can muster, the writers say. And they should follow a few cardinal rules: maintain quality, don’t over-promise, and keep a close eye on pricing.

Gillespie says he plans to do more with Hasport’s website this year, “make it more of an information site to drive sales and product recognition,” he says. “Website sales are nice, but it’s more about preaching the gospel of Hasport and keeping the name up there.”

Despite the economic climate, continue to deliver new products and services to keep customers returning.

KEEP MOVING
Finally, as counterintuitive as it may sound, strive to deliver new products and services. Don’t stagnate, advises Larry Van Gelder, marketing manager at Barry Grant.

“You've got to keep people excited,” Van Gelder says. “That’s what makes our market happen. People are looking for innovation, and the new products are what keep our whole industry rolling. Keep putting new things in front of people, and keep them excited.”

Gillespie agrees, noting that Hasport plans to introduce a new product every month. After noticing a dip in sales after a six-month period in which the company didn’t introduce anything new, “we made the decision that we had to keep coming up with new products,” Gillespie says.

“Perhaps on the hard parts side of the market, you can get by with having a new water pump that fits the next, later-year vehicle, but not the performance side,” Van Gelder asserts. “Our whole industry is based on innovation. If you’re not innovating, you’re nowhere in this industry.”

The best way to maximize your SEMA Show investment is by being prepared. Tune in to SEMA's webinar on Thursday, August 28, to learn tips on how to avoid common exhibitor pitfalls and ways to effectively market your company and products at the 2008 SEMA Show. SEMA Show management veteran Chuck Schwartz, chairman of ConvExx, will show you how to properly brand your exhibiting product and control your exhibiting costs. This valuable session will streamline your Show plan and help first-time exhibitors and SEMA Show veterans save time and money.

Title: "25 Common Mistakes Made by SEMA Show Exhibitors"
When: Thursday, August 28, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (PST)
Presenter: Chuck Schwartz, CEM, Chairman, ConvExx

And don't forget to mark your calendar for two exciting upcoming webinars, starting Thursday, September 4 with "Make 2009 Turn Out Fine: It’s Only the Little Things that Matter," presented by Tom Shay, Profits+Plus. It's not always the big things in business that challenge you. Often it's the little things that add up to make a big difference in your specialty-equipment business. Learn how to make 2009 the year you want and need it to be. Learn the things to do, things not to do and things to stop doing.

Then on Thursday, September 18, it's "Listen to your Customers: Their Opinions Really Do Matter," presented by Joe Bates, vice president of Rockbridge Associates, and Charles Colby, chief methodologist of Rockbridge Associates. Customer opinions about a company and its products and services can mean success or failure for an automotive aftermarket business. Understanding the aspects of your business that drive satisfaction—or dissatisfaction—can put you a step ahead of your competition. Rockbridge Associates will introduce you to a disciplined approach to using customer satisfaction measurements that will unleash future sales.

SEMA's Webinar Program
The SEMA webinar program brings the world-class business seminars featured during the SEMA Show right to your desktop. Different business-building sessions are constantly added to the program, offering members the latest insight and practices from today’s leading speakers.

All SEMA webinars are conducted live and are open to all employees of SEMA-member companies free of charge. To participate, all you need is a computer with Internet access and a telephone. All previous SEMA webinars are available for download by clicking here. To view upcoming presentations that you can attend via telephone and Internet, click here.

Filler for eNews

Looking like a special-edition 7 Series fastback, this mule is BMW's new Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS), according to spy photographer Brenda Priddy. Priddy says the PAS will have a coupe-like roofline and frameless side windows, along with four large, fully adjustable seats and even small tables. It will ride on wheels between 18 and 21 inches, depending on options and packages, and will most likely offer an optional all-wheel drive.

The longer-than-X6 PAS will also be offered with a variety of six-cylinder powerplants, as well as a hybrid option. It is expected to debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.