Attention motorsports parts manufacturers: Exhibitor registrations for the 2009 Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Media Trade Conference are now being accepted. To sign up for this year’s conference—set for January 20–22, 2009, at the Embassy Suites LAX South—use the downloadable registration form available at www.sema.org/mpmc. Exhibitor registration closes on August 15.

Designed for convenience and productivity, the MPMC Media Trade Conference takes place in a designated hotel, with each exhibiting manufacturer set up in their own private suite. Members of the media are invited to sign up for private, uninterrupted appointments with the exhibitors, at which time they can get in-depth details and information about the company and its products. It’s the most efficient and effective way for manufacturers to deliver the latest information about their company and its products straight to member of the working press. 

Registration is only available to MPMC member companies. To learn more about MPMC or to join, visit www.sema.org/mpmc.

Media registration opens on Wednesday, October 1. Additional information is available at www.sema.org/media.

Note to MPMC Members
Each MPMC-member company will also receive a link to the registration form via e-mail and a hard copy via U.S. Postal Service. Members who do not receive either the e-mail or hard-copy version, or those who have any questions or would like registration confirmation, are invited to contact Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

Exhibitor registration will close on August 15, 2008, at which time all registrations will be assigned a random number. Exhibitors with six or more years of seniority who complete the registration process by August 15, 2008, are guaranteed an exhibitor suite. The remaining suites will be assigned by the random number tagged to the registration. (Receipt date of application has no bearing on whether or not you are assigned a suite.) Due to the logistics of the event, only 100 exhibitor suites are available. Any company that does not receive a suite assignment will be placed on a waiting list in random number order.

Meguiar's President and CEO Barry Meguiar acted as emcee for the 2008 SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser.

More than 500 members of the industry joined the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser in Irvine, California, July 25, to honor 2008 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees Raymond Bleiweis, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Corky Coker and Bob Cook, and to raise money for children's charities Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. They also came to thank five members for their service to the SEMA Board of Directors, as well as welcome new members to the Board.

The event kicked off at 8:30 a.m. with the Internet Symposium, eight seminars presented by SEMA's Street Performance Council focused on harnessing the power of the Internet to help specialty-equipment businesses grow. Topics ranged from the fundamentals of Internet marketing to the advanced use of pay-per-click advertising and strategies to protect your intellectual property online.

As the last seminar wrapped up at 4:30 p.m., the Pinewood Drag Races were already running hot, as competitors from the Modified class started their runs, following heats in the Team Owner and Stock classes (CLICK HERE for more about Pinewood Drag Races).

As the Pinewood Drag Races ramped up to their thrilling conclusion, the Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser evening program kicked off at 6:00 p.m. with a silent and live auction, highlighted by a simultaneous eBay auction for Kyle Petty's 2006 Victory Jackpot motorcycle, which closed just before the evening program. The winning bid for Petty's motorcycle, which also includes a spot on Petty's 2009 Charity Ride, came in at $17,601.

A rousing version of the national anthem, performed by 11-year-old Hailey Dibiasi, opened the dinner and program that followed, led by emcee Barry Meguiar, and honored the SEMA Hall of Fame inductees. The program also featured thoughts from SEMA Cares Committee Chairman Joel Ayres and SEMA Chairman Jim Cozzie.

SEMA thanks all for their extraordinary volunteer effort, and encourages all who would like to volunteer for next year's event to contact Special Events Administrator Lisa Moreno at lisam@sema.org.

Eleven-year-old Hailey Dibiasi opened the evening program with "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Abbi Driggers from Victory Junction Gang Camp read aloud a poem that her grandfather wrote.

Corky Coker led the live auction portion of the banquet, which included a Charlie 1 Horse cowboy hat from Richard Petty's personal collection.

2008 SEMA Hall of Fame inductee Ben Nighthorse Campbell.

2008 SEMA Hall of Fame inductee Corky Coker.

2008 SEMA Hall of Fame inductee Bob Cook.

The inaugural SEMA Pinewood Drag Races opened with practice and tuning runs during the afternoon hours of the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser. With Internet Symposium seminars taking place in surrounding rooms, Pinewood racers spent several hours tuning and tweaking in search of tenths of seconds.

As the last seminar wrapped up at 4:30 p.m., the Pinewood Drag Races were already heating up, as competitors from the Modified class started their runs, following heats in the Team Owner and Stock classes. Amid much trash talk among competitors, final rounds began at 5:45 and crowned the top three in each class. They included:

TEAM OWNERS

Todd Yeoman, American Technology Components	3.89
Luanne Brown, eTool Developers	3.90
Jason Apap, Mercedes-Benz USA	3.92

STOCK

Matt Agosta, Steele Rubber Products	3.84
Franco Ganino, Specialty Equipment Insurance Alliance (SEIA)	3.87
The Kersting Girls	3.92

MODIFIED

Mitch Williams, Pilot Automotive	3.71
Russ Deane, Trainum, Snowden & Deane	3.75
Russ Deane, Trainum, Snowden & Deane	3.79

UNLIMITED

Jim Cozzie, Zoom Performance Products	3.61
Joey Granatelli, Granatelli Motorsports	3.67
Margaret Restuccia and Co. (SEMA), Daddy's Girlz	3.79

Coordinated by the SEMA Cares Committee, the Pinewood Drag Races were also made possible by the generosity of Street Scene Equipment (participant dash plaques), Steele Rubber Products (awards) and Red Line Synthetic Oil, Ringers Gloves and NHRA (apparel for the “pit kids” helping with tech and tuning).

Mike Spagnola Jr. was on-hand helping competitors make their cars run a little quicker with some wheel work, adjusting weight and adding graphite to the wheels. Soon competitors were paying him $5 and $10 for his help and within a couple of hours he'd raised $175 for charity. Nice work, Mikey!

Dennis Overholser giving a final pre-flight check before sending another run group.

Matt Agosta accepts his plaque for first-place in the Stock Class from race director Mike Spagnola (right) and MotorMedia's Joe Sebergandio.

SEMA Chairman Jim Cozzie (middle) further cements his leadership position by schooling everyone in the Unlimited class.

SEMA's Market Research staff won the fan's favorite vote with the People's Choice award for their car (below).

Unofficial award for Best Cheat goes to David Toyota of Sideless Seat Cover for his innovative use of obstruction. 

 

Adam Bruce of Streetfire.net presented a seminar dedicated to marketing business messages through online video.

The second annual SEMA Internet Symposium, held on July 25, at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, in Irvine, California, continued in its goal to equip members with the knowledge needed to stay current in a technologically advancing market.

“The whole market moved to the Internet and eCommerce, and it changed the market and how products are sold, and we didn’t want any SEMA member left behind," said Eric Breslow, chairman of the Street Performance Council, the SEMA council that established and hosted the event. “We wanted to provide them with a symposium to gain that knowledge, stay on the cutting edge and essentially, stay in business.”

Courses offered throughout the day-long event included: “The Foundations of Internet Marketing”; “Web-based Customer Relationship Management, Leveraging Your Website to Create Customers for Life”; “Capturing the User and Making the Sale”; “Advanced Pay-Per-Click”; “Protecting Your Intellectual Property Online”; and “Pricing Integrity—How it Impacts Your Business.”

Based on the audience attendance and interest, one of the more popular classes was “Killer Video for Marketing and Training—It’s Easier Than You Think.” Presenter Adam Bruce, founder and chairman of online video sharing service Streetfire.net, outlined the basics of video production and hosting, with the intention of demonstrating the simplicity behind the process.

Co-presenter Alexis Godschalk, community relations director at Streetfire.net, declared that a free online account and $580 for some basic equipment are the only essential investments a company needs in order to create and upload a video.

Of course, as Godschalk demonstrated with various clips, not all videos are as hard-hitting as others. He revealed that the more effective, higher-clicked videos all share one important factor.

“They are entertaining, informational and short—that is what people consume,” he said. “Keeping it between three to four minutes is very important.”

Judging from members’ responses, Streetfire.net was successful in delivering its message to the audience.

“All the specifics about the videos, such as formatting, and showing us the different venues and website to post our videos to, was very valuable,” said Tony Colombini, art director at Classic Industries, a retailer of car restoration parts.

Colombini states that Classic Industries does not currently post videos online, but he is now considering it.

“It doesn’t seem as overwhelming as it did in my head before," he said. "I realized that I don’t need to have a full-blown professional coming in and doing it for us. We can just do it in our warehouse."

Breslow announced the event a success. Approximately 120 members attended the event, double that of last year's attendance.

“The goal here was that people walked away with the idea that there are answers on all levels—beginning, intermediate and advanced—and it’s a technology that they shouldn’t be afraid of," said Breslow. "There are amazing opportunities on the Internet, especially during a bad economy, to keep your business growing. I hope that people got some ideas that they can now apply to their business and put into effect that will continue to help them stay relevant."

 

The NHRA announced last week that its television ratings on ESPN2 were up 30 percent and household impressions are up 34% compared to the 2007 season. The number reflects Sunday race-day coverage through the first half of the 2008 season—Pomona to Norwalk—compared against the first half of the 2007 season. Thus far in 2008, the NHRA has averaged a 0.69 rating and 659,340 households on Sunday versus .53 and 490,357 households in 2007, with rating increases at 11 of the first 12 races,

Sources tell photographer Brenda Priddy that Ford continues to make good progress testing its upcoming 6.7L V8 diesel engine, designed and built in-house. The new engine, codenamed Scorpion, will replace the Navistar-sourced 6.4L V8 Power Stroke diesel engine in Ford's heavy-duty pickups by 2011.

The latest power targets are said to be more than 390 horsepower and 720 lb.-ft. torque. Ford's current Power Stroke diesel is rated at 350 hp and 650 lb.-ft.

Scorpion fuel economy is expected to improve by 3 MPG or more compared to the current Power Stroke, aided by the same new six-speed automatic transmission slated for the 2009 Ford F-150.

How important is this motor? The move is expected to permanently end Ford's longtime use of Navistar-built diesel engines in its heavy-duty pickups, due to an ongoing legal battle between the two companies over warranty and cost issues related to the old 6.0L V8 Power Stroke (model years 2003–2007). Ford has used Navistar diesels in its F-Series trucks since 1982.

It's not yet known if the Scorpion will continue to use the Power Stroke name or if Ford will create a brand-new label for the engine.

Want to get the most from your retail storefront? SEMA News regularly offers jobber/retailers a free critique of its retail establishment as part of its “Retail Review” column. The column regularly illustrates how simple changes to a store’s layout can lead to increased sales and improved customer experiences.

If you are a jobber/retailer interested in having industry experts review and critique your shop, simply snap a few digital pictures (300-dpi JPEGs) and send them to editors@sema.org. Please include your name, company name, address, phone number, e-mail address and website URL (if applicable).

The e-mail should include “Store Layout” on the subject line. If your store is picked, the expert suggestions—and photos—will appear in upcoming issues of SEMA News.

Vehicle personalization and collaborative efforts between automakers, tiered suppliers and specialty equipment manufacturers present opportunities for growth and survival in today’s ever-changing market. The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and SEMA will offer a session entitled, “Profitable Personalization: OEM Aftermarket Collaboration,” on Tuesday, August 12, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The session is part of the 2008 Management Briefing Seminars which will be held at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City, Michigan. 

Attending this session will enable you to learn how leading automotive manufacturers, suppliers and specialty-equipment companies are capitalizing on emerging automotive  trends, advanced technologies and new business opportunities that come with vehicle personalization and customization.

OEMs want products, processes and aftermarket companies to help them design, engineer and bring to market the most accessory-friendly vehicles for different niche and lifestyle market segments. SEMA Vice President of Vehicle Technology John Waraniak will serve as a co-chair and moderate a panel of industry experts, as well as  participate as a speaker during the session entitled “Connected Vehicles in a Changing World” on Tuesday, August 12, 2008, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  

For more information on the 2008 Center For Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars and to register to attend, visit http://mbs.cargroup.org.

A comprehensive bill to combat global counterfeiting was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate.  The “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008” has strong bipartisan support and is similar to a SEMA-supported bill that already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Several of the key provisions included in the bill are listed below.

Enhancements to Criminal Intellectual Property Laws:

• Increases the maximum statutory penalties for counterfeiting offenses that endanger public health and safety; increases maximum penalties for trafficking in counterfeit goods or services from 10 to 20 years imprisonment for knowingly or recklessly causing serious bodily injury; and to life imprisonment for knowingly or recklessly causing or attempting to cause death.

Enhancements to Civil Intellectual Property Laws:

• Provides for treble damages not only for those who intentionally use a counterfeit mark, but also for those who intentionally supply goods or services necessary to a violation of the Trademark Act. 
• Doubles the statutory damages in trademark counterfeiting cases to a range of $1,000 to $200,000 for use of a counterfeit mark, and to $2,000,000 for willful use of a counterfeit mark.
• Streamlines the process for rights-holders to file suit against counterfeiters.
• Applies copyright and trademark laws not only to imported goods, but also to exported and trans-shipped items. 
• Permits the seizure of documents and records in civil infringement actions concerning the manufacture, sale or receipt of counterfeited goods.

Coordination and Strategic Planning of Federal Effort Against Counterfeiting and Piracy: 

• Replaces the current scheme for coordinating federal action against counterfeiting with a stronger, more accountable enforcement coordinator and inter-agency committee reporting to the president and Congress.  

More Resources for the Justice Department to Fight Counterfeiting:

• Provides resources to federal and local law enforcement agencies through state and local law enforcement grants, funds federal agencies to hire and train additional agents and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute intellectual property crimes and requires the attorney general to send “intellectual property law enforcement coordinators” to criminal hot-spots around the globe. 

Introduction of the Senate legislation and earlier House passage of a similar bill are positive signs of progress. SEMA is working with other industry groups to secure enactment of the legislation into law.

For additional information, contact Brian Duggan at briand@sema.org. 

The federal minimum wage increased to $6.55 on July 24. This is the second $.70 increase in the last year. In 2007, President Bush signed into law a SEMA-supported measure that balanced a minimum wage hike with $4.8 billion in small-business tax breaks. The wage rose from $5.15 to $5.85 in July 2007. The wage will increase again to $7.25 an hour in July 2009. The tax relief package increased the tax code’s annual expensing limits to $125,000 for 2007 and 2008.

A number of states and several local jurisdictions have minimum wage rates that are higher than the federal standard. The current wage in California, for example, is $8 an hour.

The Department of Labor tracks state wages at www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm.

For further information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.