Steve Frazier from Amazon.com addresses the audience at the 2007 Aftermarket eForum.  

The early bird registration deadline for the Aftermarket eForum is Friday, June 13. The early bird registration provides attendees with a $200 discount off the regular registration rates. For more information and registration, visit www.aftermarketeforum.com.

Now in its eighth year, the Aftermarket eForum, July 14–16 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, is produced by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) in conjunction with SEMA, the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the Automotive Industry Association (AIA) of Canada, the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).

The AAIA reports that the specially negotiated hotel rate of $168 (single or double) plus tax is also available through Friday, June 13. Contact the Hyatt at 888/421-1442.

Looking to get a little more from your e-mail marketing campaigns? Take an hour on Thursday, June 19, to participate in SEMA's webinar, "Best Practices & the Future of E-mail as a Marketing Tool." This session is designed to optimize your e-mail marketing efforts and demonstrate the techniques needed to reach your target audiences.

When: Thursday, June 19, 2008, 10 a.m. (PST)

Presenter: Michael Kelly, Director of Sales, Clickmail Marketing

Mr. Kelly is an expert who will help you plan for the best ROI from your e-mail campaign, how to accurately measure your e-mail delivery rates, and how to make changes that will get more of your e-mails to the right inboxes. Learn how to improve on your overall e-mail marketing campaign, in addition to these related topics:

• How to optimize your e-mail campaign for better delivery and rendering
• How your e-mails display among recipients
• Ensuring your e-mail reaches your target audience
• How to manage and analyze your results

SEMA's Webinar Program
The SEMA webinar program brings the world-class business seminars featured during the SEMA Show Education Week 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.

As part of an emergency initiative to address members’ growing concerns over maintaining cash flow, SEMA’s Street Performance Council hosted “Manage Your Cash Flow During Challenging Times,” a webinar presented last Thursday by Tom Shay of Profits Plus.

Shay emphasized the importance of realizing that profit does not equal cash. Of all businesses that fail, Shay stated that 54% show a profitable income statement. Cash flow starts with beginning cash, factors in profit or loss, adjusts for changes in receivables, payables, equipment and inventory, and then results in available cash. 

The first step in managing your cash flow is to build a profit and loss statement. Members were directed to www.profitsplus.org, which provides downloadable PDF files that provide assistance in creating profit and loss statements, balance sheets and budgets.

Shay also advised members against dropping advertisement. As all economic downturns are cyclical, he warned that reinstating your reputation and image once the climate has lifted could be extremely challenging.

To download the full audio or PDF version of this webinar, click here.

Don’t miss the following upcoming webinars:
•    “SEMA Show: Money Well Spent For Your Business” Thursday, June 12, 2008 10:00 a.m. (PDT).
•    “Best Practices and the Future of Email as a Marketing Tool” Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:00 a.m. (PDT).

SEMA's Street Performance Council (SPC) invites you to find out the latest trends and direction of the street performance market by attending the SPC Consumer Focus Panel on Sunday, June 22, at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. Held in conjunction with the SpoCom Car Show, the focus panel will open discussions between the people on both sides of the aisles and uncover consumer preferences and the market's challenges and opportunities.

SPC Consumer Focus Panel Details

When: June 22, 11:00 a.m.
Where: Long Beach Convention Center, 300 Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802
Meeting Room: 101B

To RSVP, or if you have questions about the event, contact Paul Moritz at paulm@sema.org or 909/396-0289, ext. 112. The mission of the SPC is to provide market information, education and support to members concerning new and emerging trends. Learn more about the SPC by visiting www.sema.org/spc.

This futuristic one-off from Veritas comes to us from spy photographer Brenda Priddy. Veritas, she explains, was a small German company formed near the end of World War II by three BMW employees who wanted to fulfill their dream of building and racing sports cars. Under the Veritas label, they managed to build 75 cars before the company went bust in 1952, including their most famous model: the Veritas-BMW Rennsport Spyder, which ran a six-cylinder from a late-30’s BMW 328.

Fast forward to 2001 and to the Veritas RS3 concept powered by a 6.0-litre BMW V12 with around 670 hp. Featuring design cues from the original cars, the RS3 was the perfect evolution of the brand.

At one point Veritas moved into building boats and the RS3 faithfully represents that experience with its road-going interpretation of a sea vessel. With a tubular chassis, total weight is about 2,100 lbs. and the manufacturer’s claim of a 218 MPH top speed doesn’t seem unreasonable.

Now seven years later, a more modern interpretation of the RS3 concept has popped up for testing at the Nürburgring. Driver and engineers remained tight-lipped about any details. We can only hope to see the car in production trim at one of the motor shows later this year.

SEMA-supported legislation to provide an exemption from the regulations governing commercial motor carriers to vehicles occasionally transporting personal property to a motorsports facility was approved by the Florida State Legislature. Under federal law, any commercial vehicle operating in interstate commerce required to obtain a USDOT number must abide by established safety regulations.

These regulations include, among other things, keeping a daily log book, certain safety training, vehicle inspections and annual log reviews. Federal policy applies an exemption from the regulations to transportation of personal property if not done for compensation nor in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise and corporate sponsorship is not involved. The Florida bill codifies this exemption into state statute. The measure awaits action by Governor Charlie Crist before becoming law. 

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

SEMA model legislation that would create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles and provide for special license plates for these vehicles was introduced in the New Jersey State Legislature. The bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The bill allows kit cars and replica vehicles to be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model year designation the body of the vehicle most closely resembles.

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

A version of SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle registration classification for replica vehicles has been introduced in the North Carolina Senate. Under the bill, replicas are defined as motor vehicles sold unassembled and manufactured from a kit that, when assembled, replicate an earlier year, make and model vehicle. The bill allows replica vehicles to be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model year designation the body of the vehicle most closely resembles.

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

SEMA-supported legislation to exempt street rods from the state’s regular safety inspections was approved by the Delaware State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ruth Ann Minner. Under an agreement reached with state regulators, the registration and titling process will be changed administratively to allow street rods to be assigned a registration and titling designation bearing the same model year that the body of the vehicle resembles.

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

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