By Katie Carson

The Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) is hosting a general membership meeting in conjunction with the Ontario Truck and Jeep Fest. All TORA members and prospective members are encouraged to mix and mingle with fellow industry associates and learn about the latest council initiatives and activities.

The meeting will take place the day before the show opens, Friday, June 9, at 12:00 p.m., at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California. The TORA is dedicated to the advancement of the light-truck aftermarket segment. The general membership meeting is a great opportunity to get involved and make your voice heard.

RSVP now!

For questions regarding the meeting or TORA, please contact Allan Keefe at 909-978-6696 or allank@sema.org.

By Katie Carson

The Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) is hosting a general membership meeting in conjunction with the Ontario Truck and Jeep Fest. All TORA members and prospective members are encouraged to mix and mingle with fellow industry associates and learn about the latest council initiatives and activities.

The meeting will take place the day before the show opens, Friday, June 9, at 12:00 p.m., at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California. The TORA is dedicated to the advancement of the light-truck aftermarket segment. The general membership meeting is a great opportunity to get involved and make your voice heard.

RSVP now!

For questions regarding the meeting or TORA, please contact Allan Keefe at 909-978-6696 or allank@sema.org.

By Katie Carson

Just as last year, this year’s PRO group will tour Mcity—the world’s first full-scale simulated urban environment designed for testing autonomous and driverless vehicles in real-world situations.

The Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) will host a general membership meeting, Thursday, June 15, at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott in Detroit. The meeting is an opportunity for council members to address restyling industry challenges and trends and weigh in on the needs of its member companies. PRO-member company employees are encouraged to attend to gain insight into council initiatives, and network with industry friends, select-committee members and SEMA staff.

As an added bonus, attendees will tour the American Center for Mobility. Located on 530-plus acres at the famous Willow Run site, the Center is a designed for testing, education and product development to enable safe validation and self-certification of CAV technology and to accelerate the development of voluntary standards. The U.S. Department of Transportation has designated the American Center for Mobility at Willow Run one of the first national proving grounds in the country.

The day kicks off with breakfast at 8:00 a.m., Thursday, at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott, with the shuttle taking off for the innovative Mobility Transformation Facility, more commonly known as “Mcity,” at the University of Michigan. The 32-acre facility is located on campus and is the first of its kind in testing new automated vehicle technologies and their capabilities to safely maneuver actual roadways. Public access to Mcity is limited, but PRO meeting attendees will enjoy a guided private tour.

After the tour, the group will reconvene at the hotel for the meeting. In the evening, meeting attendees will relax at Comerica Park for a Detroit Tigers baseball game.

RSVP now!

For more information, contact Senior Manager of Councils Allan Keefe at 909-978-6696 or allank@sema.org.

By Katie Carson

Just as last year, this year’s PRO group will tour Mcity—the world’s first full-scale simulated urban environment designed for testing autonomous and driverless vehicles in real-world situations.

The Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) will host a general membership meeting, Thursday, June 15, at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott in Detroit. The meeting is an opportunity for council members to address restyling industry challenges and trends and weigh in on the needs of its member companies. PRO-member company employees are encouraged to attend to gain insight into council initiatives, and network with industry friends, select-committee members and SEMA staff.

As an added bonus, attendees will tour the American Center for Mobility. Located on 530-plus acres at the famous Willow Run site, the Center is a designed for testing, education and product development to enable safe validation and self-certification of CAV technology and to accelerate the development of voluntary standards. The U.S. Department of Transportation has designated the American Center for Mobility at Willow Run one of the first national proving grounds in the country.

The day kicks off with breakfast at 8:00 a.m., Thursday, at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott, with the shuttle taking off for the innovative Mobility Transformation Facility, more commonly known as “Mcity,” at the University of Michigan. The 32-acre facility is located on campus and is the first of its kind in testing new automated vehicle technologies and their capabilities to safely maneuver actual roadways. Public access to Mcity is limited, but PRO meeting attendees will enjoy a guided private tour.

After the tour, the group will reconvene at the hotel for the meeting. In the evening, meeting attendees will relax at Comerica Park for a Detroit Tigers baseball game.

RSVP now!

For more information, contact Senior Manager of Councils Allan Keefe at 909-978-6696 or allank@sema.org.

By Amelia Zwecher

The SEMA Virtual Career Fair is a great opportunity for employers to take advantage of inexpensive branding and future talent pipeline development.

In less than one week, SEMA will host its inaugural virtual career fair, June 1, 2017, from 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (EDT). Nearly 500 job seekers and 25 employers are signed up to participate. As a refresher, some benefits for employers are:

• Lower recruiting costs by using SEMA’s online virtual solution to screen and recruit quality candidates.
• Interact in your own chat room with the option to conduct video interviews.
• Unlimited access to all registered candidates’ information, including exporting electronic résumés.
• Save time, travel and the number of staff required to participate in on-site events.
• Efficiently involve subject-matter experts and other decision makers in the recruiting process.
• Eliminate transportation and overhead costs associated with booth design and production.

This event is ideal for companies seeking to hire now or within 6–12 months. This event is a great opportunity for branding and building a solid pipeline so that your company maintains a strong “time to fill” metric that will decrease the costs associated with a vacant position.

Don’t miss out on this benefit offered by SEMA. Use the promo code “50off” to receive $50 off the $125 registration fee today! For more information, or to sign up for the pre-recorded virtual career fair webinar tutorial, contact manager of career services Amelia F. Zwecher, PhD, PHR, at ameliaz@sema.org.

By Amelia Zwecher

The SEMA Virtual Career Fair is a great opportunity for employers to take advantage of inexpensive branding and future talent pipeline development.

In less than one week, SEMA will host its inaugural virtual career fair, June 1, 2017, from 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (EDT). Nearly 500 job seekers and 25 employers are signed up to participate. As a refresher, some benefits for employers are:

• Lower recruiting costs by using SEMA’s online virtual solution to screen and recruit quality candidates.
• Interact in your own chat room with the option to conduct video interviews.
• Unlimited access to all registered candidates’ information, including exporting electronic résumés.
• Save time, travel and the number of staff required to participate in on-site events.
• Efficiently involve subject-matter experts and other decision makers in the recruiting process.
• Eliminate transportation and overhead costs associated with booth design and production.

This event is ideal for companies seeking to hire now or within 6–12 months. This event is a great opportunity for branding and building a solid pipeline so that your company maintains a strong “time to fill” metric that will decrease the costs associated with a vacant position.

Don’t miss out on this benefit offered by SEMA. Use the promo code “50off” to receive $50 off the $125 registration fee today! For more information, or to sign up for the pre-recorded virtual career fair webinar tutorial, contact manager of career services Amelia F. Zwecher, PhD, PHR, at ameliaz@sema.org.

By Amelia Zwecher

The SEMA Virtual Career Fair is a great opportunity for employers to take advantage of inexpensive branding and future talent pipeline development.

In less than one week, SEMA will host its inaugural virtual career fair, June 1, 2017, from 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (EDT). Nearly 500 job seekers and 25 employers are signed up to participate. As a refresher, some benefits for employers are:

• Lower recruiting costs by using SEMA’s online virtual solution to screen and recruit quality candidates.
• Interact in your own chat room with the option to conduct video interviews.
• Unlimited access to all registered candidates’ information, including exporting electronic résumés.
• Save time, travel and the number of staff required to participate in on-site events.
• Efficiently involve subject-matter experts and other decision makers in the recruiting process.
• Eliminate transportation and overhead costs associated with booth design and production.

This event is ideal for companies seeking to hire now or within 6–12 months. This event is a great opportunity for branding and building a solid pipeline so that your company maintains a strong “time to fill” metric that will decrease the costs associated with a vacant position.

Don’t miss out on this benefit offered by SEMA. Use the promo code “50off” to receive $50 off the $125 registration fee today! For more information, or to sign up for the pre-recorded virtual career fair webinar tutorial, contact manager of career services Amelia F. Zwecher, PhD, PHR, at ameliaz@sema.org.

By AJ Carney

SEMA’s Town Hall Meetings provide both members and prospective members with the opportunity to learn about the association’s current programs and objectives while networking with automotive aftermarket professionals from the same geographic region.

SEMA invites industry professionals to its next Town Hall Meeting in Seattle, where members and prospective members will gather at Competition Specialties, Tuesday, July 11, 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., for an evening of networking with local industry leaders and the SEMA team.

SEMA’s Town Hall Meetings provide both members and prospective members with the opportunity to learn about the association’s current programs and objectives while networking with automotive aftermarket professionals from the same geographic region. These personal interactions give members a chance to share the business challenges and opportunities they face. As SEMA staff interacts with attendees, they also gain valuable feedback, which helps identify how current benefits can enhance members’ business operations to better meet their needs.

For more information on the 2017 Town Hall Series or to register, visit SEMA’s Town Hall Meetings website or contact Kristen Fregoso at 909-978-6681 or kristenf@sema.org.

By AJ Carney

SEMA’s Town Hall Meetings provide both members and prospective members with the opportunity to learn about the association’s current programs and objectives while networking with automotive aftermarket professionals from the same geographic region.

SEMA invites industry professionals to its next Town Hall Meeting in Seattle, where members and prospective members will gather at Competition Specialties, Tuesday, July 11, 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., for an evening of networking with local industry leaders and the SEMA team.

SEMA’s Town Hall Meetings provide both members and prospective members with the opportunity to learn about the association’s current programs and objectives while networking with automotive aftermarket professionals from the same geographic region. These personal interactions give members a chance to share the business challenges and opportunities they face. As SEMA staff interacts with attendees, they also gain valuable feedback, which helps identify how current benefits can enhance members’ business operations to better meet their needs.

For more information on the 2017 Town Hall Series or to register, visit SEMA’s Town Hall Meetings website or contact Kristen Fregoso at 909-978-6681 or kristenf@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA News is looking to highlight top-tier talent in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger.

For the fifth consecutive year, SEMA News is looking to highlight top-tier talent in the automotive aftermarket industry age 35 and younger. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2017—whether they’re in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media, or distribution—SEMA News would like to hear from you.

It is very likely that SEMA members are currently working with creative and talented young professionals who are already moving the industry in new and different directions. They’re also the ones who have played major roles in leveraging new and emerging technologies—in areas that include marketing and product development—with a traditional automotive aftermarket business to expand company reach and customer interaction.

They could be budding superstars at an established company, entrepreneurs building their own brands or innovators who have launched companies that are sure to become big names in the future. What they’ll have in common are fresh ideas, enthusiasm, charisma and the drive to succeed. These are people who know what’s going on at the ground level, who see opportunities that are now forming and who travel in circles that may be very different from those of our “old-school” industry leaders.

Winners will be chosen based on their business successes, contributions to their organizations, industry knowledge and community involvement. We’ll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.

Nominate a candidate now for the 2017 SEMA News 35 Under 35. Nominations are due May 31, 2017.