By SEMA Editors

Westgate Resorts has acquired the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The new property will be renamed Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.

Westgate Resorts has announced the acquisition of the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino as the newest addition to its portfolio of 28 resorts. The property was formerly known as the Las Vegas Hilton and will be renamed Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The LVH, at one time, was the largest hotel in the world and was home to such legendary greats as Elvis Presley and Liberace during Vegas’ golden age. The new Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is located one block off the Las Vegas Strip, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and is one of seven stations on the Las Vegas Monorail.

“Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino will set the standard for service in Las Vegas,” said David Siegel, founder and CEO of Westgate Resorts. “We are very excited to be taking this important part of Vegas history and reinventing it for the next generation of Las Vegas visitors.”

The resort is 30 stories tall. With nearly 3,000 rooms, including 300 suites, Westgate will convert some of the rooms to luxury timeshare villas while still operating the resort hotel rooms and suites. Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino features a 95,000-sq.-ft. casino, 200,000 sq.-ft. of meeting and convention space, restaurants, a spa and fitness center, a pool with cabanas, access to golf at the Las Vegas Country Club and a race and sports SuperBook.

“Although a small number of our rooms will be converted into timeshare units, it is important to know that our resort hotel and legendary luxury suites will remain open to our customers,” Siegel explained. “We will be providing the best of both worlds on our resort property. Las Vegas is the center of the universe for luxury destination resorts and the new Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is at the center of the Las Vegas renaissance.”

By SEMA Editors

Westgate Resorts has acquired the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The new property will be renamed Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.

Westgate Resorts has announced the acquisition of the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino as the newest addition to its portfolio of 28 resorts. The property was formerly known as the Las Vegas Hilton and will be renamed Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The LVH, at one time, was the largest hotel in the world and was home to such legendary greats as Elvis Presley and Liberace during Vegas’ golden age. The new Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is located one block off the Las Vegas Strip, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and is one of seven stations on the Las Vegas Monorail.

“Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino will set the standard for service in Las Vegas,” said David Siegel, founder and CEO of Westgate Resorts. “We are very excited to be taking this important part of Vegas history and reinventing it for the next generation of Las Vegas visitors.”

The resort is 30 stories tall. With nearly 3,000 rooms, including 300 suites, Westgate will convert some of the rooms to luxury timeshare villas while still operating the resort hotel rooms and suites. Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino features a 95,000-sq.-ft. casino, 200,000 sq.-ft. of meeting and convention space, restaurants, a spa and fitness center, a pool with cabanas, access to golf at the Las Vegas Country Club and a race and sports SuperBook.

“Although a small number of our rooms will be converted into timeshare units, it is important to know that our resort hotel and legendary luxury suites will remain open to our customers,” Siegel explained. “We will be providing the best of both worlds on our resort property. Las Vegas is the center of the universe for luxury destination resorts and the new Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is at the center of the Las Vegas renaissance.”

For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (manya.p@travelstoreusa.com) at Travel Store USA, 949-930-9268.

	Bushwacker founder Jerry Logan will present the company’s first-ever Founder’s Award—recognizing the efforts of an SUV or truck builder—during the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

By SEMA Editors

Bushwacker Inc. has announced its plans to recognize the builder of a truck or SUV for his or her passion and devotion to the aftermarket industry by presenting the company’s  first-ever Founder’s Award during the 2014 SEMA Show. The award will go to a builder who created an outstanding vehicle featured at the annual trade show. Bushwacker founder Jerry Logan will present the award on Wednesday, November 6, at 3:00 p.m., in the Bushwacker booth (#30017), located in South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
 
“Bushwacker has always been a business fueled by automotive and industry enthusiasm. For more than 47 years, we have been taking that passion and putting it into the products we manufacture. We will recognize an individual who shares that enthusiasm and present them our Founder’s Award,” says Logan. The Founder’s Award will include a trophy as well as a $1,500 check, but some builders say the industry recognition is worth more than the money.
 
A lifelong automotive enthusiast, Logan started selling custom fender flares for Jeep vehicles out of his garage in 1967 with only a few employees. As his passion for the product—and the automotive industry—grew, so did his business. Bushwacker now has 463 fender flare applications, more than 125,000 sq.-ft. of manufacturing space, and employs more than 275 people in Portland, Oregon, and around the United States. In addition to fender flares, the company manufactures BedRail and TailGate caps for pickups, Trail Armor for Jeeps, and a line of bumper protection for a host of vehicles. The Bushwacker Automotive Group is an OEM supplier to several major automotive manufacturers.
 
Builders looking to enter to win the Founder’s Award should visit www.Bushwacker.com/FoundersAward and follow the instructions and rules located there.

	Bushwacker founder Jerry Logan will present the company’s first-ever Founder’s Award—recognizing the efforts of an SUV or truck builder—during the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

By SEMA Editors

Bushwacker Inc. has announced its plans to recognize the builder of a truck or SUV for his or her passion and devotion to the aftermarket industry by presenting the company’s  first-ever Founder’s Award during the 2014 SEMA Show. The award will go to a builder who created an outstanding vehicle featured at the annual trade show. Bushwacker founder Jerry Logan will present the award on Wednesday, November 6, at 3:00 p.m., in the Bushwacker booth (#30017), located in South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
 
“Bushwacker has always been a business fueled by automotive and industry enthusiasm. For more than 47 years, we have been taking that passion and putting it into the products we manufacture. We will recognize an individual who shares that enthusiasm and present them our Founder’s Award,” says Logan. The Founder’s Award will include a trophy as well as a $1,500 check, but some builders say the industry recognition is worth more than the money.
 
A lifelong automotive enthusiast, Logan started selling custom fender flares for Jeep vehicles out of his garage in 1967 with only a few employees. As his passion for the product—and the automotive industry—grew, so did his business. Bushwacker now has 463 fender flare applications, more than 125,000 sq.-ft. of manufacturing space, and employs more than 275 people in Portland, Oregon, and around the United States. In addition to fender flares, the company manufactures BedRail and TailGate caps for pickups, Trail Armor for Jeeps, and a line of bumper protection for a host of vehicles. The Bushwacker Automotive Group is an OEM supplier to several major automotive manufacturers.
 
Builders looking to enter to win the Founder’s Award should visit www.Bushwacker.com/FoundersAward and follow the instructions and rules located there.

	The deadline for 2014 SEMA Show exhibitors to submit applications to conduct a press conference during the Show is August 1.

By Rebecca Butler

The deadline for 2014 SEMA Show exhibitors to submit applications to conduct a press conference during the Show is August 1.

Although they may not be ideal for all exhibitors, press conferences can be a powerful and effective tool in reaching a large number of media. Learn how to host a successful press conference and determine whether a press conference is right for you.

Upon submitting an application, an automatic message will be e-mailed to confirm the application was received. Exhibitors who do not receive a confirmation e-mail are advised to contact Monika Earle at monikae@sema.org, as there may have been technical problems.

For general information or questions about SEMA Show press conferences, contact monikae@sema.org.

	The deadline for 2014 SEMA Show exhibitors to submit applications to conduct a press conference during the Show is August 1.

By Rebecca Butler

The deadline for 2014 SEMA Show exhibitors to submit applications to conduct a press conference during the Show is August 1.

Although they may not be ideal for all exhibitors, press conferences can be a powerful and effective tool in reaching a large number of media. Learn how to host a successful press conference and determine whether a press conference is right for you.

Upon submitting an application, an automatic message will be e-mailed to confirm the application was received. Exhibitors who do not receive a confirmation e-mail are advised to contact Monika Earle at monikae@sema.org, as there may have been technical problems.

For general information or questions about SEMA Show press conferences, contact monikae@sema.org.

The shooters at KGP Photography caught Ford engineers testing a prototype for their updated global Ford Ranger pickup in the mountains of Colorado. Whenever a Ranger prototype is spotted testing in the United States, especially when it's in prototype form like this test truck, fans of the sub-F-Series trucks get renewed hope that the Ranger may once again be destined for U.S. showrooms.  

The facelifted prototype captured here gets a new front fascia, and the camouflaged interior shows that it is also getting some attention. The mid-cycle facelift applied to this Ranger could be viewed as a new chance for Ford to better tailor the Ranger for U.S. tastes, just as GM overhauled its global Colorado pickup specifically for the U.S. market. Of course, it would be very interesting to see the Ranger hit the U.S. market in light of the increased focus on smaller trucks from GM, Nissan and a new Tacoma likely in the works from Toyota. Still, there are no signs that Ford is looking to join the party, and likely with good reason.

With Ford's truck attentions all so heavily directed toward launching the new aluminum F-150, and developing a thoroughly-overhauled Super Duty lineup, it's unlikely that a U.S.-spec Ranger is high on the priority list for Ford's U.S. product planners.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

The shooters at KGP Photography caught Ford engineers testing a prototype for their updated global Ford Ranger pickup in the mountains of Colorado. Whenever a Ranger prototype is spotted testing in the United States, especially when it's in prototype form like this test truck, fans of the sub-F-Series trucks get renewed hope that the Ranger may once again be destined for U.S. showrooms.  

The facelifted prototype captured here gets a new front fascia, and the camouflaged interior shows that it is also getting some attention. The mid-cycle facelift applied to this Ranger could be viewed as a new chance for Ford to better tailor the Ranger for U.S. tastes, just as GM overhauled its global Colorado pickup specifically for the U.S. market. Of course, it would be very interesting to see the Ranger hit the U.S. market in light of the increased focus on smaller trucks from GM, Nissan and a new Tacoma likely in the works from Toyota. Still, there are no signs that Ford is looking to join the party, and likely with good reason.

With Ford's truck attentions all so heavily directed toward launching the new aluminum F-150, and developing a thoroughly-overhauled Super Duty lineup, it's unlikely that a U.S.-spec Ranger is high on the priority list for Ford's U.S. product planners.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

The shooters at KGP Photography caught Ford engineers testing a prototype for their updated global Ford Ranger pickup in the mountains of Colorado. Whenever a Ranger prototype is spotted testing in the United States, especially when it's in prototype form like this test truck, fans of the sub-F-Series trucks get renewed hope that the Ranger may once again be destined for U.S. showrooms.  

The facelifted prototype captured here gets a new front fascia, and the camouflaged interior shows that it is also getting some attention. The mid-cycle facelift applied to this Ranger could be viewed as a new chance for Ford to better tailor the Ranger for U.S. tastes, just as GM overhauled its global Colorado pickup specifically for the U.S. market. Of course, it would be very interesting to see the Ranger hit the U.S. market in light of the increased focus on smaller trucks from GM, Nissan and a new Tacoma likely in the works from Toyota. Still, there are no signs that Ford is looking to join the party, and likely with good reason.

With Ford's truck attentions all so heavily directed toward launching the new aluminum F-150, and developing a thoroughly-overhauled Super Duty lineup, it's unlikely that a U.S.-spec Ranger is high on the priority list for Ford's U.S. product planners.

Photo credit: KGP Photography