With the rollout of Facebook’s new makeover this spring now a fait accompli, many web marketers rejoice that some of the service’s new features will make it much easier for them to do business on the social network. This is true both from a creative standpoint and from a business analytics perspective.

An unusually popular event, the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Media Trade Conference (MTC), brings together writers and editors from all over the world with racing and high-performance parts manufacturers.

Customer service has become a key difference-maker in an interconnected world. The growth of social media means a single customer can broadcast what he or she thinks of your company, good or bad. And others can give that message an exponential pop—making or breaking your company’s image. Where customers have multiple options for parts and service, business leaders agree that building customer loyalty based on service is imperative.

As part of our annual look at where automotive technology stands, we recently engaged in a wide-ranging conversation with John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of vehicle technology, delving further into the four advanced vehicle technology megatrends: driving green, driving connected, driving safe and driving cool.

In December 1962, Petersen Publishing Company photographer Eric Rickman shot Don Hellwig (right) describing a new helper-spring kit to Hot Rod magazine’s LeRoi “Tex” Smith. Those who know Hellwig Products primarily for its truck and camper suspension parts may be surprised by the fact that the kit Hellwig was demonstrating was engineered for a Corvair.

Business users who are already comfortable with Twitter are in luck: There are currently hundreds of analytics and time-saving tools available that will enable you to quickly sort through the noise, retrieve the insights you want and generate the reach you’re looking for with minimal effort.

Each year, a few vehicles dominate the automotive landscape. It stands to reason that the most popular vehicles among consumers and specialty-equipment manufacturers would also be among the most profitable for all SEMA members. To help sort the vehicular wheat from the chafe, we examined a series of forward-looking “SEMA Indicators” to see what they might suggest about the crop of cars and trucks that are likely to make the biggest sales impact in 2011.

SEMA members RTM Productions welcomed Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for a behind-the-scenes tour and legislative briefing at its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee. Established in 1989, RTM produces automotive, outdoor and entertainment programming  for television, including the acclaimed PowerBlock TV series. In 2006, RTM consolidated its three locations and moved into a state-of-the-art 50,000-sq.-ft. facility. The production technical center features six full production studios and five editing suites along with the company's business offices.

The 2011 SEMA Membership Directory is currently being produced and will be released on May 2, 2011. The Directory will be included with the May issue of SEMA News—the association's trade magazine.

While most business people enjoy planning for success, preparing for disaster is equally crucial. Whether bracing to endure earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes or man-made events, such as terrorism or other crimes, including physical and cyber attacks, every company should take steps to survive, recover and resume operations in the event of catastrophe. Basic preventative measures apply to any type of disaster or business interruption, but specific measures tailored to geographic or regional conditions should also be considered.