Despite talk about vehicles becoming uniform from market to market, some of the hottest global vehicles are currently not sold in the United States. Examples include the HiLux, new Ford Ranger T6, Chevy Trailblazer and VW Amarok, which are all widely available on every continent but are not sold in the United States or Canada.

The SEMA Person of the Year Award ranks among the association’s most prestigious honors. For 2012, it was bestowed upon Marla Moore of Hypertech during the recent SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet, held Thursday, November 1, in Las Vegas. Moore, who is currently the chair of the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), has been involved with the specialty-equipment industry for more than three decades.

2013 Dodge Challenger and Nissan “Budget” Leaf.

Now It’s All About the Data SALES

It’s been quite a journey. Some 10 years ago, the simple but now prophetic words of good friend and visionary Jerry McCabe launched a tenacious group of volunteers in pursuit of an industry solution for product data creation, storage and distribution: “It’s all about the data.” Now, after years of planning, adjusting and adapting—and a nine-month “test drive” in the beta phase—the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is readying for launch of the live production system in January.

How to Optimize YouTube Videos for Search Engines

	Google employees like this one will reward businesses that follow some basic, YouTube optimization best practices.

While search-engine optimization on YouTube often comes off as modern-day mysticism best reserved for the high priests of the digerati, it’s actually fairly straightforward if you know what you’re doing. Essentially, you’ll be able to ensure that your YouTube videos pop up higher in search-engine returns if you follow the guidelines below, as recommended by Bobbi Dempsey, author of the MarketingSherpa Report, “30 Minute Marketer: How to Create SEO-Friendly YouTube Content." 

As with a similar program for the Middle East, the annual SEMA China Business Development Tour was designed to be a low-cost and high-value way to explore a new market. Activities included two full days of meetings with pre-vetted buyers in Shanghai and Beijing, visits to specialty-equipment shops in both cities, briefings by U.S. government officials based in China and the opportunity to network with both buyers and fellow SEMA members in an informal setting. In addition, trip participants were able to help defray the cost of participating through a three-year, $500,000 Market Development Cooperative Program Grant that SEMA was awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid, 2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD, 2014 Infiniti G37, Porsche Panamera

Breaking news from member companies Formula Drift Holdings, CargoGlide, Shelby American, Source Interlink Media, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Car Guy Nation and more.