The Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) has ranked education as a key component of its mission from its early days as the Street Rod Market Alliance (SRMA). In the mid-’90s, SEMA and SRMA launched the Street Rod Industry Trade Conference. Held at a hotel in San Antonio, Texas, in conjunction with Vintage Air, the yearly business-to-business event served as a launch pad for business-management seminars and hands-on technical workshops.
Two years ago, Tray Smith assumed the role of chair of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) after having served two years as chair-elect. At the same time, Ben Tucker was chosen by his peers on the select committee to serve in the chair-elect slot.
SEMA-member accessory and performance-parts manufacturers nowadays have access to an array of tools to aid in the design and development of new products. They range from OEM CAD data and 3-D scanning and printing to vehicle measuring sessions and more. But that has not always been the case.
Following on the heels of successful events at the 2019 SEMA Show and elsewhere, the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) is geared up for another activity-filled year. Committed to expanding the network’s reach and providing more opportunities for engagement, education and career advancement, SBN has set its sights on a series of events targeted at both its traditional audience of professional industry women and female students to also embrace others within the SEMA community.
SEMA-member manufacturers are known for their creativity, craftsmanship and innovation, and they go to great lengths to design and engineer their products. To assist with product development, member companies from time to time utilize resources available through the SEMA Garage.
In the 22 years since SEMA’s Wheel Industry Council burst on the scene, the group—now known as the Wheel & Tire Council (WTC)—has stayed true to its core mission: namely to identify industry challenges, deliver educational solutions, and provide networking opportunities.
When it was announced late last spring that the Light Truck Accessory Alliance (LTAA) had joined forces with the off-road segment and renamed the council the Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA), it signaled both a reaffirmation and a new beginning.
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Unlike most of the other SEMA councils and networks, the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) does not mark the SEMA Show in November as the beginning of “the holidays.” Quite the opposite.
During the late ’80s and early ’90s, SEMA’s Street Rod Market Alliance (SRMA)—the predecessor to the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA)—had a small booth in Street Rod Alley in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) at the SEMA Show. SRMA also had a feature-vehicle display area located nearby, which showcased several street rods of the day.
