Located in Southern California in January of this year, MPMC's iconic Media Trade Conference took place in person for the first time since the pandemic. With manufacturers and media together at the Embassy Suites south of Anaheim, the event provided participants with an opportunity to connect in quality meetings and build long-lasting relationships.
"The virtual meetings in 2021 and 2022 were good for keeping conversations going and making new connections, but nothing can replace the quality of conversations and relationships that result from private, in-person meetings," said MPMC Director Marcy Yanus. "You really can't compare a meeting where you're staring at a computer screen, with a meeting where everyone is in the same room -- fully focused and engaged."
In addition to private meetings that take place throughout the day, the in-person Media Trade Conference provides participants with opportunities to further their connections through social events, lunches and dinners.
New this year was an evening Welcome Reception, sponsored by Hemmings, where cars were displayed; and a lunch panel and discussion about the state of motorsports featuring insights from Brett Becker (NASA), Karl Fredrickson (Speedway Illustrated), Jim Liaw (PRI), Jim Ryan (SCORE), and Steve Wolcott (NMRA/NMCA).
On Tuesday evening, participants celebrated the industry at the Media Trade Conference reception, sponsored by Power Auto Media and PRI. It was another great venue for members and journalists to network in a relaxed and social setting, catch up with friends over food and beverages, and talk motorsports with colleagues. The 2023 Robert E. Petersen Media Award was presented to journalist Richard Holdener in recognition of the positive impact he has made to the motorsports industry and MPMC as a media representative.
Another highlight of the event was the "famous In-n-Out" truck, sponsored by Edelbrock. Always a popular fixture of the SoCal event, Thursday's lunch was a fitting way to bring members together before concluding a successful MTC event. Special thanks also to QA1 for sponsoring the networking breaks and snacks throughout the week. Next year's conference is planned to take place in person again at the same location on January 23-25, 2024. For information on how to participate or sponsor the event, contact Marcy Yanus at marcyy@sema.org.
