Media Gets First Look at the Latest Motorsports Products

	The 2011 MPMC Media Trade Conference returned its El Segundo, California, location after a one-year hiatus.
	The event's lunch breaks along with the council and media receptions provide participants with opportunities to unwind, network with industry peers and further establish relationships with members of the media.

Imagine for a second a place where members of the media gather waiting for news about your company's newest products. Not only does this imaginary place have media in waiting, but private rooms with space to display new products and conduct interviews. And over three days, your company has the opportunity to spread the word about its parts and company developments, both available and in the works, to more than 30 reporters. This interaction is personal and face-to-face, not through a produced-for-the-masses spec sheet or press release. Best of all, this is no imaginary scenario, it is the reality behind SEMA's annual MPMC Media Trade Conference.

Recently held at the Embassy Suites LAX South in El Segundo, California, the 2011 conference featured performance parts manufacturers and members of the working press conducting private meetings over the course of three days. The manufacturers are all part of SEMA's Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC), a SEMA council dedicated to perpetuating the growth and prosperity of motorsports parts producers.

SEMA News traveled to the event to interact with member companies, find out the latest products in the works and get a read on the business climate and what to expect in 2011. Using company participation and the amount of new products getting prepared for the shelves as indicators, and judging by the investment companies are making in new-product development, the outlook in the performance parts market for 2011 looks promising for motorsports companies and enthusiasts alike.

Held nearly three months after the SEMA Show, the format of the event provides a setting for one-on-one interaction without the time constraints or scheduling snafus that may occur during a trade show. This provides participants the opportunity to deliver product and company news quickly to media members who are seeking performance-specific content. "I feel that the conference was a fantastic networking event where we get a rare opportunity for one-on-one time with people that we may not have had much time to talk with at the SEMA Show," said Marty Staggs, general manager of Turbosmart USA. "It also let us connect with people whom we may not have been aware of or whom may not have been aware of us."

The MPMC also uses the event to conduct several council activities, including the group's long-range planning meeting and the presentation of two council awards: the Robert E. Petersen Award and the MPMC Chairman's Award. The open long-range planning meeting gives the council a chance to plan activities and identify issues to address in the coming year. The Robert E. Petersen Media Award recognizes an individual from the media who has made a positive impact on the motorsports industry and the MPMC during the past year. The MPMC Chairman's Award honors an individual for contributions and support of the MPMC throughout the year.

Below are some photos from the event. In addition, a complete photo gallery of the 2011 event will soon be available on the MPMC website. More information on the MPMC is available at www.sema.org/mpmc. For additional information on the 2011 MPMC Media Trade Conference, contact SEMA Senior Council Director Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

Lee McGuire of Skyjacker Suspensions.		Marty Staggs of Turbosmart USA.
William Baty (left) and Bryan Wilson of Centerforce Clutches.		Steve Davis and Pat Davis (right) of D.U.I. Performance Distributors.
Ken Maynard (left) and Tom Miller of Design Engineering Inc.		Chris Thomson of AIRAID.
MPMC's Chairman Kyle Fickler (middle) and Chairman-Elect Vic Wood (right) present the Robert E. Petersen Media Award to Steve Wolcott of ProMedia LLC.		Darr Hawthorne (left) accepts the MPMC Chairman's Award from MPMC's Kyle Fickler.