SEMA Member News—November/December 2015
ARMO Offers a Full Week at the 2015 SEMA Show
 The highlight of the ARMO reception on Tuesday night of the SEMA Show is the annual honors, including the ARMO Business of the Year, the ARMO Person of the Year and the Chairman’s awards. American Autowire was named the ARMO Business of the Year last year. |
The Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) will once again share a booth with the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) at the 2015 SEMA Show. The shared space, booth #23395, will open at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, November 3, and will be located in Central Hall at the corner of Hot Rod Alley and Restoration Marketplace.
While each of the councils has its own initiatives and community, they share common goals and significant crossover in membership. Combining the booth space allows more volunteers to staff the area and ensures that there are always members of the select committee and other council personnel on hand to answer questions.
Six cars will also be on display at the booth. Three will represent the restoration market, with three others for the hot-rod segment. The cars were selected to showcase different trends and styles in each segment as well as to showcase up-an-coming builders and the “best of the best.”
In addition, the council booth will house a display of this year’s entries in the HRIA Builders Challenge Pinewood Drag Race, which raises money for SEMA Cares charities benefiting Childhelp and Victory Junction facilities. Invited participants build small-scale pinewood cars to be raced at the annual SEMA Pinewood Drag Races. The vehicles are also placed on display and auctioned off during the HRIA Industry Awards Reception.
ARMO Reception
ARMO starts things off in earnest on Tuesday evening with its annual awards reception, which will start at 5:15 p.m. and run until 7:30 p.m. The highlight of the evening is the presentation of ARMO’s annual honors, including the ARMO Business of the Year, the ARMO Person of the Year and the Chairman’s awards. The organization will also induct an industry leader into the ARMO Hall of Fame, should a qualified candidate be voted in.
In addition to the awards presentations, the ARMO reception provides the perfect atmosphere for networking with 200-plus restoration professionals. ARMO sells reserved tables at its reception, with proceeds benefitting the SEMA Scholarship Fund. A reserved table for 10 people is $350.
Open Meeting
 The ARMO open membership meeting, to be held this year on Wednesday morning, November 4, from 7:15 a.m.–9:00 a.m. in the Westgate Conference rooms, always includes interactive activities for members to share their ideas. |
ARMO holds an open membership meeting in conjunction with the SEMA Show on Wednesday morning, November 4, from 7:15 a.m.–9:00 a.m. in the Westgate Conference rooms. The specific room will be determined prior to the Show.
The open meeting offers a tremendous opportunity to not only hear about the latest ARMO initiatives from the select committee but also for members to provide feedback and input on challenges and opportunities in the restoration market. The meeting always includes interactive activities for the members to share their ideas.
Roundtable
ARMO will finish the week with a small-business roundtable discussion to be held Thursday, November 5, 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m., in room N236 of North Hall. This will be a true, interactive discussion between industry veterans and newcomers. Past roundtable topics have included manufacturers and car builders discussing quality control and return policy; how shop owners and car builders handle customer service; and the question, “what’s the next thing in restoration.”
This year’s discussion is titled “Restoration and Car Building Roundtable” and features a group of industry veterans in a discussion about challenges, opportunities and what might lie ahead in the business of restoration and car building. This is a great opportunity for members to hear from those who have made successful careers in the industry and to share their own experiences.
