SEMA Member News—January/February 2013
2012 ARMO Industry Awards
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“The presentation of the awards is still the focal point of the evening,” said ARMO Chairman Alex Tainsh of Parts Unlimited Interiors.
“However, we are getting great feedback on our increased emphasis on networking and socializing. Being on Tuesday night, the first night of the Show, it’s the perfect time for folks to sit down, catch up with each other and just relax. We ran out of food, shut the bars down at 7:30 p.m., and folks were still there after we packed up and left. I think they like the new format!”
The ARMO Industry Award recipients included:
- Jeff Moses Scholarship Award: Michelle Perez of Skyline College
- ARMO Person of the Year: Matt Agosta of Steele Rubber Products
- ARMO Business of the Year: Vintage Air
- ARMO Industry Recognition Award: Carlisle Events
The annual ARMO Industry Awards reception would not be possible without the support of the event’s sponsors. This year’s sponsoring companies were:
ARMO Seminars at Hotrod & Restoration Show
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Platinum Sponsors
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Gold Sponsors
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Silver Sponsors
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“Last year’s sessions were such a success that Travis Weeks [of Bobit, producers of the trade show] asked us to produce another four seminars this year,” said Tainsh. “The satisfaction surveys from 2011 indicated that our audience really responds to the Internet marketing presentations by Tyler Tanaka and Eric Saltrick, and they are also interested in hearing from actual peers in the industry.”
Following are the seminar titles and descriptions.
Session 1, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
- Sourcing Parts—It’s Not Only About Price: A panel of experienced car builders and manufacturers will discuss various aspects of getting the right parts for the job and building long-lasting relationships with suppliers.
- He Asked for the Wrong Thing and Wants Me to Pay for It: Professional builders and retailers share their experiences on being proactive with customer service and how to order it or build it right the first time.
Session 2, 9:15 a.m.–10:15 a.m.
- Social Media: How to Use Content to Generate New Business—Now that you have a website, Facebook, etc., industry experts show how to convert content into new business. Presented by Tyler Tanaka of CIE Studios and Eric Saltrick of Steele
Rubber Products. - Business of Small Business—A panel of industry experts discuss trends in the restoration industry.
New Products Becomes “Hot Products”
The annual ARMO New Products Showcase will no longer be restricted to “new” products but will be open to all ARMO-member companies that wish to display products in the ARMO Hot Products Showcase tent at Spring Carlisle. The event takes place April 24–28, 2013, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
“By changing it to ‘Hot Products,’ we can offer any ARMO company the chance to display in our tent, in front of the 100,000-plus restoration enthusiasts at Spring Carlisle,” said ARMO Chair-Elect Dennis Roberts of Distinctive Industries. “Just send us whatever product you want to push this year. Provide us with contact information for dealers on the [Carlisle] grounds or in the area, and we can help actually sell product. And that is, after all, what it’s really all about.”
Any ARMO company interested in displaying in the ARMO Hot Products Showcase should visit the ARMO webpages at www.sema.org/armo or call Jim Skelly at SEMA at 909-978-6690.