Collaboration

Teamwork and the SPC

By Tyler Tanaka

		The SPC and YEN will combine their receptions at this year’s SEMA Show, delivering an even more widespread networking opportunity for members of both councils. The shared event will take place Tuesday, November 1, the first day of the Show.
		A collaborative educational track on the latest trends in social media will be held at this year’s Performance Warehouse Association (PWA) Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. PWA held a manufacturer’s discussion group at the 2010 SEMA Show.

Collaboration is a frequently used term, but rarely do we get the chance to participate professionally in true collaborative efforts. I have made it one of the Street Performance Council’s (SPC) goals to better partner with SEMA, our sister councils and outside organizations in order to bring about the advancement of our unique individual groups.

We have learned a lot over the past five years while growing and developing the Business Technology Symposium here in Southern California to the point where we felt the need to expand to broader geographic areas and more diverse markets. I was fortunate enough to represent the SPC at the Hotrod and Restoration Show in Indianapolis this past spring in the first installment of what we hope will become a proven way to deliver council-membership value year after year.

By working with Laura Bergan, chairman of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO), to create an “Internet Marketing 101” session at the Indy show, we were able to bring expertise from our Select Committee to the members of another council. We were able to forge meaningful connections with a variety of attendees, also benefiting Hot Rod Industry Alliance members and show attendees.

Expanding on this idea of integrated collaboration, I am excited to announce two brand-new programs that the SPC is launching this fall. The first is another great educational track that will be held at this year’s Performance Warehouse Association Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

With the goal of distributing information about the latest trends in social media, the SPC began working with the SEMA education department on a custom session designed to inform manufacturers and distributors about how to capitalize on and take advantage of the massive shift in online consumer behavior. To be held on the afternoon of Sunday, September 19, following registration, the hour-long discussion will include topics such as mobile integration, crowd sourcing and running effective social campaigns.

Continuing on the partnership and strengthening of inter-council relations, this year’s SPC reception will receive a major format change. Known for its great ability to combine serious business networking with a cool, laid-back social setting, the SPC reception delivers a great atmosphere in which to meet and discuss today’s hot industry topics. At this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas, it will be combined with the Young Executives Network (YEN) reception.

I am very excited to be able to work closely with YEN and its talented roster of young professionals in a way that strengthens both councils. Having the opportunity to reach out to a completely new cross-section of the industry is something that both our member companies and reception attendees will benefit from. The reception will be held in the banquet halls of the Hilton Hotel on Tuesday, November 1, day one of the 2011 SEMA Show. I encourage everyone to stop by for the chance to connect with great new people from a wide variety of businesses within the automotive specialty-equipment market.

There is so much that all of our companies are able to learn from one another. It is my goal over the next few years as chairman to see that we continue to look outside our normal areas and gain valuable perspective from one another. I look forward to working and learning from the readers of this article in the near future.