SEMA Member News - May/June 2009
SPC Presents the 2009 SEMA Internet Symposium
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| A standing-room-only crowd packed a theater-style classroom early one Saturday morning after the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser to take part in the Internet Symposium. The audience included truck guys, retailers, WDs, media and manufacturers. They were all there to see if they were missing essential details in their quest to stay at the top of their markets. |
At an open meeting of SEMA members, there was an extensive discussion about how the Internet has changed each member’s business. Commerce has shifted, and new technologies have empowered consumers like never before. In keeping with SEMA’s mission statement of helping its members prosper, an idea was formed to bring an industry-specific day of Internet knowledge to life. Subsequently, there was standing-room only in a theater-style classroom early one Saturday morning after the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser. The room was crowded with truck guys, retailers, WDs, media and, of course, manufacturers. They were all there to see if they were missing essential details in their quest to stay at the top of their markets.
The opening speaker showed graphs that illustrated how the Internet had grown from a few users back in the ’70s to nearly 70% of the U.S. population. Search-engine providers spoke about pay-per-click advertising; attorneys answered questions about protecting a brand in cyberspace; and demonstrations of virtual stores riveted the gathering. Attendees had never witnessed this type of participation and interest from such a large group.
After circulating questionnaires to the participants at last year’s event, the Street Performance Council (SPC) has created a much larger scale endeavor for 2009. Taking place August 1, 2009, in Pasadena, California, again in conjunction with the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, this year’s event is multitracked.
The SEMA Internet Symposium is designed for senior management to understand and be proactive about steering their companies in an evolving market channel and for sales and IT managers to learn ways to implement the resulting plans. As with last year, space will be very limited. For the most current sign-up and speaker information, click here.
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| The SEMA Internet Symposium is designed for senior management to understand and be proactive about steering their companies in an evolving market channel and for sales and IT managers to learn ways to implement the resulting plans. As with last year, space will be very limited. For the most current sign-up and speaker information, refer to www.sema.org/internet-symposium. |
Internet Symposium Feedback
Following the 2008 event, attendees provided their feedback about the activities and the speakers. Here is a sample of their reactions:
“I was worried going in that most of the classes would be on a very surface level and not go very in-depth. I was worried that the classes would be very elementary and that I would be bored. It turned out that the length of each section, topics and depth to which the speakers went really held my attention, and I found myself not wanting each topic to end.”
—Chris Dye
Club RSX.com
“I will definitely be back with additional staff from our company. In today’s competitive marketplace, this is the one marketing seminar no one should miss. If you just get one good idea, the return on your investment pays off immediately!”
—Oliver Rathlein
Vice President of Marketing, Eibach Springs
“I originally attended the Internet Symposium to support a coworker, but, much to my delight, ended up picking up a range of valuable insights and tools for online marketing.”
—Ryan Bates
Digital Performance
Location of the 2009 Internet Symposium:
Pasadena
Convention Center
300 E. Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91101