The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) team will be out in full force during Show week to offer free data-management consultations in booth #20579.
Questions From Your Industry Peers
Back in July, my team and I had the opportunity to meet with the SEMA council leadership at its annual Council Summit in Pomona. We were invited to join the meeting to talk about the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) and get feedback from this diverse gathering. What was particularly fascinating was that this group—made up of smart folks who do a great job of running their businesses—had widely varying understandings (and thus opinions) about product data management. After an hour of very productive discussion, the entire room merged onto the same page, and we came away with a group that was better able to relate product data management to their individual businesses while helping us at the SDC to realize that a lot of hand-to-hand education still needs to happen.
More Than a Trade Show, It’s an Automotive Paradise
The SEMA Show is a business event, as everyone in the industry knows. It’s the venue where buyers and sellers come together to provide products to installers and stock the shelves of retail outlets throughout the nation and the world. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s one of the world’s greatest custom car shows. It’s a four-day university of automotive knowledge. It’s a carnival, complete with wild rides and sideshows. There’s more going on at the SEMA Show than at many of the planet’s amusement parks, and there’s only so much time in each day. Attendees have to plan ahead if they want to catch every nuance available. Here’s a brief look at some of the major points of interest.
Arguably one of the greatest hockey players ever to pick up a stick, Wayne Gretzky is also credited with one of the most insightful quotes ever about focus and achievement: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” This simple thought captures the essence of staying ahead of the game: Think ahead, pay attention to where things are going, and go for it! Whether you are anticipating future trends in automotive accessories and performance or you’re staying on point with business technology, it’s critical to always be looking forward.
Data Receivers: Now Is the Time to Speak Up!
July marks the end of the first full year of operation of the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) Product Information Management System (PIMS), and this fledgling new business is well on its way to becoming what we intended it to be—the definitive centralized product data repository for the SEMA marketplace. Now hosting more than 300 supplier brands of data, 2 million part numbers and more than 30 million vehicle application records, the SDC is a legitimate and valuable source for product data to power wholesale distributor (WD), retail and web businesses.