Every January, a select group of manufacturers and magazine editors get together at the Embassy Suites hotel near the LAX airport in Los Angeles. Their collective mission: to get the word out on new products and trends in the world of high-performance cars and trucks. This low-key event is not open to the public, nor is it open to retailers, or wholesalers. The idea is to provide closed-door face time for magazine staffers and parts manufacturers without the interruptions normally associated with large trade shows.
The event is called the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council Media Trade Conference—or MPMC for those of us in the media. MPMC is a select committee of members who exhibit at the annual SEMA trade show in Las Vegas; what sets these SEMA members apart from others is their involvement in motorsports or high-performance, and their desire to work directly with magazines, and other forms of media.
The MPMC conference--which is going on this week--is held over a three-day period. Media attendees sign up in advance and select which companies they desire to meet with. Ahead of the conference, SEMA creates a meeting schedule for each individual attendee. At the conference, members of the press visit a different company every 30 minutes (one-on-one) to see new products and develop ideas for stories.
For those of us in the press, it’s a great time to see what’s new, to catch up on industry trends, and to address issues on both sides. All this happens behind closed doors so that competing companies can’t overhear each other, and competing media outlets don’t need to look over their shoulder. It’s great fun for us, and it results in cool stories for you!