Looking Back, Looking Ahead Philadelphia PA

Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was working on my first issue of Light Truck and SUV. In reality, it has been over five months and three issues since I came on board, and it has been a fun ride.

Of course, one is not truly initiated in this industry until he or she attends the SEMA show. Even though as we go to press it has been a month since the show, it seems like my feet are still trying to recuperate from the miles and miles of walking. To someone that has never attended a big trade show, it is hard trying to explain how something so simple as walking and standing all day can be so tortuous to the feet. Probably the only thing worse is working as a booth babe and standing all day in one spot with high heels on. Guess that's a problem I'll never have to worry about.

To say that SEMA was sensory overload is an understatement. The halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center were filled with attendees, all wanting to see the latest products available to the automotive aftermarket. Before I even stepped foot in Vegas, it seemed like covering SEMA would be mission impossible. My appointment calendar was almost booked solid for the show. I had to squeeze in time between appointments to walk the show floor.

SEMA was a good opportunity to meet a lot of manufacturers that cater to the light truck and SUV market. Many of these folks had contacted me before the show, and it was nice to be able to put a face to the name. In addition, it was great to talk to our readers that were there at the show.

One of the things that SEMA did that I really liked was sponsoring an intern program at the show. To be eligible for the internship program, interested candidates had to maintain good grades and submit applications explaining why they wished to participate in the program. If they were accepted, they were paired up with exhibitors and/or press types, depending on their request. I saw this internship opportunity as a positive program for young adults interested in our industry, and volunteered to participate in the program and host an intern or two as needed. I ended up working with two great interns on the first day of the show, Randall and Chris. We got to walk the show floor, meet with manufacturers and learn about their products and check out some really awesome vehicles. They both seemed to enjoy the experience.

There were also lots of celebrities at SEMA. There were NASCAR drivers, TV show personalities, and even a few movie stars. My most memorable "celebrity" moment at the show was meeting world's strongest man Magnus Samuelsson at the Thule booth (see picture on previous page). When I shook his hand, I had every intention to give him a strong handshake. Yea right. My hand disappeared in his as his big paw engulfed my hand. The guy was huge. Heck, his biceps were bigger than my thighs (and bigger than my waist was just a few years ago before I was exposed to fine Wisconsin beers — but that's another story).

So, with this being the first issue to press after the SEMA show, we want to take a look back and provide a SEMA wrap-up of sorts. We start off with our cover story — an interview with Real Wheels' Jhan Dolphin. Jhan discusses their Mindfreak H2 project, gives tips on getting the most out of a project vehicle, and gives pointers on achieving customer service. After that, we have a sampling of some of the project vehicles that were on display at the show. On page 10, we have a new feature — our Readers Choice Top 25 Products of 2006. The winners were based on your reader inquiries for products that ran in Light Truck and SUV this past year.

On the first morning of SEMA, we attended the New Product Awards Breakfast. There, SEMA presented awards to the best new products for 2007. On page 16, we highlight the award winners in the light truck and SUV industry.

So that's quite a bit of looking back. Now, it's time look forward. I'm excited to announce the Light Truck and SUV project vehicle for 2007. We are in the early stages of the project, and working on acquiring a vehicle as we speak. Starting with the next issue, we will highlight different installations and modifications being done to the vehicle in each issue. We will show step-by-step installations with tips from the technicians performing the work. We will also have additional web-only features on LightTruckBiz.com. The vehicle will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2007, with the finished product appearing at our booth at SEMA. Stay tuned as this exciting project develops!

Finally, I want to say thank you to all of you for helping make this magazine successful. Without your input, we wouldn't be able to provide the quality of editorial and products you have come to expect. We rely on your feedback. If you know of a product that should be covered in the magazine, let us know. If you are a dealer and would like us to look into doing a profile on your company, let us know.

Thanks for reading, and keep that feedback coming!

jescobar@lighttruckbiz.com
(920) 568-8377