Auto Detailing News Winter issue

SEMA360 attracts thousands of attendees, includes Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs
Thousands of industry professionals
logged onto www.sema360.com on November
2 to take part in the first day of
SEMA360 , a five-day online trade-only
event where attendees from throughout
the world could interact with automotive
parts manufacturers, see new trends and
products, network, and hear from leaders
and experts in the specialty equipment
aftermarket industry, a press release reported.
Following a live Keynote Q&A
powered by OPTIMA Batteries and featuring
Mike Rowe and Tanner Foust on
Monday morning, SEMA360 officially
opened for attendees who were looking to
connect with the more than 650 manufacturers
that are headlining the event.
Rowe, creator and host of the hit TV
series “Dirty Jobs,” and Foust, industry
celebrity and driver, broadcasted live from
their respective locations. During the halfhour
episode, the two talked about the
state of the automotive aftermarket, their
passion for the industry and the need to
inspire more people to get involved in the
aftermarket trade.
Rowe shared his experience and stories
behind the success of his show “Dirty
Jobs,” how the mikeroweWORKS Foundation
came to be and how it evolved
from a PR campaign for skilled labor to a
scholarship fund for those willing to learn
a trade that’s in demand.
“There is a real shortage of skilled
technicians across the country, and real
opportunities to prosper in those trades,”
said Rowe. “My foundation gave away
$1 million in work ethic scholarships this
year to people who want to learn a trade
and help close the skills gap.”
Foust, who was streaming live from
OPTIMA’s event Hi-Performance Expo,
gave attendees a sneak peak of the track,
shared his insight on the diversity of the
industry and talked about how the industry
is persevering during this unprecedented
time of COVID-19 .
“The enthusiast world and automotive
market is healthy,” said Foust. “When you
cruise around in SEMA360 and what we’ll
do the next couple of days here through
this platform, you’ll meet a lot of people
who are almost investors. You’ll find
people who have innovated. People are
tinkering and inventing and putting their
passion into physical representation.”
SEMA360 also allowed for attendees to
view more than 2,200 products in the New
Products Showcase, see over 300 custom
vehicle builds, and take part in more than
30 industry-specific education sessions
throughout the week. Each SEMA360 day
was full of exclusive seminars and events.
Andrew Morgan, Keystone Automotive
Operations Category Director-Truck
& Off-Road, said in a press release, “In
these challenging times, we have to be
flexible and adapt, and we are very thankful
SEMA found a way to help bring the
industry together.”
Amy Fitzgerald, owner of Cool Hand
Customs, also was looking forward to connecting
with the industry on SEMA360.
“The ability to connect with others in
the industry this year is more important
than it has ever been,” she said in a press
release. “With the education seminars
and all the virtual opportunities it offers,
SEMA360 is an invaluable resource this
year for all of us who make not only our
careers but our lives in this industry.”
“Our industry is resilient, and it’s making
history by coming together to conduct
business through the online platform,”
Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of
events, stated in a press release. “We were
unable to have an in-person event this year,
and the industry was able to pivot and find
a way to conduct much-needed business in
preparation for a successful 2021. We are
looking forward to seeing even more activity
in SEMA360 as the week continues.”
Paul Apollonia will help you discover how
eBay can be a sales tool on your mobile
device, an overview of listing items, taking
photos, pricing, and shipping tips.
• What Your Accountant
is Not Telling You
1 p.m. - 2 p.m., THRU, FEB 4
You may get all the proper forms and
taxes completed on time. You probably
have never had your business audited with
regard to any of the forms or tax returns
you have submitted. Yet, there are many
things that you should know about the
accounting aspect of your business. Your
accountant may know most of them, but
to make sure, both of you have to be “on
the same page”. In this session, Tom Shay
will share 14 key aspects of financial management
that you should be aware of.
• Insulate Earning Capability
with Additional Revenue
Streams
8 a.m. - 9 a.m., THRU, FEB 4
Was your income impacted last year
by the Pandemic? Some of us had greatly
reduced income because we rely solely on
revenue from detailing services. In this
session, Prentice St. Clair, CD-SV, RT,
will talk about what it takes to be a more
rounded “automotive reconditioning”
technician. With 22 years teaching and
providing multiple services, Prentice can
help you understand what it takes to learn
and equip yourself to be multi-talented,
so that you can dramatically increase the
average ticket price per vehicle.
• Proper Pad Care
and Maintenance
1 p.m. – 2 p.m., THRU, FEB 4
The intention of this educational seminar
is to educate/advise on proper care and
maintenance of all pad types foams, microfibers
and wools. The seminar will cover
care and maintenance of all pad types and
will be advised from the time of purchase to
knowing when it's time to replace. The intention
is to educate on how to get the maximum
performance and durability (work
time) from buffing pads. Maintenance will
include how many pads to use per vehicle,
when to change pads, how often to clean
while buffing and when to clean for new
job. We will also be discussing “best practices”
on cleaning pads, differences and
“tricks to the trade” on best ways to clean
various types of pads. We hope that attendees
leave with better knowledge of identifying
the best ways to clean various types
of pads, what processes will work best and
“best practices” of getting the best performance
and longevity from your buffing
pads. Speakers: Clint Hintz, CD-SV, RT
and Justin Labato, CD-SV, RT, Buff and
Shine. JL’s Showroom Detailing, Inc.
• Chemical Technology
to Boost Your Profits
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., THRU, FEB 4
We will discuss the latest technologies
in the detailing industry, and highlight
which ones can turn into better revenue
sources, which ones help cut expenses (labor),
and which ones are a waste of your
time. We will share information about new
coating technologies, including graphene
and high solids ceramic coatings, 100%
inorganic paintwork correction gels (no
more compounds and polishes), and new
cleaning surfactants that leave a protective
film. Not all technologies are beneficial.
Learn about those that are misapplied
to our industry and about others that are
downright bogus, which can affect your
bottom line. Speaker: Jim Lafeber, CD-
SV, RT, Dr. Beasley’s Inc.
• Equipping Your Shop
the Right Way
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., THRU, FEB 4
How to determine what equipment
and tools you need to run your mobile,
fixed or larger scale operation. Know
what to buy, how to buy it and how to financially
manage your purchases to leverage
these assets to your advantage operationally
and financially. Speaker: Keith
Duplessie Details Plus CD-SV, MC, RT
• The 30 minute paint
enhancement with protection!
Maximizing one step performance.
More customers. More profit.
11 a.m. – 12 p.m., THRU, FEB 4
An overview of tips and techniques to
get the ultimate performance while doing
one step paint enhancement procedures.
Jason will show you how to do this with
maximum efficiency and quality. Jason
Rose, CD-SV, RT
• How to Go from Mobile
to Fixed Operations
8 a.m. – 9 a.m., FRI, FEB 5
Find out the back story of how this
successful entrepreneur went from mobile
to fixed location in 4 years. Even
if you are not looking at it now, get a
template for setting goals and executing
them. Speaker: John Corinella, American
Detail Corp
• Organizing for Efficiency
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., FRI, FEB 5
Are you always trying to increase your
productivity and profitability? Learn from
an expert how to view everything from an
efficiency (and therefore profitable) mindset.
We’ll talk about shop/work truck layout,
training and even product selection
to get the most value out of everything
you do. Walk away with tips that will enhance
your bottom line and your work/
life balance. Speaker: Yvan LaCroix
VOL. 5, NO.4 • WINTER 2020 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 19