Next
Issue Due Out 4/18/03 - Deadline For Materials 4/11/03
Concept
Awards
By the time most of our readers see this issue of SEAMO
News, voting for the 2003 North American Concept Vehicle
of the Year awards will be completed. Nearly 40 vehicles
revealed at Los Angeles, Detroit and Toronto were reviewed
by 43 journalists from throughout North America, to make
the selections for the Concept Car, Concept Truck/SUV, and
Specialty Concept categories. From these three category
winners, the"Most Significant Concept Vehicle of the
Year" will be chosen.
Operated by SEAMO,
the award program is now in its second year. The awards
recognize those concept vehicles that are most likely to
shape the future of automotive design and technology. This
year, a "Production Preview" category was a late
addition to the program, to recognize those show vehicles
based on models already planned or announced for production.
The announcement
of the award winners will take place at the Atlanta Auto
Show on March 11, 2003 at 4:30 PM. The award ceremony will
include dinner and will be followed with a keynote speech
from Nick Scheele, COO of Ford Motor Company. Further details
regarding the agenda are included in the Auto Show news
item below.
Atlanta Auto Show
Planning is in the final stages for the press events taking
place during the 2003 Atlanta Auto Show. In addition to
getting a chance to check out virtually every new 2003 model
under one roof, the show will also include several press
conferences. As Atlanta is quickly becoming "Motor
City South," this show is quickly moving into the major
league, thanks in part to a first-rate facility with room
to grow, a downtown location with plenty of hotels and restaurants
nearby, and close proximity to broadcast facilities, including
the CNN headquarters immediately adjacent to the facility.
Here's an advance
look at the tentative schedule:
Monday,
March 10
5:00 PM - General Motors Reception - Offsite
Tuesday,
March 11
Morning - Optional CNN Tour
12:30 PM - Lunch (Location & Host TBD)
1:50 PM - Registration - Room B-214
2:00 PM - General Motors Press Conference - Booth Location
2:40 PM - Toyota Press Conference - Booth Location
3:10 PM - DaimlerChrysler Press Conference - Booth Location
3:30 PM - Ford, Lincoln & Mercury Press Conferences
- Booth Locations
4:30 PM - Concept Award Ceremony - Room # B-214
5:15 PM - AJC/MAADA Dinner - Room # B-214
6:00 PM - Keynote Speech - Nick Scheele, COO Ford Motor
Company - Room # B-214
7:00 PM - Cocktail Reception - Show Lobby
7:30 PM - Ford Anniversary Presentation & Dealer Preview
- Show Floor
Business attire
is the dress code for all of the events. Seating is limited
at the award-ceremony / dinner / speech venue, so an RSVP
is required for attendance. Please contact Dave Tribble
of the Metropolitan Atlanta Auto Dealers' Association (MAADA)
to reserve your seat(s) ASAP. Dave can be reached at (770)
916-1741 or maada.pr@mindspring.com via e-mail.
Board of Directors Appointed
Over the last few weeks, some of SEAMO's most dedicated
members were contacted and drafted to serve as the organization's
first Board of Directors. These appointees will serve as
interim directors until we conduct our first formal elections
early next year.
In just a little
less than two years, SEAMO has grown to a point where a
bit of formal structure is appropriate as we expand to the
next level. Each of the new directors has the responsibility
of representing a group of members. There is one director
for each of the South Florida, Georgia and Carolinas regions,
plus an "At Large" director to represent those
members outside the major metropolitan areas. Additionally,
there is a director to represent the OEM PR members, and
one more to represent the Supplier PR members.
Within the next
few weeks, our members will receive a letter from the new
directors, along with complete contact information for each
director. In the meantime, here are SEAMO's new directors.
South
Florida - Ron Beasley, Miami's Community Newspapers
Georgia - Susan Childress - Scottie Media
Carolinas - Tom Crosby - AAA Carolinas
At Large - Michael Cohn - Rockcrawler.com
OEM PR - Sage Marie - American Honda
Supplier PR - John Harper - Performance Logistics
Regional Lunch Plans
As reported in an earlier issue of SEAMO News, we're working
to organize a regular schedule of lunches in each region.
This is one of the projects our new directors will help
to facilitate. Members and prospective members will be contacted
with complete details regarding locations and times of the
lunches, however as we're using a fixed-day schedule, you
can mark your calendars now. Beginning in March, the lunches
are scheduled as follows:
Miami - Third
Tuesday of each month - Taurus Restaurant, Coconut Grove,
3540 Main Hwy.
Atlanta - Third Wednesday of each month - Rio Bravo, Dunwoody,
Ashford-Dunwoody Rd.
Carolinas - Third Thursday of each month - Lotus Buffet,
Charlotte, 9605 North Tryon (Hwy 29)
As membership
expands, we'll be adding venues in other regions. Check
the event calendar page on the SEAMO website for updates.
MEMBER NEWS
To have your announcement, news, bio, etc., included in
the Member News section, please send the copy as a text
file and any images as JPEG files in time for the deadline
posted in each issue of SEAMO News. We may edit the item
for space as necessary.
Publicity
Plus Launches New Service
SEAMO member Freda Councelor of Publicity Plus PR has launched
a new service called the Newsmaker Network, which will be
dedicated to helping small to medium size automotive OEMs,
aftermarket suppliers, and service organizations heighten
visibility with customers and drive sales leads through
editorial coverage in business and industry publications.
PublicityPlus
specializes in business-to-business publicity and has more
than 15 years' experience with major automotive OEMs, aftermarket
suppliers and service organizations.
"The economic
downturn has forced manufacturers and service organizations
alike to cut back on their advertising and communications
budgets; many small to midsize companies have been hit the
hardest. That's why we've designed the Newsmaker Network
to help these companies increase their exposure in industry
publications at minimal cost," said PublicityPlus'
founder Freda Counceller.
Promotional services
offered by the Newsmaker Network include news releases,
customer testimonials, technical articles, phone interviews,
site visits as well as internet and print newsletters. For
more information, contact PublicityPlus at (949) 369-8600
or email Freda Counceller at freda@publicityplus.biz.
Toyota Announces Regional Program Dates
SEAMO member Bill Ussery of Toyota Lexus PR passes along
this item detailing two upcoming regional launch programs.
The All-New
Sienna Mini-Van - March 4-5 in Orlando
The minivan is all about family values, (which is why
we selected O-Town), so you can see and hear the thought
process Mr. Yokoya put in to the all-new Sienna. For those
of you who were in Detroit, he's the Chief Engineer who
actually drove the current generation Sienna throughout
the US, Canada and Mexico - over 50,000 miles, and made
notes along the way on how to improve the vehicle. The
result is a truly high-tech experience that we expect
will double our share of this segment. TMS has never had
the pleasure of a Chief Engineer attending a regional
product introduction, so please take advantage of this
unique interview opportunity.
Confirmed
presenters include:
Don Esmond,
Senior Vice President & General Manager
Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.
Yuji Yokoya,
Sienna Chief Engineer, Toyota Motor Corp.
John Jula,
Executive Engineer & Program Manager
Toyota Technical Center, USA
The All-New
Lexus RX 330 - April 9-10 in Atlanta
Five years ago, the Lexus RX 300 created the luxury crossover
segment, and we expect to once again revolutionize this
segment with the all-new 2004 RX 330. It's slightly larger,
faster and more fuel efficient and definitely styling.
The new RX 330 will also become the first Lexus to be
manufactured in North America when production begins on
a new line at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada.
More on the
Atlanta event later, but please mark the date.
Contact Bill
Ussery at (305) 375-8090 or bill_ussery@toyota.com for more
details or to register for the events.
On
The Lighter Side
I went to the store the other day, and I was in there for
only about 5 minutes. When I came out there was a motorcycle
cop writing a parking ticket. So I went up to him and said,
"Come on, buddy, how about giving a guy a break?"
He ignored me
and continued writing the ticket. So I called him a pencil-necked
Nazi. He glared at me and started writing another ticket
for worn tires! So I called him a piece of horse manure.
He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield
with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket!
This went on
for about 20 minutes... the more I abused him, the more
tickets he wrote. I didn't care. My car was parked around
the corner.
Contact
Info & Links
Here's how to join SEAMO, be added to or removed from the
mailing list, submit news items or photos for upcoming newsletters,
or just make your opinion known.
Next
Issue Due Out 4/18/03 - Deadline For Materials 4/11/03
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East Automotive Media Organization
4429 Back Creek Church Road
Charlotte, NC 28213-5251
