SEAMO Update
Although from outward appearances, it might seem like things
have been a bit quiet lately, but behind the scenes, we're
getting several events lined up for SEAMO over the next
few months. And while it seems like only yesterday that
we finished the 2003 directory and shipped it out, it's
already time again to open advertising sales for the 2004
directory, which will begin distribution at the Miami Auto
Show in early November.
I'd be remiss
if I didn't recognize all the great help we've already had
with our new Directors: Ron Beasley, Susan Childress, Tom
Crosby, Michael Cohn, John Harper and Sage Marie. These
folks are doing wonders to help build the group's momentum,
and will be a key part of taking SEAMO to the next level.
On the subject
of Directors, congrat's are due to our At-Large Director
Michael Cohn and his wife Jennifer, on the birth of their
first son, Daniel Elliot Cohn, born on June 3, 2003. Delivered
about three months premature, little Daniel weighs in at
just a little over 2 pounds, but after just a few days,
he is already off the respirator and breathing room air,
in true fighting form. In what will seem like no time at
all, Mike will have to start sharing his wrenches, hammers
and (gasp) the keys to the Jeep!
But seriously,
as with any premature delivery, both mother and son will
need your thoughts and best wishes for the next few months.
If you'd like to send along a card or anything, Mike is
listed in the SEAMO directory, or you can contact admin@southeastautomedia.org
for his mailing info.
While we have
a great bunch of people already signed up as SEAMO members,
there are still plenty of automotive journalists and supplier
PR staffers that we need to recruit. If you know somebody
that should be a part of our group, twist their arm and
get them signed up.
I'll apologize
now for the fact that the rest of this issue will look more
like a calendar than a newsletter, but like I said, we've
been busy working behind the scenes on several events, so
now it's time to get the word out.
South
Florida Region Update
South Florida Director Ron Beasley has been working with
Toyota's Bill Ussery on several upcoming events, here are
the details:
SCION
Please join us for the May/June South East Automotive Media
Organization (SEAMO) luncheon on Friday, June 13, 12-2:30
pm, at the Green Street Cafe in Coconut Grove, 3468 Main
Highway, when we will host the Florida premiere of the new
Scion by Toyota for a mini-ride-and-drive and a presentation
by the number two man in the Scion organization. The Scion
makes its debut before the California press in Los Angeles
a week earlier and we will be the first state to have an
up-close-and-personal look at this exciting new vehicle.
Bill Bolan, Scion's
national strategic planning manager, will fly in from LA
and Toyota's CALTY Design Center in Los Angeles to discuss
this new concept in automobiles, one aimed at today's Generation
Y. Parking is difficult in Coconut Grove, so we have arranged
for complimentary parking in the lot immediately adjacent
to the Green Street Cafe on Commodore Plaza. This luncheon
is being sponsored by Toyota and the new Scion. We look
forward to seeing you there, either as a member of SEAMO
or as a member of the South Florida press, and promise an
exciting program. Please RSVP before Noon, June 11, to 305-662-2277,
ext. 261.
SOLARA
Tentatively set for July 15th at Nemo's on South Beach,
Toyota will host both a lunch and a mini ride/drive event
featuring the Solara.
LX470,
GX470 & RX330
Tentatively set for August 19th at the Key Biscayne Ritz
Carlton, the Lexus SUV trio will be on hand for that month's
luncheon meeting and another mini ride/drive.
Other events
on the SoFla agenda include the September lunch (9/16 -
location TBD) hosted by Marcello Serrato of the Prestige
Group, and the October lunch, being held a week earlier
than usual (10/14 - location TBD), sponsored by Continental
Teves, whose representatives will be on hand to discuss
the latest in Stability Control technology.
Right around
the corner in November are the Press Days (11/6-7) for the
South Florida International Auto Show in Miami Beach. If
all goes according to plan, a Thursday evening SEAMO reception
at the convention center will also be the venue for a student
design award ceremony. Details are still being worked out,
so stay tuned. In addition to press conferences on Thursday
and Friday, there will also be a media lunch on Friday,
with a special guest speaker.
For further details
or to RSVP for any of the South Florida events, contact
Ron Beasley at xjron@aol.com
via e-mail.
Georgia
Region Update
Our director for the Georgia region, Susan Childress of
Scottie Media, has asked us to pass along a SEAMO welcome
to Philip Mauney, who now heads up a company-owned facility
covering the Southeast region for Specialty Transport. Philip
had previously worked with SEAMO member Elke Martin of Brandware
PR, as well as with Susan when she was with Porsche. Specialty
now handles the Southeast press fleets for Audi, Isuzu,
Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Volkswagen.
With the exception
of a July vacation break, the Georgia region lunches are
held every third Wednesday of each month, at the Rio Bravo
restaurant on Ashford Dunwoody Rd. in Dunwoody. The venue
is at exit 29 off I-285, near Perimeter Mall. As with Miami,
the October lunch (10/15) will be hosted by Continental
Teves, and will feature a Stability Control presentation.
Contact Susan at ScottieMedia@cs.com
for details or to RSVP for any of the Atlanta events.
Although we haven't
worked out the track details yet, the second annual SEAMO
Holiday Ride & Drive is set for December 4th and 5th
at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Georgia. A dinner reception
will be held Thursday (12/4) evening, at the Chateau's Legends
Clubhouse, followed by an all-day ride/drive event at and
around the Road Atlanta racing facility on Friday. We have
reserved a block of reduced-rate rooms for those who will
be traveling from out of town. Several manufacturers have
already planned to bring the best and newest from their
press fleet, so the event is sure to be great again this
year. We'll be sending out more information on this event
as it becomes available. Stay tuned!
Just so you know
how far in advance some of our programs need to be planned,
we're already working out the schedule for press activities
at the 2004 Atlanta Journal-Constitution International Auto
Show. As of press time, the opening of events at the show
will begin with the Dealer Preview on the evening of Tuesday,
March 9th, with press conferences to be held the following
morning, continuing until the show opens to the public after
lunch on Wednesday, March 10th.
We're still working
on the details for the time and location of the Concept
Vehicle Award ceremony, but the move to Wednesday morning
for the press conferences should avoid the troubles we encountered
with the rigging and construction crews this year.
Carolinas
Region Update
Tom Crosby of AAA, has also been quite busy getting events
planned for those of us in the Northern extremes of the
SEAMO territory. Tom is currently working with John Schilling
of Nissan to combine the June and July lunches into a mini
ride/drive event featuring Nissan's new Quest and 350Z convertible.
The event will be held in the Research Triangle Park area
near Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday July 1st (location
TBD).
As with the other
regions, the October lunch (10/16 - location TBD) for the
Carolinas region will be hosted by Continental Teves and
will feature their Stability Control presentation. That
still leaves the lunches for August (8/21) and September
(9/18) open for hosting and presentations. For details or
to RSVP for any of the Carolinas region events, contact
Tom Crosby at tcrosby@aaaqa.com
via e-mail.
2004
SEAMO Directory
As mentioned earlier, it's that time of year again, we're
beginning to work on the 2004 SEAMO Membership Directory.
Advertising renewal invoices will be going out shortly.
Those who commit to a renewal or new ad, and get their payments
turned in by July 15th will be eligible for an early-bird
rate of $300 per page. The rate for later insertion orders
will be $350.00 per page for the 2004 edition.
As for member
listings, if you've been waiting to join, now's the time,
because the cutoff date for being included in the 2004 directory
is August 15th, 2003. We'll be sending out data update forms
to existing members in early July, which will also need
to be returned by August 15th for us to include any updated
contact info in the directory.
Summer
Break
With all of the travel on everybody's summer schedule, we'll
hold off the next issue of SEAMO News until September. Check
the Events page at www.southeastautomedia.org for updates
and details on the lunches as the information becomes available.
And remember, with school out for the summer, it's now more
important than ever to drive safe. Have a great summer!
The
Lighter Side . . . Of Philosophy
A man was walking down the street when he was accosted by
a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless man who
asked him for a couple of dollars for dinner.
The man took
out his wallet, extracted two dollars and asked, "If
I give you this money, will you buy some beer with it instead?"
"No, I stopped drinking years ago," the homeless
man said.
"Will you
use it to gamble instead of buying food?" the man asked.
"No, I don't gamble," the homeless man said. "I
need everything I can get just to stay alive."
"Will you
spend the money on greens fees at a golf course instead
of food?" the man asked. "Are you NUTS!"
replied the homeless man. "I haven't played golf in
20 years!"
"Well,"
said the man, "I'm not going to give you two dollars.
Instead, I'm going to take you home for a terrific dinner
cooked by my wife."
The homeless
man was astounded. "Won't your wife be furious with
you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell
pretty bad."
The man replied,
"Hey, man, that's okay! I just want her to see what
a man looks like who's given up beer, gambling, and golf!"
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.
Send
your comments, complaints, newsletter submissions or mailing
list updates to:
South
East Automotive Media Organization
4429 Back Creek Church Road
Charlotte, NC 28213-5251
