Next
Issue Due Out 1/25/02 - Deadline For Materials 1/21/02
SEAMO Update
Season's Greetings from SEAMO! Our group continues to grow and evolve
every day. We've recently received membership applications or commitments
from more of the OEMs, and several more press members have also been
added. Hyundai has made a commitment to join General Motors and Toyota
in sponsoring the SEAMO website, so keep an eye out for our first few
site upgrades within the next few weeks. We still need a few more sponsors
to help cover the initial setup and 2001/2002 maintenance. Interested
OEMs, suppliers or vendors are encouraged to contact the site's
webmaster.
SEAMO member Elke Martin of has worked with her clients at Saab to arrange our first
holiday party, complete details are listed below. Many SEAMO
members were in attendance at both the Miami Auto Show and the SEMA/APAA Show
in Las Vegas, look for some of their reports elsewhere in this issue.
There are plans to start work on
a member directory after the first of the year, so to make sure your contact information will be included.
SEAMO's
First Holiday Party
Saab has graciously agreed to host the First Annual SEAMO Holiday Party.
Anyone working in the automotive media and public relations industry
in the Southeast is welcome to attend. The party will be an open house
reception at Saab Headquarters, which is located at 4405-A International
Blvd., Norcross, Georgia, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on December 14. () Come check out some of Saab's vintage car collection and
meet your colleagues for refreshments and conversation. Depending on
the response, we may try to arrange for shuttle transportation for those
who are interested. Please RSVP to Tom
Kelley ASAP!
OEM
Welcome
American Honda recently signed on as the latest OEM member of SEAMO.
John Watts handles
the Southeast region of the U.S. from New York City, covering press
fleet scheduling and media inquiries for both the Honda and Acura brands.
The company's press website at
requires a password to access hi-res photos and other features.
Member
Profile - Jim Scoutten - Car and Driver Television
Jim Scoutten says his current work, hosting and producing , is best described as Special Interest Broadcast
Journalism, reporting the news from the automotive industry, using the
same journalistic techniques he developed working for 15 years in Television
News.
Scoutten honed his reporting skills
in broadcast news, starting in All News Radio while still in broadcasting
school; then came TV News, starting as weekend anchor for the ABC affiliate
in Honolulu. He's been a Reporter, Anchor, Producer and News Director,
while working for stations in Minneapolis, Honolulu, Phoenix, Seattle,
Greater Houston, and Savannah, GA.
All of that before switching to Special
Interest Reporting, producing automotive television shows that continue now
as Car and Driver Television. In 1993 Scoutten added the duties of producer
and host of American Shooter, the only sport shooting and firearms enthusiast
series seen nationwide. Scoutten says the change was like a print reporter switching
from newspapers to magazines, "Now I get to report on what interests me,
instead of covering the City Council."
"We use the same techniques
as news reporters and photographers", Scoutten says, "We go to a new
vehicle event, or to an international auto show, to see and drive the newest
vehicles and bring back the video tape to tell the story. We cover what we think
is interesting to enthusiast drivers and that's easy to figure out, because
that's what we are."
Scoutten has produced shows on automotive
news, new vehicles and classic cars for TNN for the past 11 years. For the past
four seasons, he has produced Car and Driver TV, working closely the Csaba Csere,
Editor-in-Chief of Car and Driver Magazine. Under Scoutten's direction, Car
and Driver Television has won five International Automotive Media Awards for
excellence in broadcast reporting.
Jim and his wife Johnnie live on
5 acres of woods in Franklin, Tennessee with sons John and Mike and stepson
Michael. He says the names do get confusing.
Member
Profile - Alex Fedorak - A&M Specialists
Alex Fedorak has been a member of the automotive PR community since
1991 when he was asked to transfer from his then position of National
Technical Training Manager at Subaru to join the company's public relations
staff. Fedorak's career has been a circuitous one that has contributed
to not only a deep technical background but one also rooted in a creative
type of management style he now practices as executive vice president
at , Inc.
"Learning this business as a mechanic
has given me a deep appreciation for the skills today's technicians possess
as well as the knowledge that a company's core strength lies in its frontline
people," said Fedorak. "My experience in PR started with attending vehicle launches
for Subaru in the role of a technician. From there I was invited to give technical
briefings, which led to my invitation to join the PR staff as Subaru's Product
PR Manager." A Philadelphia
area-native, Fedorak attended college at Widener University and went on to manage
and own several import repair businesses before joining American Motors as a
District Service Manager. He left AMC in 1984, as a Technical Instructor, to
join Subaru as their National Technical Training Manger and eventually headed
up that department prior to joining PR.
In March of 2000, Fedorak decided
he wanted a chance to blend his technical and public relations skills with creative
management and joined the A&M team. After nearly two years at A&M, Fedorak is
spearheading a new operating system for the company, designed to change the
nature of the press fleet business.
"We call the system iTRAK. It is
modeled after the banking industry's systems and is designed to manage vehicles
instead of money," said Fedorak. An international software development firm
was hired to write the code to A&M specifications. This same company writes
software code for banks in Europe and Asia. Being launched as this as this is
written, iTRAK has already amazed clients and journalists alike. The key to
iTRAK is information and that information is available to clients at previously
unobtainable levels and in real time, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
week.
Journalists benefit from iTRAK software
by having a means to keep track of all their vehicles in one place - even non-A&M-controlled
vehicles. Additional information like the Monroney label, loan details, technical
information and much more is stored with the loan and available to the journalist
to examine once the vehicle is booked, and up to twelve months after the test
drive. "It's been both challenging
and fun to be involved with a creative shift in thinking how press fleets should
be managed for our customers. Having been a client of A&M for nearly ten years,
I have first-hand knowledge of what's needed and why. iTRAK delivers on those
needs in spades" states Fedorak.
SEAMO
Members Among Recipients of 2001 International Automotive Media Awards
Entries from SEAMO members Dan Scanlan, Jim Scoutten and Marc Stengel
were among those honored at the 2001 International Automotive Media
Award program held recently in Las Vegas, Nevada. The (IAMC), a function of the
International Society for Vehicle Preservation, is a program of meetings
and awards the purpose of which is to recognize and encourage excellence
in all forms of automotive media.
Judging is by peers, to a
standard; entries may earn up to 100 points. IAMA (International Automotive
Media Awards) Bronze (85-91), silver (92-96) and gold (97-100) medallions
are presented for those works so qualified; from among the highest-point
gold awards are chosen the Best of Divisions and Best of Conference.
IAMC thanks its sponsors, Meguiar's, Inc., MINI-USA and SEMA; and its
supporters, Advanstar MVG, AZTEX Corp., and zMAX, for helping make the
program possible. For more information visit http://www.iamc-isvp.org
on the web, or contact: Elaine Jordan at 520-622-2201.
SEAMO Member Recipients of IAMA Gold,
Silver and Bronze Medallions of Excellence for 2001
Newspaper
Writing
Feature Article
in the , Bronze to Marc Stengel
Column: regularly published piece , in the , Gold to Marc Stengel
Collector Vehicle(s) , in , Bronze to Dan Scanlan
Introduction of New Model(s) , in the , Silver to Marc Stengel
Magazine Writing
Features
The Richter Treatment, in , Silver to Marc Stengel
Column: regularly published piece Webside, in , Bronze to Marc Stengel
Home
Video/Television
History:
Single Marque
Classic Model Ts, on , Gold to Jim Scoutten
Callaway
and Land Rover Debut Powerful SEMA Concept
SEAMO member Elke Martin of filed this report from SEMA regarding a concept
vehicle debut by her clients at Callaway Cars.
The Land Rover Freelander is just
going on sale in the U.S., but the company isn't resting on its laurels. Land
Rover recently teamed up with the performance engineering magicians at Callaway
to showcase what could well become a future limited edition of the Freelander.
The result--a brilliant blue Callaway Freelander debuted at SEMA on October
29. The concept vehicle meshes Land Rover's legendary off-road capability with
extraordinary street performance, and features such Callaway enhancements as
a custom-developed 250-bhp supercharcharged powerplant, which could put the
Freelander's performance into the 7.7 second range for 0 to 60 mph.
Custom chassis and suspension refinement--the
Callaway Freelander sits a full two inches lower than the production version--and
a Paul Deutschman designed exterior all combine for a powerful package. Deutschman,
based in Montreal, is Callaway's long-time design partner and is responsible
for such aerodynamic executions as the Callaway C12 super sports car.
The entire Callaway Freelander concept
project was completed in just over six weeks, from design through CNC machining,
body panel fabrication and initial testing. Callaway Advanced Technology, the
engineering unit based in Connecticut, is involved in a number of other OEM
projects--including a new 480-hp engine concept recently debuted by Holden Special
Vehicles at the Sydney Motor Show. Look for more Callaway OEM news later this
year--the company is having its best year on record.
South Florida International Auto
Show Report Positive Outcome In Spite Of Travel Slowdown & Weather Troubles
The 31st annual , which ended its 10-day run at the Miami
Beach Convention Center on Sunday, November 4, announced an attendance
of 634,576 persons, down only slightly from last year's attendance of
642,710.
"Even though we had a slight
dip in attendance from last year I think we had a great turnout," said
Jim Arrigo, president of the South Florida Auto-Truck Dealers Association, the
group that presents this annual event. "We had a record breaking opening
weekend and I think we would have seen similar numbers our closing weekend except
for the threat of a hurricane Michelle."
The annual exhibition, considered
among the nation's top auto shows, featured the North American debut of Hyundai's
new Tiburon 2 + 2 coupe and the introduction of the Pontiac Vibe, a new model
that mixes SUV, wagon and hatchback. Dodge unveiled the re-styled Ram pickup
and Saab showcased three new models of its flagship 9-5 sedan.
The show also included the introduction
of Latinos On Wheels, a new monthly publication that features auto-related lifestyle
trends, contributions of Latinos to the auto industry, automotive products,
personnel and related industry highlights. Mitsubishi's "Pass the Key"
program in conjunction with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) was also introduced.
"The timing was perfect for
many people," said Ken Page, auto show chairman. "The zero interest
and other sales incentives offered by car makers this fall have put lots of
folks in the driver's seat. Our shows lets them examine hundreds of models under
one roof. And they have fun doing it. We hope it will keep sales strong through
year end."
The South Florida International Auto
Show is produced by the South Florida Auto-Truck Dealers Association, which
comprises 220 dealerships in Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties.
The 32nd annual South Florida International Auto Show is scheduled for November
8 - 17, 2002 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. For additional information
on next year's event, contact Show Coordinator Cliff Ray at 305-947-5950.
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 1/25/02 - Deadline For Materials 1/21/02
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
