When you ask most SEMA Members what value they receive from the association, the conversation usually goes straight to the SEMA and PRI trade shows. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing as it speaks to the success of those events, it doesn’t fully reflect the true mission of the association which is….
SEMA will help our members’ businesses succeed and prosper. Our members are the producers and marketers of specialty-equipment products and services for the automotive aftermarket.
We Will Do This By:
Proactive leadership in our industry to help it expand domestically and worldwide. Delivering programs, activities and information in response to the ongoing and emerging needs of our members. Emphasizing education to help members focus on and achieve acceptable world-class quality standards. Legislative and regulatory advocacy. Producing the industry’s leading trade show.
SEMA provides a vast amount of day-to-day member resources that “can” and “do” make a tangible difference in the success of member companies. Unfortunately not enough members take advantage of these resources and that is troubling to me. I believe this lack of engagement can be traced back to a few shortcomings:
- Poor communication from the association to the members.
- Programs that may not “hit the mark” for member needs.
- Members that are too busy to understand the potential value.
In my experience, most SEMA members simply don’t know enough about their association. The reasons for this are varied but very correctable. Working in conjunction with the dedicated and talented staff, I believe you will see SEMA become a more member-focused association in the months ahead and the membership will respond with a higher engagement/activation rate.
Throughout my recent Board of Directors re-election campaign, I was surprised with how few members had ever read the bylaws that govern SEMA. With this in mind, I am making the official SEMA bylaws available here as it is a matter of public record that should be readily available to all members. If members have any questions or concerns about these bylaws, I would encourage them to contact me or any of my fellow Board of Directors to discuss the situation. After all, the Board is there to represent and execute the wishes of the membership – we want and need input.
Chris Douglas 