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IAMC, Buick, SEMA Awards Banquet - A 200% Success

25 November 1999

IAMC, Buick, SEMA Awards Banquet - A 200% Success

    LAS VEGAS, Nov. 24 -- Attendance doubled at the ninth
International Automotive Media Conference (IAMC) early this month, and entries
for the distinguished Moto Awards(R) were up 31 percent.
    Walter R. Haessner, director, attributed much of the increase to the
conference becoming an official prelude to the renowned SEMA Show at the Las
Vegas Convention Center, and to an ever-increasing number of major sponsors.
    The conference's Moto Awards recognize the best in all forms of automotive
media: magazines, newspapers, video, television, radio, newsletters, public
relations, books, photography, art and design.
    Charles R. Blum, president of SEMA, opened the Buick- and SEMA-sponsored
banquet with an invitation for all to attend press day the following morning.
Keynote speaker was Michael E. Doble, manager of specialty vehicles for Buick
Motor Division.  He gave graphic views of what's in the future for Buick as
well as a visual ride through Buick's design history.
    A highlight of the evening was a standing ovation for Leon Mandel,
vice-president/publisher of AutoWeek magazine, who received the Recognition of
Lifetime Achievement Award.  David E. Davis, Jr., editor/publications director
of Automobile Magazine, last year's recipient, made the presentation.  Davis
entertained the audience with his not-always-reverential introduction of his
former associate.
    Mandel offered a glimpse into his past as a car salesman, writer, author
and publisher, and a comment or two aimed at Davis.
    McKeel Hagerty presented Hagerty Classic Insurance-sponsored Landmark
Awards for enduring works created 20 or more years ago.
    The Moto Awards, sponsored by the Imperial Palace Antique & Classic Auto
Collection for first place recipients, as well as IAMA Silver and Bronze
medals came next.  Judging is by peers to a prescribed standard, which
sometimes results in more than one Moto in a category and sometimes, no award.
Nine of 10 possible Best of Divisions were awarded.  Top honors for 1999, the
International Automotive Media Award for Best of Conference, was presented to
"America on the Road" radio program.  The award was accepted jointly by the
four man team responsible for the program: Co-hosts Mike Anson and Jack Nerad,
producer Ed Yelin, and marketing man Al Herskovitz.
    Sponsors for the event are Buick Motor Division, Hagerty Classic
Insurance, Imperial Palace Antique & Classic Auto Collection, Lincoln,
Meguiar's and Mercedes-Benz USA, Motorsports Legends and, of course, SEMA
(Specialty Equipment Market Association).  The conference is conducted by the
non-profit International Society for Vehicle Preservation of Tucson, Ariz.
    "The conference's purpose is to provide a forum to recognize excellence in
automotive media, encourage media proficiency and obtain public recognition to
automotive media contributions to the all important automotive segment of our
society," said director Haessner.

    NOTE:  Specific news releases on Recognition of Lifetime Achievement (Leon
Mandel), Best of Conference (America on the Road), Best of Division and
Landmark Awards (Hagerty) and other background are on the web at
http://www.iamc-isvp.org/root/iamc.html.