Avnet Express' Drive for Innovation, Powered by UBM Electronics, to Participate at the Road America American Le Mans Series

PHOENIX and SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Avnet Express Chevrolet Volt continues on its cross-country journey on the Drive for Innovation, it's making a pit-stop at the Road America American Le Mans Series. Powered by UBM Electronics, a UBM company, the Drive for Innovation is a multi-faceted campaign celebrating innovation in electronics engineering. Sponsored by Avnet Express, the e-Commerce engine for Avnet Electronics Marketing, an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year – General Motors' Chevrolet Volt will be featured in the parade lap on August 18 - 20, 2011, in Elkhart Lake, WI.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110808/SF48801)

The 12-year-old American Le Mans series is one of racing's premier events in North America. The racing series was the first in North America to be recognized by federal regulators and the Society of Automotive Engineers as a "green" racing series, making it an ideal venue to showcase the Chevrolet Volt. At the Road America American Le Mans Series, the Drive for Innovation Chevrolet Volt will drive a parade lap along the historic speedway. With a hospitality tent located at Turn 5, visitors will also be invited to view the car, as well as take a ride or even drive the car themselves. UBM Electronics is a daily source of essential business and technical information for the electronics industry's decision makers. Brian Fuller, editorial director, EE Times' EE Life community, for UBM Electronics, will break down all engineering aspects of the event, through engineer interviews in the pit, highlighting the electronics that go into racing, and showcasing the type of electronics used to monitor the cars as they go around the track and more. To read Fuller's blog, visit: http://www.driveforinnovation.com/category/on-the-road

As the e-Commerce engine for Avnet Electronics Marketing, Avnet Express gives design engineers and purchasing professionals access to the world's largest catalog of electronic component products, which tops 5 million parts. Avnet Express offers parametric searching capabilities and the ability to upload a bill of materials (BOM) for easier sourcing of products and a consistent global platform of localized content. The site can be accessed in nine languages and 13 currencies.

"The Road America American Le Mans Series is the most revered track in North America," said Fuller. "The American Le Mans raceway was designed to focus on the ability of a car company to build a fast machine that would encourage innovation, reliable and fuel-efficient vehicles.  Learning about the technologies used to create many of the fastest cars in the world will be fascinating."

"World-class race teams and many of the greatest drivers in the world participate at the American Le Mans Series, pushing the limits of automotive innovation and technology," said Beth Ely, senior vice president of Avnet Express. "Avnet, and our more than 300 suppliers, are focused on innovation in all industries – including racing. The American Le Mans Series is the ultimate on-track research and development laboratory and Avnet is proud to show our support of this event."

Check www.driveforinnovation.com for upcoming locations and sign up to follow the stories and request the Volt to pull into your town or city for a visit.  Upcoming stops on the "Drive for Innovation" Road Trip will include:

• Wisconsin
• Pennsylvania
• Massachusetts
• and more

To learn more about Avnet Express, visit avnetexpress.com.  To follow the "Drive for Innovation" and the Chevy Volt travel across the United States, visit www.driveforinnovation.com.  Follow the "Drive for Innovation" on Facebook and Twitter.

About Avnet Electronics Marketing
Avnet Electronics Marketing is an operating group of Phoenix-based Avnet, Inc. that serves electronic original equipment manufacturers (EOEMs) and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers in more than 70 countries, distributing electronic components from leading manufacturers and providing associated design-chain and supply-chain services. The group's website is located at www.em.avnet.com.

About Avnet, Inc.
Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology serving customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. Avnet accelerates its partners' success by connecting the world's leading technology suppliers with a broad base of more than 100,000 customers by providing cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended July 3, 2010, Avnet generated revenue of $19.16 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.  

About UBM Electronics  
UBM Electronics is the global leader in media and marketing solutions for the electronics industry.   UBM Electronics delivers results for the key influencers and decision makers involved in the design, development and commercialization of technology through its market leading brands, peer communities and professional education services.   More than 2.2 million engineering professionals engage with UBM Electronics brands which include EE Times, EDN, EDN China, EDN Asia, EDN Japan, Design News and Test & Measurement World, TechOnline, Designlines and Embedded.com across the globe to accelerate technology sales. The international electronics community gathers at UBM Electronics market leading events such as the Embedded Systems Conferences, DesignCon and ARM Technology Conference to share, learn, discuss, and advance the critical issues and challenges facing the electronics industry. Additionally, UBM Electronics provides end-to-end services ranging from next-generation marketing, integrated media, custom solutions and research.  UBM Electronics is part of UBM (UBM.L) a global provider of media and information services for professional B2B communities and markets.

About UBM LLC
UBM LLC is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

For more information on UBM Electronics please contact:
Felicia Hamerman, Vice President, Marketing
T: 516.562.5652, E: felicia.hamerman@ubm.com

For more information on Avnet Express please contact:
Bethany Helvie, Senior Marketing Communications Specialist, Avnet Electronics Marketing
T:  480.643.7183, E: bethany.helvie@avnet.com

SOURCE UBM Electronics