Was there any literature about “the aftermarket/motorsports industry generated $XX of economic activity this year”?
Photograph courtesy SEMA
If you’re reading this, there’s a decent chance you’re standing in the Las Vegas Convention Center, smack dab in the middle of the SEMA Show. And if you’re at SEMA, there’s a decent chance you’re absolutely overwhelmed. And your feet hurt. Thanks for carrying around a copy of our magazine.
[SEMA and PRI 2025: We’ll see you there]
I’ve been to too many SEMAs at this point, so they’ve become as routine as any other trade show in my book. Just like a dentist shopping for a new chair, a concrete company looking at trucks, or a power utility shopping for the hot new pole design (seriously), I go to SEMA to find new products, meet with existing customers, and put deals together. It’s work.
You know what doesn’t help any of those goals? Some 160,000 random people without any industry connection, not buying or selling anything, clogging up the convention center, making Ubers too expensive and spilling beer on the booths.
It’s become standard fare at every SEMA to complain about the crowds that make us late for every meeting and take valuable time away from those of us actually working. Whining is by far the most common icebreaker in any SEMA meeting, and its crowds seem bigger every year.
So it’s time for me to come clean and admit that I’m part of the problem. Last year, I was chatting with my friend Mitch about my schedule and mentioned that I was busy the first week of November. His reaction was instant: “OMG, are you going to SEMA?!”
“Uh, yeah, I have to go every year.”
“Wow … someday I hope I get to see it.”
“Uh, you know I could get you tickets with a few clicks, right?”
Just like that, Mitch and his wife, Maisha, were officially industry insiders with tickets to SEMA. I told them I’d be too busy to act as a tour guide, but they should wear comfortable shoes, try to stay out of the way, and enjoy the week in Vegas. I figured they’d call if they got themselves into too much trouble.
Then, well, I went to work: managing editorial coverage across our team, running between meetings across every hall, eating $20 convention center sandwiches, and occasionally checking my phone. Mixed in with 200 notifications for meetings, meals and magazines were photos of Mitch with his free hoodie, Maisha participating in a paint protection film competition, and both of them posing with a WRX just like theirs. Huh, I guess that’s what a SEMA vacation looks like.
True to their word, they did stay out of my way–so far out of the way, in fact, that I didn’t even see them until day three. That’s when Mitch and Maisha came lumbering up to our booth, backpacks overflowing and arms full, all with the free swag they’d been accumulating as they walked the show.
They looked exhausted, but rather than complain, they just launched into frantic explanations of what they’d done. Every new hall, every cool product, every free sticker, and definitely every free T-shirt wasn’t just a point on the board, but another proof point that SEMA was the coolest place on earth for car enthusiasts.
They were rattling off booths, products and people I’d missed myself, and they were doing it with a level of enthusiasm that made me rethink those “random people” clogging up SEMA’s halls.
It’s no secret that our industry suffers from gatekeeping and a ridiculously high barrier to entry, and SEMA is one of the few places where thousands of hopeful participants can get up close and personal with both the cars and the decision makers that are hiring the next generation.
Look at it this way: Those dentists would be over the moon if hundreds of thousands of random people dreamed of having their job, wanted to come to their convention, and were willing to lie, cheat and steal their way through the doors. Sure, the crowds can be annoying, but they’re an asset that’s somewhat unique to our world–and they’ll be the reason it continues thriving years into the future.
Besides, Mitch and Maisha are actually working in the industry, anyway. They had to be to get approved, which is why we hired them to disassemble our booth at the end of the show. And disassemble it they did, still rattling off all the cool stuff they’d seen along the way. As we labeled our pallets and packed our bags for the long walk back to the hotel, they only had one question: “Can we come back next year!?”
“Sure, why not? The more the merrier at SEMA.”
Was there any literature about “the aftermarket/motorsports industry generated $XX of economic activity this year”?
Random thoughts:
1. As I started to read the sentence “Just like a dentist shopping for a new chair,” my mind fast-forwarded to “Just like a dentist shopping for a new wife….” I guess that’s because I know a dentist who is on trophy wife #4 (I think). The guy burns through wives and Big Mercedes-Benz’ like I eat popcorn.
2. You describe SEMA as many local Austinites describe South by Southwest. Used to be much more for the industry to network and check out new, unsigned bands or new movie directors, etc. Then people like Prince started showing up as did Big Hollywood. Just wasn’t the same. But the evolution made it much more profitable for the owners and adjacent industries such as hotels and restaurants so it’s not all bad.
3. Yogi Berra said it best: “Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.” 
4. Thanks for the report. It’s good to remember that it is a working trade show.
I’m going back for the first time in a few years with some specific goals. I am not looking forward to all the random tourists that got in because they had a buddy in the industry. I’m having to educate a first-time colleague about how long it really takes to move around so we can plan.
Can we just have a car show for the tourists?They’re not interested in the guys who make custom lug nuts or shock absorbers, they want to see flashy cars and get stickers. Surely we can separate the two shows. Maybe let the tourists free rein of the outdoor parking and the stunt shows but you need real credentials to get into the halls.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
The trade show for real industry is PRI :). I miss going to that...
In reply to WonkoTheSane :
I think a greater proportion of our vendors are at SEMA, and it’s a good opportunity for emissions-related research and discussions. I had one meeting at SEMA a few years back that had a huge effect on our company. We’ve done PRI as well but it’s never been as impactful.
Either that or we sent the wrong people :)
My dad used to complain about how overcrowded SEMA was in the 1990s and, because of the crowds, refused to take me when I was getting into cars.
I cannot imagine how he would view it now!
In reply to Keith Tanner :
There’s a Candy Trade Show in Chicago that had sample problems so they made a change. You can eat a sample in the booth but you can’t take any with you.
Who doesn’t want to take home candy?
You got a ticket for the Candy room. All the vendors donated product to one location down the hall off the main floor.
You were given a small paper bag and can fill it with all you want but nothing in your pockets or backpack. That helped with crowds - maybe a similar sticker or chachki room would get people flowing better in the aisles.
Great piece, Tom.
I won my way into SEMA via Optima Ultimate Street Car. Was a goal for a couple of seasons -- built a car for it.
While I spent much of my show time in the side alley where all the Optima cars were on display, my favorite time each day was walking the show floor before and after hours. With a vendor pass, which is what we received from Optima, you can get in early and stay late. So I could make strategic strikes to every display I wanted to see. And often, there'd be booth workers either setting up for the day or winding down -- with a much better attitude than during show-crush times.
Sure, I coulda just asked for a GRM pass. But this gave me a goal with a clear vision for a season or two. And it was a "career" highlight to get there and experience the show plus the competition.
My SEMA ticket:
I go there to work and meet customers. Plus, of course, a stop at the GRM booth. Now that they've started selling general admission tickets to Friday SEMA-Fest, I can't imagine how awful that day is for those in the booths. Happy to be done Thursday night and out on Friday. Sort of like Dream Cruise week, every parking lot within miles is an impromptu show. You could easily go as a tourist without a pass and have plenty to see for a couple of days.
I worked tradeshows for so many years. As a marketer, I was in early for setup, stayed late for tear down, and spent the week sweating the details of dinners and events. I was happy when shows began to decilne and I could stop doing them. Then, after COVID and years of not doing shows, I started to miss them. Not the hours and hours on my feet, but the face-to-face interactions, desgining booths, hosting clients, and seeing all the great exhibits. I am glad SEMA is doing well, I hope trade shows don't go the way of newspapers and record albums.
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