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 …
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.
Keith Tanner said:I am not looking forward to all the random tourists that got in because they had a buddy in the industry.
Make it like Studio 54 in the day. . . . or getting a paper McMaster-Carr catalog in the similar time frame. . . .
I've been to SEMA both as a vendor (associated with, anyhow) and as a buyer. Also, a SEMA member which means you can escape the madness to the SEMA Lounge. Being able to get in early is a lot nicer.
Here's my 2015 SEMA ticket. Fun fact, I cut those stripes by hand to suit the car. And now you can buy knockoffs on Etsy. I'll post some other pics of past SEMA cars we were involved in later - most of them were on the Mazda stand in the early 2000s.
Datsun240ZGuy said:In reply to Keith Tanner :
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.
Experienced vendors know not to put many stickers out for the first half hour. There's a tidal wave of people that comes running through the show sweeping up every sticker that's loose. I assume they all get sold on eBay as "sticker packs" or something.
The Zoomster. 2001. TVs everywhere was the style. And check that yellow window tint! We supplied turbo power.
2002, the Blazing Miata. Lots of carbon thanks to DG Motorsports. Suspension, exhaust, brakes and power from FM. We had 4 Mazda corporate show cars with FM turbo power that year.
2003? A turbo Protege. I wish I could find my own pics of this thing. Lots of carbon (DGM), one of our turbo kits and AWR built it. Lots of trick fab work underneath.
Oh man, I'd forgotten there were boats in that room...
I read that RAM has a sport truck concept at SEMA called the Dude, which is a recycled name from a trim option that was offered back in 1970. That truck had Don Knotts as the unlikely spokesman. Maybe the name worked okay when the truck was a Dodge, but RAM Dude sounds like a sex toy. 
In the 1971 International had a trim package on the pick up trucks called " Johnnie Reb " Red hood and roof, sliver lower.
Keith Tanner said: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 :)
That makes sense for you guys, since a large % of your product is the end user.
We sold cylinder head porting & block machining equipment and found that SEMA wasn't our target audience..
In reply to WonkoTheSane :
We don’t go to sell to the public or raise awareness of our stuff other than taking part in the occasional legit build*. We go to talk to our suppliers and see the new stuff we can sell or find new manufacturers. PRI should be a good match for the last, but we’ve always had better results from SEMA visits.
* we get inundated with “will you sponser my SEMA build??” requests a lot. Most are garbage. If it’s gonna be in the parking lot, nope. In a booth? Maybe we can talk. In the main hall? I’m interested.
I've been thinking of going to one of the trade shows if I can grow my new business venture a little more. The project is making stock-ish replacement electronics for muscle cars and other things from that era. I've been to PRI and this doesn't quite seem like a set of PRI products. Would these be a better fit for SEMA or AAPEX? I haven't gone to either of those.
SEMA. That’s bang in the target.
From what I can tell, AAPEX is aimed at working shops. It’s full of bodywork and paint suppliers. Might be a good place to sell cylinder head machines :)
I m eligible to attend but have no real desire to go.
If I went for work, I'd have to work.
If I went to eyeball the goodies, I'd just be in the way.
Keith Tanner said:SEMA. That’s bang in the target.
From what I can tell, AAPEX is aimed at working shops. It’s full of bodywork and paint suppliers. Might be a good place to sell cylinder head machines :)
Thanks, I wasn't sure how the items I'm working on would fit with SEMA. So it sounds like that would be worthwhile if I have a few more products and budget.
I went 25 years ago and it was crowded then. I was amazed at how large the show was and I didn't even walk through the domestic stuff. I was wearing my GRM t shirt and walked past Tim, he saw it and commented. We had a nice conversation, which made my day.
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