Registration Now Open for 2013 SEMA Confab

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has opened registration for the 2013 SEMA Show, set to take place Nov. 5-8 in Las Vegas.

“Preregistering online and obtaining approval well in advance of the show is the most efficient and most economical way to obtain credentials to the SEMA Show,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of events and communications, in a press release. “In addition to paying a lower cost, attendees are able to receive their badges in the mail before the SEMA Show so that they can hit the show floor running when they arrive.”

Those interested in exhibiting can register using the “Exhibitor” link on the SEMA Show registration page. Individuals will need to select their company name and have their SEMA password ready.

Buyer registration is available using the “Attendee” link on the registration page. The early registration deadline fee is $25.

Buyers who have been approved for previous SEMA Shows can expedite the registration process, SEMA said, by entering the email address that they last used to register. Past attendees who have forgotten what email address they used may call customer service at (866) 229-3687.

Registrants who have never been to the SEMA Show before can expedite the registration process by having proof of industry employment ready to upload, SEMA said.

Members of the media should register using the “Media” link on the registration page and may be required to submit proof of media status, regardless of attendance history, SEMA said.

SEMA Show Seeing Strong Exhibitor Interest

Nearly 2,000 exhibitors are confirmed to participate in the 2013 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show priority booth selection process taking place later this month. According to a press release, the number represents a 6% increase over the number of companies that participated in the process in 2012.

“With the increased commitment exhibitors are demonstrating earlier in the year, it’s apparent the SEMA Show provides unmatched brand-building visibility and sales exposure in one venue,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of events and communications, noting the show takes place Nov. 5-8 in Las Vegas.

Manufacturers exhibit at the event each year to showcase new automotive parts and accessories, and to connect with more than 60,000 buyers from throughout the world. Through programs and features such as the New Products Showcase, product demonstrations and sectionalized floorplan, exhibitors are able to connect with the most relevant buyers.

“The earlier a company signs up, the more likely they are to take part in all the added-value programs we have available,” MacGillivray said. “We’ve seen direct connections between the amount of planning a company does to the level of success they achieve.”

Nearly 70% of buyers visit the SEMA Show with a plan and identify the exhibitors they want to meet with in advance, according to a 2012 SEMA Show survey. The most influential factors that buyers reported as having an impact on their decision to visit an exhibitor were participation in the New Products Showcase, the Show directory listing, and pre-Show contact from an exhibitor.

Companies may still sign up to exhibit at the upcoming show at www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth. Attendee registration will be available from the site in early May.

 

CURT Mfg. Product Recognized at SEMA Show

Towing product supplier CURT Manufacturing LLC was awarded first place in the New Product Showcase Van/Pickup/SUV category for their new Easy Mount Electrical Brackets during the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas.

According to a press release, the award recognizes the most revolutionary automotive products being introduced to the market. Criteria for the award are based on superiority of innovation, technical achievement, quality and workmanship, and consumer appeal and marketability.

CURT’s Easy Mount Electrical Brackets provide a simple solution for dangling tow wiring. The brackets mount to a trailer hitch receiver tube with two stainless steel carriage bolts so only one wrench is needed for installation and no drilling is required.

These solid steel brackets won’t break like plastic products and their durable powder coat finish and stainless steel hardware stand up to rust. They are offered for 4- or 5-way flat plugs or in combo models that fit both 4- and 5-way flat and 6- or 7-way round plugs simultaneously. Options include all common trailer hitch receiver tube sizes.

 

SEMA Reports 2,000 Exhibitors for Vegas Show

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show priority space selection process concluded earlier this month, with nearly 2,000 exhibiting companies securing space for the upcoming event. The trade-only event will take place Oct. 30-Nov. 2 in Las Vegas.

“After the three-week space selection, we are more excited than ever for the upcoming SEMA show,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of events and communications, in a press release. “Exhibitors have great optimism for the show. They have made it clear that Las Vegas is the place they want to be in October and their plans are already well under way to showcase their newest innovations.”

The number of exhibitors in several segments has already surpassed the total number featured at last year’s show. Those sections include Hot Rod Alley, Racing & Performance, Restoration Marketplace and Wheels & Accessories.

Exhibitors will continue to sign up for the show up until the event takes place and new exhibitors will be added to the online floorplan as they are confirmed. Details about the 2012 SEMA Show, including information on how to attend and exhibit, are available at www.SEMAShow.com.

Registration for SEMA 2012 Show Now Available

Applications are now available to exhibit at the 2012 SEMA Show, the premier automotive trade event where manufacturers of specialty parts and accessories connect face-to-face with more than 60,000 quality buyers from throughout the world. The application, or Exhibitor Space Rental Agreement (ESRA), is available at www.semashow.com/buyabooth.

According to a press release, submissions are accepted any time before the event takes place Oct. 30-Nov. 2, but manufacturers who return their ESRA with a deposit by April 27 will “have greater opportunities to collaborate with show organizers and participate in the Priority Booth Selection Process.” The selection process is the first opportunity exhibitors have to select the actual location of their SEMA Show booth.

“The Priority Booth Selection Process is the best time for exhibitors to select their space at the show,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA director of trade shows. “We highly recommend that exhibitors take part in the space selection process and commit to participating in the SEMA Show as early as possible. This really gives exhibitors the time they need to plan and prepare for the upcoming show, and it allows for our staff to work with and assist as much as possible.”

To further assist exhibitors in obtaining the greatest return on their investment, the SEMA Exhibitor Education Summit is now open to all exhibitors and potential exhibitors to register. Taking place April 2-4 in Las Vegas, the summit is an intensive program designed to connect exhibitors with key individuals and provide participants with up-to-the-minute insights into the show. Complimentary hotel rooms for and meals at the summit are included. Certain conditions do apply and are explained at http://www.semashow.com/Exhibitor-Summit, or can be obtained from Casie Stock at cstock@convexx.com or 702/450-7662, ext. 109.

 

SEMA Show Suggests Aftermarket Still Healthy

Car manufacturers might still be struggling to emerge from the depths of the industry’s worst downturn since the Great Depression, but the so-called “aftermarket” is firing on all cylinders – perhaps in part because of the weak economy.

As reported by MSNBC, with American motorists forced to hang on to their cars longer than normal, they’re spending more on maintenance, and that’s a big portion of the estimated $30 billion in annual revenues generated by some 6,700 car parts manufacturers, distributors and retailers who make up the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

Car owners can shake off their boredom by dressing up their old car with some new features, perhaps some new alloy wheels, a custom grille, sports seats or even an entirely new, high-performance crate motor, like the one introduced by Chevrolet at this year’s SEMA trade show.

The annual event is a showcase of just about everything automotive — everything from air fresheners to wild (and sometimes wacky) concept vehicles.

Nearly 2,000 different exhibitors crammed into the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center last week to pitch their wares to more than 135,000 wide-eyed attendees from over 100 countries.

“It certainly demonstrates there’s a reason to be optimistic about the future of the auto industry,” said Peter McGillivray, the trade group’s vice president of marketing, as he stared out at one of the convention center’s crowded halls.

With one of the largest stands at the million-square-foot show, Chevrolet created a life-size “Hot Wheels” track to show off a custom Camaro painted in an eye-popping metallic green. Dubbed the “Chevy Hot Wheels Camaro Concept,” it’s currently a one-off for the annual automotive extravaganza, though executives of the carmaker hinted they could find a place for it in the growing Camaro line-up.

MSNBC reported that the Chevrolet display also featured a dozen different concepts based on its new Sonic subcompact — from the Sonic All Activity Vehicle, designed by racing great Ricky Carmichael, to the Sonic Boom, a prototype featuring two large subwoofers and 10 six-inch midrange speakers mounted in the rear hatch in a pair of turbine engine-like clusters.

The annual SEMA show was originally designed as a showcase for automotive suppliers and vendors, and sure enough there were plenty of exhibitors who’ve come up with a great idea, cobbled together a prototype in their garage and showed up hoping to sell some of their new widgets.

But automakers like Chevrolet have also ramped up their presence in recent years.

Chris Perry, Chevy’s vice president of marketing, suggests the show provides “a great canvas” to pitch its products to those who influence market trends. Indeed, SEMA’s McGillivray contends that the show and other organization events “can influence as (many) as one million vehicle purchases a year.”

The SEMA Show has evolved in other ways.

While performance parts — like fast-shifting gearboxes and supercharged motors — were the show’s original focus, there has also been what McGillivray calls a “mind-boggling” growth in the number of vendors showing off their mobile electronics gear.

That’s no surprise. With roads more crowded than ever, fuel prices hovering just below record levels and tough new mileage standards going into effect, motorists are looking for other ways to improve the performance of their cars.

Like completely updating a car’s interior.

“We’ll manufacture the interior in a day” and install it a day later, suggested Brooks Mayberry, the CEO of Katzkin — a SEMA member that produces customized replacement leather seats and finishes for more than 2,000 different vehicles.

The firm recently signed a deal with national dealer chain CarMax to offer both used and new car buyers the chance to upgrade their vehicles. And the company was at SEMA hoping to drum up even more business.

 

Progress Mfg.’s Jack Foot Recognized at SEMA

Provo, Utah-based Progress Manufacturing Inc. announced that out of more than 1,500 new products displayed at the 2011 SEMA show, the Fastway Flip automatic jack foot was picked as one of the Top 15 by Popular Mechanics.

The Fastway Flip is a trailer jack foot that automatically flips up and down as users retract and extend the jack. The Flip jack foot eliminates the hassles of storing and stacking wood blocks, or finding a place to store a removable extension. It puts itself away every time and requires no springs, cable or pins.

The Flip jack foot won the Popular Mechanics 2011 SEMA Editor’s Choice Award this year, and won Best New Van/Pickup/Sport-Utility Product by SEMA last year. The SEMA show, held annually in Las Vegas, is one of the largest automotive specialty products event in the world which attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders.

“It is a huge honor to receive this award, especially considering the other products that we were in competition with,” said Trevor Millar, Fastway sales account manager. “The Flip automatic jack foot won because of its simplicity. It is a product engineered to make life easier. This forward thinking and ingenuity is what Fastway Trailer Products is all about.”

 

2011 SEMA Show Kicks Offs Tuesday Morning

In a market that has countered the negative economic news reports of the past few months by continuing to post strong sales numbers, the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s 2011 SEMA Show, billed as the nation’s premier automotive specialty products trade event, runs tomorrow through Friday (Nov. 1-4) at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

With more than 2,000 exhibitors signed up early on, the show is expected to post about a 14% increase in exhibitors and a 42% hike in buyer registrations. At the same time, SEMA reports, housing nights were running about 100% ahead of last year. Those, SEMA points out, are the kind of numbers that should spell a real rebound to the pre-recessionary days of 2008.

As part of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIW), the trade-only event annually attracts more than 100,000 representatives of the automotive, truck and SUV and RV markets. Last year’s SEMA Show drew more than 50,000 domestic and international buyers.

The displays this year are in 12 sections, and a “New Products Showcase” features thousands of newly introduced parts, tools and components. At the same time, SEMA provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events and networking opportunities. Exhibit hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.

Again this year, SEMA will present a “SEMA Award” for the “Hottest Vehicles of the Show,” based on the number of times exhibitors use specific vehicle types for their displays as the cars they think are most likely to generate new business.

SEMA also plans to oversee for the third year an Opinion Leaders Program through which active, influential automotive enthusiasts are called upon to help industry professionals identify future trends by attending the show and providing first-hand feedback on products and vehicles that debut.

The 2010 program included 459 enthusiasts selected through a comprehensive application process, all of whom were invited to attend the second day of the SEMA Show. This year, the program is expected to attract more than 800 enthusiast participants. In addition to completing a pre-Show survey, they’re tasked with using social media to share their feedback on product, vehicles and trends.

Meanwhile, a 2011 Automotive Accessory Market Study produced by Foresight Marketing Research and SEMA Market Research is being offered to attending SEMA members as a free download. For additional information, visit www.semashow.com.

 

 

 

 

 

SEMA Show Drew Huge Throngs to Las Vegas

The SEMA Show, which ran from  Nov. 2-5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drew more than 110,000 trade-only attendees from 100 countries – well ahead of last year — to what is widely held as the “premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world.”

And the general atmosphere on the street, according to those walking those streets last week in Las Vegas in search of new business in the automotive, truck and SUV and RV markets represented by the sponsoring Specialty Equipment Market Association, is decidedy positive.

“This place has been humming,” says Terry Thompson, vice president of sales for Affinity Media/RV, which includes RVBusiness and RVBUSINESS.com as well as Trailer Life, MotorHome and Highways magazines. “The crowd’s are big and guys that we talk with are taking orders. As compared to last year and the year before that, they say it’s really been terrific.”

Adding to the draw of the 43-year-old SEMA Show, the leading venue bringing together manufacturers and buyers within the automotive specialty equipment industry, was the dual impact of AAPEX 2010 – Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo. AAPEX, a separate but overlapping convention organized by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, is located a shuttle bus drive away at the Sands Expo Center.

All things considered, it all made for a huge week in Las Vegas, a resort/convention destination that has taken some serious hits in the recession.

The massive SEMA Show’s displays – including a wide variety of companies that sell into the recreational vehicle market — were segmented into 12 sections while a “New Products Showcase” features thousands of newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events and networking opportunities.

Among the numerous RV industry-related exhibitors were Hopkins Mfg. Corp., Emporia, Kan.; Blue Ox, Pender Neb.; Aqua-Hot Heating Systems Inc., Fort Lupton, Colo.; CURT Mfg. Inc.. Eau Claire, Wis.; Roadmaster Inc., Vancouver, Wash.; Cequent Performance Products, Tekonsha, Mich., Livin’ Lite Recreational Vehicles LLC,  Wakarusa, Ind., and BD Diesel Performance, Sumas, Wash.

Livin’ Lite’s Jeep Camping Trailer, a photo of which is featured with this story, is a private-label, all-aluminum Jeep-branded popup — manufactured by Wakarusa, Ind.-based Livin’ Lite — that Chrysler Group LLC began marketing in August through its Mopar division.

“I’m real happy with it,” said Blue Ox President Jay Hesse of his experience as a SEMA exhibitor this year, having brought a staff of five. “In fact, we’re going to maybe expand our role next year. I’m just extremely pleased in the results, a lot of new prospects, a lot of people to close on.”

SEMA’s New Products Showcase Awards, presented earlier in the week at the New Products Awards Breakfast, which served as a kickoff just prior to the official opening of the show, recognizes the most cutting-edge automotive products either on the market or about to hit the market. This year, there were more than 2,000 new products, largely in the automotive performance arena, submitted for consideration.

Criteria that ranked high on the judges’ selection for the New Product Showcase Awards included superiority of innovation, technical achievement, quality and workmanship, consumer appeal and marketability.

The 2010 New Product Award Winners include:

Best Engineered New Product:

Winner: LOKAR Performance Products, Drive-by-Wire Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)

Runner Up: ISIS Power, ISIS inTOUCH Max Touch Screen System

Runner Up: QA1 Motorsports, Wireless Remote Adjust System

Best New Exterior Accessory Product:

Winner: Pro Comp/Smittybilt, M1 Truck Bumper

Runner Up: Stainless Showworks Inc., 2010-2011 Mustang V6 and GT Mirrored Polished Stainless Steel Engine Compartment Dress Up Kit

Runner Up: MBRP Inc., Mega Tips

Best New Interior Accessory Product:

Winner: Omix-Ada/Rugged Ridge, Rugged Ridge Interior Trim Kit for the 2007-2010 Jeep JK Wrangler

Runner Up: B&M Racing and Performance Products, Hurst HardDrive Stick

Runner Up: Spectre Performance, ProFab Door Panels

Best New Merchandising Display:

Winner: Directus, Prodigy One

Runner Up: Cobra Electronics, Cobra iRadar Detection System

Runner Up: Dynojet Research, Power Vision

Best New Mobile Electronics Product:

Winner: Directus, Prodigy One

Runner Up: Cobra Electronics, Cobra iRadar Detection System

Runner Up: Dynojet Research, Power Vision

Best New Off-Road/4-Wheel Drive Product:

Winner: Timbren Industries Inc., Axle-Less Trailer Suspension

Runner Up: Omix-Ada/Rugged Ridge, Tire Carrier Linkage for 1976-2011 Jeeps

Runner Up: Advance Adapters Inc., Deluxe TJ Cable Shifter

Best New Packaging Design:

Winner: Bubba Rope, Bubba Rope

Runner Up: Meguiar’s Inc., Brilliant Solutions Wheel Polishing Kit

Runner Up: AMP Research, AMP Research Bed X-Tender

Best New Performance-Racing Product:

Winner: COMP Performance Group, COMP Cams Phaser Adjustable Locks for the 2011 5.0L Mustang

Runner Up: Holley Performance Products, Holley LS3/L92 Hi-Ram Modular Intake Manifold System, Carb & EFI

Runner Up: BD Diesel Performance, Big Daddy Race Turbo/Diverter Valve

Best New Performance-Street Product:

Winner: McLeod Racing, Mustang Master Cylinder Retro Kit

Runner Up: Painless Performance Products, GM Gen IV Tach Driver

Runner Up: COMP Performance Group, TCI 6X Six-Speed Transmission Package for Ford, Chrysler and Pontiac Applications

Best New Powersports Product:

Winner: AMSOIL, AMSOIL Quickshot SE

Runner Up: Axia Alloys, Modular Roll Cage Clamping System

Runner Up: SSV Works, BM-175S/B

Best New Street Rod/Custom Car Product:

Winner: Dakota Digital Inc., VHX Hybrid Analog/Digital Instrument Systems, GM Tri-Five Applications

Runner Up: Billet Specialties Inc., Billet Deck Lid Hinge

Runner Up: Danchuk Manufacturing, 1957 Front One-Piece OE-style Bumper

Best New Tire and Related Product:

Winner: Continental Tire, Continental ProContact With EcoPlus Technology

Runner Up: Continental Tire, General Grabber

Runner Up: Coker Tire, Excelsior Stahl Sport

Best New Tools & Equipment Product:

Winner: AAC, The Filler Detective

Runner Up: TecMate North America, OptiMate 6-TM-181

Runner Up: Auto Meter Products, BVA-260

Best New Van/Pickup/Sport-Utility Product:

Winner: Fastway Trailer Products, Fastway Flip-Self-Retracting Jack Foot

Runner Up: Shin Shield, Shin Shield

Runner Up: RBP/Rolling Big Power-A Division of Lexani, RBP Logo Mud Flap

Best New Wheel and Related Product:

Winner: The Ultimate Wheel & Tire Plus Sizing Guide, Bolt Pattern Pro

Runner Up: Kyowa Designs/Concept One, Concept One Executive RS-55

Runner Up: IForged Performance Alloys/Forgestar Wheels, Forgestar CF5

Hummer Introduces H3T Sportsman at SEMA Show

In some news from the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Hummer has introduced a pair of concepts designed from the ground up for some good ol’ outdoor recreation—you know, the kind of thing Hummers were supposed to do to begin with, according to motorcrave.com. The H3 Moab throws an homage to the country’s most renowned off-road venue with a variety of mods and aftermarket parts including front- and rear-suspension modifications, 35-inch BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain KM2 tires, grille and roof basket lamps, winch and beefed-up body protection. The H3T Sportsman (shown at left) is positioned as “the ultimate outdoorsman’s truck” and has been given powertrain modifications, suspension enhancements and a variety of Hummer accessories and aftermarket components. Hummer doesn’t plan on producing either of these vehicles until  its sale to the Chinese is official.

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