The 2020 ARMO Hot Product Showcase has joined the group of nearly every automotive gathering scheduled for April and May, and has been cancelled…at least in its “physical” form. That’s right, ARMO select committee and SEMA Staff are researching options to conduct the Showcase in a virtual format, complete with New Product Awards in five categories. The annual event provides ARMO member companies opportunity for product exposure in front of some 100,000+ attendees at Spring Carlisle, one of the largest and premier restoration industry events of the year. Member companies need only get their product(s) to the event and SEMA staff and ARMO volunteers take care of everything else. Product is unpacked and staged inside the Showcase tent with information signage for each. A professional photographer captures each product in high res macro photos that are later displayed online and available for the participating companies to use in their own marketing. New Product Awards are voted on by Spring Carlisle attendees in five categories and when the event is over, staff and volunteers carefully repack the products for return shipping. While the physical event will not happen in 2020, details on a virtual Hot Product Showcase will be coming soon. The virtual event should happen in the second half of the summer and will offer participating companies opportunity for exposure and New Product Awards. Organizers envision that voting will be done online by the very consumers and builders who use the parts, much like how Spring Carlisle attendees would vote for the awards in person. While working on logistics with SEMA staff, ARMO Chairperson Tray Smith of H&H Classic Parts has a simple message. “Be safe, be careful and wash your hands!”
