By Amanda Gubbins
Feature vehicles provide exhibitors the ability to highlight products and upgrades on cars and trucks positioned in designated areas away from the company’s SEMA Show booth. With eye-popping colors, unique style and unmatched innovations, feature vehicles are a visual marketing tool to help generate an organic appeal for an exhibitor’s products.
The deadline to apply for a feature vehicle at the 2016 SEMA Show is August 1. This year’s deadline is several weeks earlier than it has been in the past, so be sure to mark your calendar if you are planning a feature vehicle as part of your exhibit experience at the Show. The earlier date is designed to allow exhibitors ample time to choose the best car to represent their brand at the Show and promote its appearance appropriately.
All feature vehicles must be approved and paid for by qualified exhibiting companies. Criteria for placement is based on how the exhibiting company’s products are showcased on the vehicle, whether the car has been featured in the SEMA Show previously, how complete the vehicle build is, and to what degree the vehicle captures all elements of the specialty-equipment market.
 With eye-popping colors, unique style and unmatched innovations, feature vehicles are a visual marketing tool to help generate an organic appeal for an exhibitor’s products. |
“We are making improvements to the feature vehicle program that puts brand control solely into the hands of our exhibitors. The program is really designed to be an extension of your booth space. Show buyers and the media alike have indicated that they spend time looking at the cars and that it is a valuable feature for seeing new innovation and spotting trends. This earlier deadline will give us time to include these vehicles in our pre-Show marketing and provide added value to improve the overall Show experience for everyone involved,” explained SEMA Trade Shows Director Tom Gattuso.
Each qualified exhibiting company is guaranteed placement for one feature vehicle. Additional vehicles will be prioritized by the exhibitors, using an electronic form that will be provided by SEMA Show management after August 1. Exhibitors will be notified as to the confirmation status of their feature vehicles on August 19.
“With this being the 50th SEMA Show, we expect the quality of feature vehicle submissions to be the best we’ve ever had,” said Gattuso. “We’re looking forward to a great showcase of cars and trucks in November.”
Complete details about feature vehicle registration are available in the SEMA Show Exhibitor Services Manual.
Questions about the process can be directed to Brendan Gillespie; brendang@sema.org, 909-978-6661.