By SEMA Editors
 The Australia Business Development Conference includes a turn-key booth; meetings with pre-vetted buyers; visiting retailers, distributors and installers of performance, styling and off-road products; attending a briefing with the U.S. Department of Commerce; and a session with New Zealander and Australian print and TV enthusiast media. |
Join SEMA for the Australia Business Development Conference, May 23–27, 2017, in Melbourne. The “GearHeads Down Under” program includes a turn-key booth at the 2017 SEMA Australia program attended by pre-vetted buyers; visiting retailers, distributors and installers of performance, styling and off-road products; attending a briefing with the U.S. Department of Commerce; and a session with New Zealander and Australian print and TV enthusiast media. Federal and state grants are available to defray the costs, which include a turnkey booth, four nights’ hotel and meals, for qualified attendees.
Six reasons to consider participating:
- A well-established, passionate car culture. Australians and New Zealanders are diehard enthusiasts. It is not farfetched to estimate that consumers in these two markets spend more per capita than Americans do.
- On a per-capita basis, Australia is one of the world’s 20 richest countries. Unemployment remains low, and Australia hasn’t had a recession in more than 24 years.
- The Australian and New Zealand specialty market covers all of the niches found in the United States. This includes off-roading, street performance, racing, styling, classic/vintage and car care.
- Positive perception of U.S. products. The United States enjoys a strong reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality, well-engineered automotive aftermarket and specialty products. Thanks to a free-trade agreement between the United States and Australia, U.S. products enter the market duty free. Australia is also an important market for U.S.-built vehicles. Australia imported 42,000 vehicles from the United States in the first eight months of last year, making it the sixth highest destination for U.S.-built vehicles.
- Half of the vehicles sold annually in Australia are SUVs and pickups (or "utes" as they call them).
- New Ford Mustang sales are hot. Rumor has it there more hot rodders in Australia than anywhere else in the world.
Register now! For more information, contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org or visit www.sema.org/australia/exhibitor.