By Natalie Simon
The 2024 SEMA Show is done and dusted, but that doesn't mean that we've come off the high yet.
There were so many events and networking opportunities that happened during the week and the SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN) had several touchpoints throughout the show.
North Hall featured the SBN booth, where members and guests could take some time to sit back, relax, charge their phones and get to know more about what SBN has to offer. If you didn't have the opportunity to visit, you missed out! But you still have the opportunity to become a part of SBN. Visit the SBN website, join our socials, and fill out a spotlight! Also, don't forget about the 2025 Women's Leadership Forum in Orlando, Florida, on March 11–13, 2025.
SBN hosted a lot of great events throughout the week at the SEMA Show:
"Empower Yourself: Harnessing the Potential of AI for Women in the Automotive and Specialty-Equipment Market, Powered by SBN" was a beginner's introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) in its many forms and reviewing how it could be tailored to your benefit. In this course, Lauren McCullough, CEO at Tromml, provided real-world experiences and interactive sessions and leaned into the tools that we have available to make AI for our industry and the work that we do!
On Tuesday evening, SBN hosted their reception, which provided a great networking opportunity for people inside and outside of SBN. We also awarded Rebeca Olavarrieta the #SheIsSEMA Woman of the Year Award – an award that is greatly cherished and sought after. Olavarrieta's dedication, leadership and hard work shine through her smile and all that she has done for SEMA and SBN. She's committed to excellence with everything that she does. Congratulations to Rebeca!
The "Network Effect" session, hosted by SBN, provided an area for women in the industry to network and connect with each other. This is always a great opportunity for anyone who attends--opening up paths and opportunities for career expansion, business idea flow and a good old-fashioned conversation.
Lastly, Gear-Up Girl is always an event that we look forward to! This girls-only event is for female automotive professionals to connect with other female students looking to get more involved in the industry--and provides another networking opportunity for professionals to share their words of wisdom, paths to success and any tips of the trade. Best of luck to all of the students who attended! We look forward to hearing from you and what tips and tricks worked for your journey.
We know that the 2025 SEMA Show will be here just as quickly as the 2024 Show passed--and we're all looking forward to another great year. Cheers to a fantastic finish to 2024 and we wish you a great 2025!