2009 SEMA Show Preview

SEMA News - September 2009

New Programs and Updates Added to Help Attendees Walk Away With the Best That the Show has to Offer

Every year, buyers flock to the SEMA Show for what is a virtual playground of the best and latest in new products and technology. To ensure that attendees optimize the value of the annual Show, SEMA is offering its own best and latest in new programs and resources.

New Products Showcase

One of the staple features of the SEMA Show, the New Products Showcase highlights the industry’s most recent innovations in performance, function and style. The Showcase featured nearly 2,000 newly introduced parts, tools and components at the 2008 Show.

For the 2009 Show, the Showcase is moving to a larger and more prominent location, nearly double the size of its previous footprint in the Grand Lobby area of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Showcase will be newly positioned in the upper South Hall in front of the Trucks, SUV & Off-Road and Powersports & Utility Vehicles sections.

As in the previous year, buyers will be provided with scanners that read a bar code associated with each product. Buyers will receive a customized printout of the products they swipe and will also receive a post-Show e-mail containing additional product information. Exclusive this year, the product display cases will be redesigned to improve scanning reliability.

The New Products Showcase featured approximately 2,00 newly introduced parts, tools and components at the 2008 SEMA Show. This year the Showcase will be held in a space nearly double the size it occupied the previous year.

The New Products Showcase will open at 8:00 a.m., prior to Show hours. View photos and new products from the 2008 SEMA Show.

Read SEMA eNews, the association’s electronic newsletter, for developing information about the New Products Showcase. Sign up for your copy of SEMA eNews.

Online Matchmaking Service

Jobber/retailers who are registered for the 2009 SEMA Show will be able to effectively and efficiently connect with exhibitors before, during and after the Show through the use of an online matchmaking service. The program will make it easier to identify prospective business partners by linking buyers’ product interests with exhibitors’ products. The tool also facilitates scheduling meetings in advance of the Show, providing a platform where individuals can communicate with one another.

“The online matchmaking program is a valuable tool for SEMA Show exhibitors and buyers who want to optimize the use of their time and make their Show experience as productive as possible,” said Gary Vigil, SEMA trade shows director.

Paint, Body & Equipment and Powersports & Utility Vehicles Sections

A new feature for the 2009 Show includes the addition of a Powersports & Utility Vehicles section. Designated for scooters, ATVs, motorcycles, pocket bikes, mini-bikes, golf carts, two- and three-wheel personal vehicles, accessories and services, the section is sure to attract a new segment of qualified buyers.

The Show will also feature a new Paint, Body & Equipment section to create additional opportunities for specialty-equipment and aftermarket companies. Located in the North Hall, this new section will highlight manufacturers of vehicle paint, prep stations, paint booths, body work, frame machines, spray guns and safety/filtration/breathing apparatus. It will also include related accessories, equipment, systems, coating/refinishing products, services and publications.

At the 2008 SEMA Show, more than 3,700 buyers were registered as paint/body repair/reconditioning/restoration buyers. Another 3,600+ with related interests were registered as body and collision parts buyers. “Locating the new section between the Tools & Equipment and Restyling & Car Care Accessories sections in the North Hall makes perfect sense with all of the related products from the three sections providing savvy buyers with additional sales and profit opportunities,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events.

Education Days

The SEMA Show provides a unique platform where jobber/retailers can meet one-on-one with the industry's leading and upcoming manufacturers all in one location.

There will be more than 50 education sessions to provide attendees with exclusive insights and educational tools to survive the current tough economy and to thrive when it recovers. The education sessions will be held in the North Hall Meeting Rooms at the Las Vegas Convention Center on November 2–5, 2009. Registration is free for all Show attendees.

Check out the complete Education Days schedule and a description of each session.

The new updates and additions to the 2009 SEMA Show have been designed to help jobber/retailers maximize the many resources that are available to them.

“Nowhere else are buyers able to meet with so many manufacturers and talk with principal owners in one location and at one time,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. “Since the SEMA Show first began in 1967, it has been the single best place to find what’s new and hot in the market. Those who are there will have a huge advantage and be well positioned for when the economy turns around.”