SEMA Show organizers are hosting a “boot-camp”-style training event to help exhibitors plan and get maximum return on investment at the 2022 SEMA Show. Called the SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, the two-and-a-half-day event takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, includes hotel accommodations and meals, and is free to register.

The SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, held July 26–28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will show exhibitors how to maximize their 2022 SEMA Show investment.

The SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit has taken place annually since 2010 and gives exhibitors hands-on, personal connections with both SEMA staff and event-support partners.

“We know that exhibitors invest a great deal to participate in the SEMA Show, and we do everything we can to help exhibitors maximize that investment,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “By connecting in Las Vegas months before the trade show takes place, we’re able to focus and work with exhibitors right as they are in the critical part of their booth-planning process.”

Exhibitors learn how to attract buyers to their booths, ways to save on booth expenses, what journalists look for while at the Show and how to connect with buyers in their market segments. Exhibitors are also able to meet with show organizers, industry colleagues, support partners and others involved in their successful participation in the Show, including with an assigned account representative who works with them throughout the year, in person during the Exhibitor Summit.

“We’re available to help exhibitors all year long, but it’s rare that we have an opportunity to connect in person and meet face-to-face,” said Gattuso. “The SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit is a great chance for us to establish a deeper relationship. We appreciate the opportunity to meet with exhibitors and better understand their goals and how SEMA can play a part in their efforts.”

Participation, which is limited to two representatives per exhibiting company with maximum of about 200 for the entire event, includes free hotel rooms, networking functions, and meals throughout the event. Show organizers host the event to help exhibitors succeed for years to come.

To learn more about the 2022 SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit taking place July 26–28 in Las Vegas, visit www.semashow.com/exhibitor-summit.

  Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show, the premier gathering for the automotive specialty-equipment industry, is now open at www.semashow.com/register.

Taking place November 1–4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the 2022 SEMA Show will build upon the positive momentum following last year’s event, which successfully connected the $47.8 billion industry in person in what was the largest automotive trade show in North America since the pandemic shut everything down in 2020.

“The SEMA Show is where industry professionals go to grow existing relationships, create new ones, and push their businesses forward,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “Exhibitors are eager to showcase their products and services to the tens of thousands of qualified professionals in attendance.”

Anticipation for this year's SEMA Show ramped up in recent weeks as exhibitors selected their booth locations during Priority Space Selection, a weeks-long process that took place May 2–18.

“Enthusiasm for the 2022 Show continues to exceed last year’s, with more than 1 million sq. ft. of exhibitor space already committed for the 2022 SEMA Show and confirmed spaces running 25% above last year,” said Warren Kosikov, SEMA vice president of sales.

Attendees at the 2022 SEMA Show will learn about the latest products, trends and technology in the industry from manufacturers exhibiting throughout the entire Las Vegas Convention Center, including the surrounding parking lots. Educational seminars led by industry experts and networking events that bring market niches together will also be available during the four-day trade event.

“Our industry continues to thrive despite current challenges in the marketplace, and last year’s event proved that the value of conducting business and networking face-to-face can never be replaced,” said Gattuso. “Our mission is to help continue that momentum by providing an unparalleled experience that builds meaningful business relationships.”

Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show is offered in three categories—attendee, exhibitor and media—and everyone must qualify to attend. Attendees are encouraged to register early at www.semashow.com/register so they can secure their credentials and receive updates on breaking news from the 2022 SEMA Show.

Attendees are encouraged to check the floorplan to see where the companies they need to interact with will be located at the 2022 SEMA Show.

For more information about qualifying documents and the 2022 SEMA Show, log on to www.semashow.com.

Spy photographers recently captured shots of the Ford Escape ST-line completely undisguised testing in Dearborn . The ST gains a thin light bar connecting the headlamps across the front, similar to F-150 Lightning, but the Escape will likely keep its current ICE, Hybrid and PHEV engine lineup.

It appears that Ford is trying to further counter-balance the rugged looks of Bronco Sport with an even more urban and upscale version of Escape for city dwellers.

An official debut is expected by the end of Q3, with production starting by November.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

The deadline to update exhibitor information for the printed 2022 SEMA Show Directory is August 19. The first of four emails was sent to exhibitors on Wednesday, June 29, allowing updates to their directory listing for both the online and print versions.

The SEMA Show Directory is one of the strongest tools buyers use to learn about exhibiting companies and their products. In addition, more than two-thirds of Show buyers say the directory is a useful tool for navigating the Show.

Click here for more information about updating your SEMA Show Directory listing, or contact Maurice O’Connell at mauriceo@sema.org or 909-978-6660 if you do not receive an email to update your directory listing.

Click here for a complete listing of 2022 SEMA Show deadlines.

  Each year, the SEMA Show displays hundreds of vehicles throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center as part of the Show’s Feature Vehicle Program.

All vehicles on display are sponsored by an exhibiting company allowing manufacturers to expand their footprint at the SEMA Show beyond their booth.

All vehicles on display are sponsored by an exhibiting company allowing manufacturers to expand their footprint at the SEMA Show beyond their booth.

Each vehicle accepted will also be featured in the SEMA Show app displaying; vehicle image, make, model, year, color, products used as part of the build, builder’s name and the name and booth number of the sponsoring exhibiting company.  

When completing the Feature Vehicle application, you may also select the option of having your vehicle enrolled for consideration in the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition. “SEMA Battle of the Builders” is judged by industry experts and presented to individuals who have demonstrated extreme talent, creativity and craftsmanship in modifying cars, trucks and SUVs.

Submit your Feature Vehicle Application by the July 29 deadline.  

For any additional questions on submitting your Feature Vehicle application contact Maurice O’Connell at mauriceo@sema.org.

Click here for a complete list of SEMA Show deadlines.

  By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Awards Gala returns to Anaheim, California, July 29, to honor industry leaders and volunteers, and celebrate the newest members of the SEMA Hall of Fame. The gala is open to the industry. Tickets for the event are available at www.sema.org/gala.

The prestigious SEMA Awards Gala will return to Anaheim, California, on July 29, to honor industry leaders and SEMA Hall of Fame inductees.

“The SEMA Awards Gala is a great opportunity for the industry to come together at mid-year to connect in person and have meaningful conversations in an intimate setting,” said SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola.

Among those to be honored at this year’s Gala are incoming and outgoing board members, and 2022 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees Walker Evans, Jack Roush and “Gene” Winfield.

“Gene” Winfield, Jack Roush and Walker Evans.

The SEMA Cares Pinewood Drags, a cherished Gala tradition, will also return to offer industry participants the chance to sponsor a child-built pinewood racecar or challenge industry colleagues in head-to-head competition.

The races, which are run throughout the Friday reception and into the evening, support the fundraising of SEMA Cares.

Tickets for he gala are available at www.sema.org/gala.

Immediately following the gala, there is a private SEMA PAC reception scheduled. For more information, contact Samantha Large at samanthal@sema.org or 202-796-2252.

By SEMA Editors

Dates and locations have been scheduled for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, measuring sessions and activities.

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest jobs posted to the website.

Latest Jobs Added to SEMA Career Center

High Performance Engine Assembler
Group-A Engineering

Group-A Engineering is looking for a high-performance engine assembler to work on high-profile projects in Norco, California. Applicants must be mature, experienced and versatile—able to switch from project to project. Also, the ability to work on everything such as various engines and vehicles both import and domestic. You must be an individual who takes pride and is accountable for your work.

Modification Expert (Sales)
Modbargains

The ideal candidate for this position must possess great verbal and written communication abilities. This person will need to work in a team environment, and have the ability to interact with clients with a positive attitude. Candidate must have great familiarity with the aftermarket car scene and the enthusiast community. Examples of knowledge you will need is wheel and tire fitment, benefits of performance products such as intakes, exhausts, ECU software and other important details about making vehicles better.

Powertrain Calibration Engineer
Edelbrock Group

The powertrain calibration engineer will tune engine and drivetrain, software and hardware parameters to optimize performance and emissions. This position involves the utilization of software calibration tools to tune engine and transmission controllers for performance, emissions and OBD-II. The powertrain calibration engineer will utilize engine and chassis dynamometers for emissions and performance upgrades.

  Exhibitors of the 2022 SEMA Show are invited to expand their reach, product exposure and Show-floor presence by offering products to builders through the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders list. The list connects manufacturers with builders looking to create or complete a vehicle project.

The list, which will be updated in SEMA eNews, features product offers and contact information provided by confirmed SEMA Show exhibitors. Builders interested in obtaining a product use the information to contact exhibitors directly. With each project vehicle required to be supported by a current 2022 SEMA Show exhibitor, all product-placement decisions, negotiations and agreements are the responsibility of the exhibiting manufacturer and the builder.

The list is open to exhibitors of the 2022 SEMA Show only. To be included in the list, complete the form.

Exhibitors: Each submission will appear on a first-come, first-served basis. As participation increases, all submissions will also be archived on www.SEMAShow.com.

Note: For verification purposes, the Project-Vehicle Builders form must be used to participate in the program; email submissions will not be included in the list. Participation in the list does not guarantee product or vehicle placement at the 2022 SEMA Show.

View the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders list.

  SEMA News—August 2022

LEGISLATIVE AND TECHNICAL AFFAIRS

VIN Controversy Spurs Action in State Legislatures

Restorers Rejoice as New Laws Protect Against Prosecution

By Shauna Morrison

Imagine finally getting your hands on your coveted dream car only to have the state seize it as “contraband,” with the intention to destroy it. Photo: Shutterstock.com

Everyone from the biggest car enthusiast to your average Joe has a dream car. You know: the car. The car you fantasized about since you were 16. The one that you gawk at on the street or at car shows. The car that you spend years saving for. The car that, when you see it, your heart races and you get butterflies in your stomach.

Imagine finally getting your hands on your coveted dream car only to have the state seize it as “contraband,” with the intending to destroy it. Well, such was the nightmare case for one Kansas enthusiast.

Richard Martinez spent decades looking for his dream car—a red and white ’59 Corvette convertible with a hard top—and finally found it at a dealership in Merrillville, Indiana, in 2017. He bought it for $50,000 and brought it back to Kansas to register, expecting to drive his prized car on the streets in no time. The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) had other ideas.

KHP seized the Corvette as “contraband” at a routine state inspection when the inspectors found new rivets on the dashboard VIN plate, suggesting that the VIN plate had been removed. In fact, it had been removed years earlier during the car’s
restoration process and then reinstalled.

According to Kansas state law at the time, police were required to seize and destroy any car on which the VIN “has been destroyed, removed, altered or defaced.” Although KHP declared Martinez innocent of any wrongdoing and found that nothing was removed from the vehicle with nefarious intent, his car was still slated for the crusher.

Current Illinois law states that vehicles are not considered contraband if the owner is unaware that the manufacturer’s VIN has been removed, altered, defaced, falsified or destroyed. Photo courtesy: S. Candide/Shutterstock.com

Under the law, there was no exception for a car lawfully purchased by someone who had no reason to be aware of its VIN issues. Martinez filed a lawsuit in the hopes of saving his dream car, which had been sitting in an impound lot in Topeka, Kansas, since its seizure.

SEMA learned of Martinez’s problem in late 2021 and immediately enlisted the help of a committed ally in the Kansas State legislature: Rep. Leo Delperdang. As SEMA’s 2021 recipient of the Stephen B. McDonald Lawmaker of the Year award, Rep. Delperdang has a proven history of pro-hobby advocacy, championing an effort to ease restrictions on vintage vehicles eligible for antique registration. Eager to prevent what happened to Richard Martinez from happening to any citizen of Kansas, Rep. Delperdang introduced H.B. 2594.

The Kansas House and Senate unanimously passed the bill, and Governor Laura Kelly signed it into law this spring. The new law ensures that restorers do not face prosecution for removing a vehicle’s identification number during the restoration process. It clarifies that a VIN may be removed from an antique vehicle “if the removal and reinstallation are reasonably necessary for repair or restoration unless the person knows or has reason to know that the antique vehicle is stolen.”

Kansas was not the only state to tackle this issue in the 2022 legislative session. Arizona passed SEMA-supported legislation to allow full restoration of pre-’81 vehicles, including temporary removal of the VIN when necessary.

The new law allows for the removal and reinstallation of a VIN if the vehicle was manufactured before ’81 and if the removal and reinstallation is reasonably necessary for repair or restoration. Before Governor Doug Ducey signed the bill into law, enthusiasts in Arizona who intentionally removed or altered a VIN—regardless of reason or vehicle model year—were guilty of a felony.

The biggest opponent of VIN removal exceptions for restorers is law enforcement. Some argue that VIN-tampering laws aid law enforcement in their ability to catch car thieves and deter thefts. They believe that laws like the ones passed in Kansas and Arizona could allow the states to become havens for stolen cars and chop shops. While this claim is a valid concern, wary citizens can rest assured that police will still be able to enforce existing VIN-tampering laws against bad actors.

The laws passed in Arizona and Kansas seek to narrow the scope of VIN tampering by adding clarifications to similar laws that are already in place. The new laws protect classic-car restorers and owners by creating an exemption that allows them to bring their dream cars back to their full glory.

Other states have tried to enact less severe VIN-tampering laws. Colorado statutes declare as contraband any vehicle that has its identification number removed, defaced or altered. The state then grants the person from whom the property was seized a post-seizure hearing to plead his or her case, giving them the chance to prove their ownership.

Richard Martinez spent decades looking for his dream car—a red and white ’59 Corvette convertible with a hard top—and finally found it at a dealership in Merrillville, Indiana, in 2017. He bought it for $50,000 and brought it back to Kansas to register, expecting to drive his prized car on the streets in no time. The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) had other ideas. Photo: Steve Lagreca/Shutterstock.com

Illinois changed its laws in response to a court case where the circumstances were quite similar to Martinez’s. In 1979, Allison Bridegroom purchased a brand-new ’79 Pontiac Grand Prix, unaware that the VIN number on the vehicle was a false identification number that belonged to a car registered in Texas. Under Illinois law at the time, the vehicle was to be seized and sold by the state. Bridegroom filed a lawsuit that ended up at the Illinois Supreme Court, where it was determined that Bridegroom was innocent of wrongdoing and that seizing his car violated his right to due process.

This incident sparked Illinois to amend the law to leave an exemption for owners who were unaware of any VIN tampering on the vehicle. Current Illinois law states that vehicles are not considered contraband if the owner is unaware that the manufacturer’s VIN has been removed, altered, defaced, falsified or destroyed. This prevents the state from taking the vehicle and allows rightful owners to keep their prized cars.

While Colorado and Illinois laws are friendlier than those in other states and prevent innocent owners from getting caught up in the system, they do not go as far as they need to. Every restorer should have the right to thoroughly restore a vehicle into award-winning condition without fear of being prosecuted for tampering with
a VIN.

SEMA’s government affairs team is working to ensure that right nationwide to prevent what happened in Kansas from happening anywhere else. This is just one example of how SEMA stays on top of emerging issues and is at the forefront of protecting the automotive hobby.