By SEMA Editors

West Coast Customs returns to the 2016 SEMA Show with the West Coast Customs Academy Experience, featuring hands-on training from West Coast Customs experts.

West Coast Customs (WCC) returns to the 2016 SEMA Show with the West Coast Customs Academy Experience (WCCAE), featuring hands-on training from West Coast Customs experts, which will replicate the curriculum being taught at the all-new West Coast Customs Academy opening in Burbank, California, in 2017.

West Coast Customs Founder and CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus has announced that the 2016 WCCAE will be powered by BMW, and feature master classes in five premier vehicle customization categories, including audio and video; interiors; paint and graphics; wrap and tint; and wheels, suspension and accessories. Class participants are doing hands-on work to vehicles that move through each instructional area, with four distinctive BMW customized cars completed and presented at the end of the four-day SEMA Show.

The WCCAE will take place Tuesday–Friday, November 1–4, at the 10,000-sq.-ft. West Coast Customs Academy booth, located in the new Performance Pavilion, outside, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, just south of the South Hall.

According to WCC CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus, “We are very happy to be back at SEMA again, and so excited to have the West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW this year. SEMA is such an important show for us, and now an even more important platform for us to be able to debut the West Coast Customs Academy. I have been building custom cars from the ground up for the past 27 years, and I have found that finding great talent is sometimes difficult, especially with many high schools not providing wood shop or automotive classes anymore. It is unfortunate, but I feel that high-quality, hand-craftsmanship work is a dying art form. I would like to help bridge that gap, give back to my community, bring in younger generations and build new talent at the West Coast Customs Academy.”

Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events had this to say about the new West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW: “The interactive West Coast Customs Academy Experience has been a favorite among SEMA Show buyers for many years, offering up amazing opportunities to get high-quality, professional training from some of the best and most talented installers in the industry. We’re excited to see what Ryan Friedlinghaus and the all-new West Coast Customs Academy has in store for potential students. We encourage all Showgoers to add the West Coast Customs Academy Experience to their list of must-see attractions.”

SEMA participants may sign up for WCCAE 2016 classes now at: www.westcoastcustomsacademy.com. The West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW also features daily meet and greets and autograph signings with Friedlinghaus and the WCC crew, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m., and vehicle paint demos and live entertainment.

West Coast Customs updates daily live from SEMA on Twitter (@officialWCC), Facebook (westcoastcustoms), Instagram (westcoastcustoms), along with surprise behind-the-scenes video content. Check the #WCCAEpoweredbyBMW.

Industry professionals can register to attend the SEMA Show at www.semashow.com/register.

By SEMA Editors

West Coast Customs returns to the 2016 SEMA Show with the West Coast Customs Academy Experience, featuring hands-on training from West Coast Customs experts.

West Coast Customs (WCC) returns to the 2016 SEMA Show with the West Coast Customs Academy Experience (WCCAE), featuring hands-on training from West Coast Customs experts, which will replicate the curriculum being taught at the all-new West Coast Customs Academy opening in Burbank, California, in 2017.

West Coast Customs Founder and CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus has announced that the 2016 WCCAE will be powered by BMW, and feature master classes in five premier vehicle customization categories, including audio and video; interiors; paint and graphics; wrap and tint; and wheels, suspension and accessories. Class participants are doing hands-on work to vehicles that move through each instructional area, with four distinctive BMW customized cars completed and presented at the end of the four-day SEMA Show.

The WCCAE will take place Tuesday–Friday, November 1–4, at the 10,000-sq.-ft. West Coast Customs Academy booth, located in the new Performance Pavilion, outside, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, just south of the South Hall.

According to WCC CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus, “We are very happy to be back at SEMA again, and so excited to have the West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW this year. SEMA is such an important show for us, and now an even more important platform for us to be able to debut the West Coast Customs Academy. I have been building custom cars from the ground up for the past 27 years, and I have found that finding great talent is sometimes difficult, especially with many high schools not providing wood shop or automotive classes anymore. It is unfortunate, but I feel that high-quality, hand-craftsmanship work is a dying art form. I would like to help bridge that gap, give back to my community, bring in younger generations and build new talent at the West Coast Customs Academy.”

Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events had this to say about the new West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW: “The interactive West Coast Customs Academy Experience has been a favorite among SEMA Show buyers for many years, offering up amazing opportunities to get high-quality, professional training from some of the best and most talented installers in the industry. We’re excited to see what Ryan Friedlinghaus and the all-new West Coast Customs Academy has in store for potential students. We encourage all Showgoers to add the West Coast Customs Academy Experience to their list of must-see attractions.”

SEMA participants may sign up for WCCAE 2016 classes now at: www.westcoastcustomsacademy.com. The West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW also features daily meet and greets and autograph signings with Friedlinghaus and the WCC crew, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m., and vehicle paint demos and live entertainment.

West Coast Customs updates daily live from SEMA on Twitter (@officialWCC), Facebook (westcoastcustoms), Instagram (westcoastcustoms), along with surprise behind-the-scenes video content. Check the #WCCAEpoweredbyBMW.

Industry professionals can register to attend the SEMA Show at www.semashow.com/register.

By SEMA Editors

West Coast Customs returns to the 2016 SEMA Show with the West Coast Customs Academy Experience, featuring hands-on training from West Coast Customs experts.

West Coast Customs (WCC) returns to the 2016 SEMA Show with the West Coast Customs Academy Experience (WCCAE), featuring hands-on training from West Coast Customs experts, which will replicate the curriculum being taught at the all-new West Coast Customs Academy opening in Burbank, California, in 2017.

West Coast Customs Founder and CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus has announced that the 2016 WCCAE will be powered by BMW, and feature master classes in five premier vehicle customization categories, including audio and video; interiors; paint and graphics; wrap and tint; and wheels, suspension and accessories. Class participants are doing hands-on work to vehicles that move through each instructional area, with four distinctive BMW customized cars completed and presented at the end of the four-day SEMA Show.

The WCCAE will take place Tuesday–Friday, November 1–4, at the 10,000-sq.-ft. West Coast Customs Academy booth, located in the new Performance Pavilion, outside, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, just south of the South Hall.

According to WCC CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus, “We are very happy to be back at SEMA again, and so excited to have the West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW this year. SEMA is such an important show for us, and now an even more important platform for us to be able to debut the West Coast Customs Academy. I have been building custom cars from the ground up for the past 27 years, and I have found that finding great talent is sometimes difficult, especially with many high schools not providing wood shop or automotive classes anymore. It is unfortunate, but I feel that high-quality, hand-craftsmanship work is a dying art form. I would like to help bridge that gap, give back to my community, bring in younger generations and build new talent at the West Coast Customs Academy.”

Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events had this to say about the new West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW: “The interactive West Coast Customs Academy Experience has been a favorite among SEMA Show buyers for many years, offering up amazing opportunities to get high-quality, professional training from some of the best and most talented installers in the industry. We’re excited to see what Ryan Friedlinghaus and the all-new West Coast Customs Academy has in store for potential students. We encourage all Showgoers to add the West Coast Customs Academy Experience to their list of must-see attractions.”

SEMA participants may sign up for WCCAE 2016 classes now at: www.westcoastcustomsacademy.com. The West Coast Customs Academy Experience, powered by BMW also features daily meet and greets and autograph signings with Friedlinghaus and the WCC crew, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m., and vehicle paint demos and live entertainment.

West Coast Customs updates daily live from SEMA on Twitter (@officialWCC), Facebook (westcoastcustoms), Instagram (westcoastcustoms), along with surprise behind-the-scenes video content. Check the #WCCAEpoweredbyBMW.

Industry professionals can register to attend the SEMA Show at www.semashow.com/register.

By AJ Carney

The SEMA Members Lounge has meeting rooms available that can accommodate small groups (10 or fewer), and are available at no charge to member exhibitors and buyers.

For members who need a place to meet while at the 2016 SEMA Show, the SEMA Members Lounge offers meeting rooms that can accommodate small groups (10 or fewer). Rooms can be reserved prior to the Show at no charge by member exhibitors and buyers.*

To check availability during the Show, please visit the meeting room check-in counter located inside the Members Lounge.

Open during Show hours, the Members Lounge is a convenient place to grab a hot or cold lunch, network with other SEMA members, access a computer with a printer and internet service, or charge your cell phone. A hot lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. daily and a cold “Grab ‘N Go” meal can be purchased any time during Show hours.

SEMA-member buyers also have access to MBR program perks. MBR cards will be mailed in late October.

SEMA membership has its rewards! To learn more, contact AJ Carney at 909-978-6697 or andreac@SEMA.org.

*non-exhibiting manufacturers and members otherwise eligible to exhibit are not permitted to use the meeting rooms.

By AJ Carney

The SEMA Members Lounge has meeting rooms available that can accommodate small groups (10 or fewer), and are available at no charge to member exhibitors and buyers.

For members who need a place to meet while at the 2016 SEMA Show, the SEMA Members Lounge offers meeting rooms that can accommodate small groups (10 or fewer). Rooms can be reserved prior to the Show at no charge by member exhibitors and buyers.*

To check availability during the Show, please visit the meeting room check-in counter located inside the Members Lounge.

Open during Show hours, the Members Lounge is a convenient place to grab a hot or cold lunch, network with other SEMA members, access a computer with a printer and internet service, or charge your cell phone. A hot lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. daily and a cold “Grab ‘N Go” meal can be purchased any time during Show hours.

SEMA-member buyers also have access to MBR program perks. MBR cards will be mailed in late October.

SEMA membership has its rewards! To learn more, contact AJ Carney at 909-978-6697 or andreac@SEMA.org.

*non-exhibiting manufacturers and members otherwise eligible to exhibit are not permitted to use the meeting rooms.

By AJ Carney

The SEMA Members Lounge has meeting rooms available that can accommodate small groups (10 or fewer), and are available at no charge to member exhibitors and buyers.

For members who need a place to meet while at the 2016 SEMA Show, the SEMA Members Lounge offers meeting rooms that can accommodate small groups (10 or fewer). Rooms can be reserved prior to the Show at no charge by member exhibitors and buyers.*

To check availability during the Show, please visit the meeting room check-in counter located inside the Members Lounge.

Open during Show hours, the Members Lounge is a convenient place to grab a hot or cold lunch, network with other SEMA members, access a computer with a printer and internet service, or charge your cell phone. A hot lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. daily and a cold “Grab ‘N Go” meal can be purchased any time during Show hours.

SEMA-member buyers also have access to MBR program perks. MBR cards will be mailed in late October.

SEMA membership has its rewards! To learn more, contact AJ Carney at 909-978-6697 or andreac@SEMA.org.

*non-exhibiting manufacturers and members otherwise eligible to exhibit are not permitted to use the meeting rooms.

By Clint Simone and Carr Winn

SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party that is open to consumers—will kick-off for the third time ever, Friday, November 4, immediately following the close of the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Also for the third year, SEMA Ignited will serve as the backdrop for “SEMA: Battle of the Builders® (BOTB),” hosted by Adrienne Janic and Chris Jacobs, during which the top three finalists will learn their outcomes.

SEMA News caught up with two builders entering the BOTB competition this year, each with their own unique spin on two beloved American classics. Russ Taylor and his company Fusion of Ideas have worked on race cars for years. His most recent endeavor is a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 that is fully prepped for the track. The Camaro is a complete carbon fiber-paneled, lightweight machine that Taylor competes with in the NASA racing series. Taylor shared his excitement with entering a car into BOTB that is used on a weekly basis—not just a Show special.

Shaun Callaway of AnzoUSA took a simple, functional approach to the most popular truck on the road, the Ford F-150. The highlights of the build include AnzoUSA headlights, light bars and taillights. A matte gray wrap job, lift kit and custom suede and leather interior complete the package for Callaway. He explained that the F-150 is an extension of his own personal automotive taste: everything must be functional, nothing should be wasted or excessive.

Both Taylor and Callaway are looking forward to competing in BOTB, recognizing that they are among some of the best automotive company in the world.

There were more than 27,000 registered attendees for the 2015 event—up 20% from the previous year. Held in the Gold Lot just steps away from the Las Vegas Convention Center, SEMA Ignited will feature automotive demonstrations, celebrity appearances, industry icons, food, music, cackle cars, Formula Drift action and a live taping of the 2016 BOTB competition that will premiere in early 2017 on the Velocity Channel. Vehicles from the SEMA Show will begin to parade out of the convention center around 4:00 p.m., and make their way to SEMA Ignited as thousands of fans line the streets of Las Vegas to catch a glimpse of the Show’s wildest rides.

Last year, 220 of the world’s best builders entered the BOTB competition, but it was Bobby Alloway who walked away with the top prize.

For more information, visit the SEMA Ignited and SEMA Battle of the Builders websites.

By Clint Simone and Carr Winn

SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party that is open to consumers—will kick-off for the third time ever, Friday, November 4, immediately following the close of the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Also for the third year, SEMA Ignited will serve as the backdrop for “SEMA: Battle of the Builders® (BOTB),” hosted by Adrienne Janic and Chris Jacobs, during which the top three finalists will learn their outcomes.

SEMA News caught up with two builders entering the BOTB competition this year, each with their own unique spin on two beloved American classics. Russ Taylor and his company Fusion of Ideas have worked on race cars for years. His most recent endeavor is a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 that is fully prepped for the track. The Camaro is a complete carbon fiber-paneled, lightweight machine that Taylor competes with in the NASA racing series. Taylor shared his excitement with entering a car into BOTB that is used on a weekly basis—not just a Show special.

Shaun Callaway of AnzoUSA took a simple, functional approach to the most popular truck on the road, the Ford F-150. The highlights of the build include AnzoUSA headlights, light bars and taillights. A matte gray wrap job, lift kit and custom suede and leather interior complete the package for Callaway. He explained that the F-150 is an extension of his own personal automotive taste: everything must be functional, nothing should be wasted or excessive.

Both Taylor and Callaway are looking forward to competing in BOTB, recognizing that they are among some of the best automotive company in the world.

There were more than 27,000 registered attendees for the 2015 event—up 20% from the previous year. Held in the Gold Lot just steps away from the Las Vegas Convention Center, SEMA Ignited will feature automotive demonstrations, celebrity appearances, industry icons, food, music, cackle cars, Formula Drift action and a live taping of the 2016 BOTB competition that will premiere in early 2017 on the Velocity Channel. Vehicles from the SEMA Show will begin to parade out of the convention center around 4:00 p.m., and make their way to SEMA Ignited as thousands of fans line the streets of Las Vegas to catch a glimpse of the Show’s wildest rides.

Last year, 220 of the world’s best builders entered the BOTB competition, but it was Bobby Alloway who walked away with the top prize.

For more information, visit the SEMA Ignited and SEMA Battle of the Builders websites.

By Clint Simone and Carr Winn

SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party that is open to consumers—will kick-off for the third time ever, Friday, November 4, immediately following the close of the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Also for the third year, SEMA Ignited will serve as the backdrop for “SEMA: Battle of the Builders® (BOTB),” hosted by Adrienne Janic and Chris Jacobs, during which the top three finalists will learn their outcomes.

SEMA News caught up with two builders entering the BOTB competition this year, each with their own unique spin on two beloved American classics. Russ Taylor and his company Fusion of Ideas have worked on race cars for years. His most recent endeavor is a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 that is fully prepped for the track. The Camaro is a complete carbon fiber-paneled, lightweight machine that Taylor competes with in the NASA racing series. Taylor shared his excitement with entering a car into BOTB that is used on a weekly basis—not just a Show special.

Shaun Callaway of AnzoUSA took a simple, functional approach to the most popular truck on the road, the Ford F-150. The highlights of the build include AnzoUSA headlights, light bars and taillights. A matte gray wrap job, lift kit and custom suede and leather interior complete the package for Callaway. He explained that the F-150 is an extension of his own personal automotive taste: everything must be functional, nothing should be wasted or excessive.

Both Taylor and Callaway are looking forward to competing in BOTB, recognizing that they are among some of the best automotive company in the world.

There were more than 27,000 registered attendees for the 2015 event—up 20% from the previous year. Held in the Gold Lot just steps away from the Las Vegas Convention Center, SEMA Ignited will feature automotive demonstrations, celebrity appearances, industry icons, food, music, cackle cars, Formula Drift action and a live taping of the 2016 BOTB competition that will premiere in early 2017 on the Velocity Channel. Vehicles from the SEMA Show will begin to parade out of the convention center around 4:00 p.m., and make their way to SEMA Ignited as thousands of fans line the streets of Las Vegas to catch a glimpse of the Show’s wildest rides.

Last year, 220 of the world’s best builders entered the BOTB competition, but it was Bobby Alloway who walked away with the top prize.

For more information, visit the SEMA Ignited and SEMA Battle of the Builders websites.

By SEMA Editors

Larry the Cable Guy is the featured entertainer for the 2016 SEMA Industry Awards Banquet.

SEMA Showgoers can still purchase tickets to the Industry Awards Banquet, taking place Thursday, November 3, in Las Vegas, where comedian Larry the Cable Guy will bring his stand-up comedy routine as the featured entertainer.

The SEMA Industry Awards Banquet is the automotive specialty-equipment market’s premier awards ceremony where industry excellence and achievements are celebrated. Held annually on Thursday evening during the week of the SEMA Show, the event is the industry’s single largest gala attended by nearly 3,000 automotive icons, professionals, supporters and celebrities.

Larry, known for his signature catchphrase “Git-R-Done,” is a multiplatinum recording artist, Grammy nominee, Billboard award winner and voice of “Mater” in the animated feature films Cars and Cars 2.

Tickets are still available to SEMA Showgoers and include a formal sit-down dinner. The program also includes the announcement of the SEMA Person of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year, WD of the Year, Rep Agency of the Year, and Gen-III Innovator of the Year awards, and pays tribute to this year’s SEMA Hall of Fame inductees—Matt Agosta, Chip Foose and Gary Hooker.

All SEMA Show exhibitors qualify to obtain a limited number of free tickets to the banquet. Tickets can also be purchased by any Showgoer at www.SEMAShow.com/awards-banquet.