SEMA News—October 2013

EVENTS
By Mike Imlay

The New Products Showcase

Connecting Buyers, Sellers and Media at the SEMA Show

	All products are carefully photographed when they come into the New Products Showcase. SEMA then makes the images available to media and other interested parties all year long, both online at www.semaphotos.com and via SEMA News.

If you’re a SEMA Show exhibitor, product exposure is the name of the game. Your number-one goal is attracting buyers and media to your booth, where you can discuss and demonstrate your new and featured products in person. If, on the other hand, you’re a buyer or media attendee, your priority is saving time and legwork in discovering the latest and greatest product innovations amid more than a million square feet of booths and exhibits vying for your attention. Fortunately, there’s an efficient solution for everyone: The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase.

For exhibitors, buyers and media alike, the New Products Showcase has become a focal point of the SEMA Show. Survey data indicates that 87% of buyers consider new products their first mission when the Show opens. In fact, it’s common strategy among buyers and media to head for the Showcase first, before they do anything else, because it allows them to review more than 2,000 of the aftermarket’s hottest items in one fell swoop. This helps them decide which booths they will visit during the remainder of the Show. Obviously, exhibitors who display product in the Showcase have an edge.

“Open to all exhibitors and located in the upper level at the east end of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall, the approximately 25,000-sq.-ft. New Products Showcase plays a vital role in connecting buyers, sellers and media,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. “If an exhibitor wants to get a product out in front of buyers and the press, entering the New Products Showcase is a no-brainer. An overwhelming majority of buyers look to the Showcase in hopes of finding products that they can add to their businesses, while media attendees make use of the Showcase to cover the latest product trends.”

Given those facts, Show planners do everything they can to encourage exhibitors to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity, said SEMA Show Director Tom Gattuso. “While the New Products Showcase currently boasts more than 2,000 products from hundreds of exhibitors, we still would like to see even higher levels of participation. Almost without exception, exhibitors who actually do participate report better Show results compared with those who don’t.”

Showcase Synergy

	The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase is the number-one connection point for exhibitors, buyers and media. In fact, it’s the first destination for Show attendees seeking to get acquainted with the latest, greatest and hottest products the specialty-equipment industry has to offer.

The New Products Showcase is far more than a static display of aftermarket parts. It’s actually a dynamic, interactive exhibit space that continues to pay dividends long after the Show ends.

First, the cost to exhibitors is nominal—there is no charge for the first new product, and additional products can be entered for $75 a piece. SEMA has also streamlined the process of entering products, with professional teams standing by to help save time. In addition, the SEMA Show has partnered with UPS to simplify return shipping after the Show closes.

The New Products Showcase also makes use of laser scanners and bar codes so that buyers and media can capture product information at the speed of light as they move from product to product. That information can be e-mailed to a specified address or downloaded in several formats, including one for smartphones. Exhibitors, in turn, can look at the data to identify potential new customers and even new market segments. More extensive data fields are also being added into the product descriptions this year to improve compatibility with industry data standards.

Over the years, Show planners have also worked hard to further promote media access for exhibitors, developing a system whereby every new product is professionally photographed and posted so that media can download product content all year long. Moreover, all the photographed products find their way into SEMA News, the association’s trade magazine, which is seen by 18,000 industry professionals monthly. Show planners have also made the Showcase a focal point for international media, who provide feedback for the SEMA Show’s annual Global Media Awards.

But the media exposure doesn’t stop there. The New Products Showcase media efforts this year include an arrangement with Crane Communications’ Autoweek magazine, which expects its audience for SEMA new-product content to reach into the millions. Under the agreement, all Showcase products will automatically be enrolled at no cost into Autoweek’s exclusive SEMA Collection digital marketplace, where the products will be promoted to enthusiasts throughout the year. (To learn more about Autoweek’s SEMA Collection digital marketplace, visit here.)

Beyond products debuting for the very first time, the New Products Showcase also encompasses a Featured Product section for previously introduced products that aftermarket companies also might wish to highlight. “Introduced two years ago, this has turned out to be a very successful addition to the Showcase,” Gattuso said. “Now, if a company has a product that’s not necessarily new but still wants to Showcase it, they have that chance as well. It might be an especially innovative legacy or best-selling product. Whatever the case, there’s no better way to draw buyer and media attention to it.”

The New Products Showcase is primed to become more important to SEMA Show attendees this year than ever before.

“Exhibit space is currently 12% higher than at this time last year, making the 2013 SEMA Show on track to include more than 2,400 exhibiting companies—the highest in the SEMA Show’s 47-year history,” said McGillivray. “As a result, Show organizers have shifted away from a sales strategy and focused instead on helping exhibitors and buyers connect with one another during the event. The trend over the last few years has been one of increased industry optimism. More than 130,000 industry professionals typically attend the SEMA Show, making it the largest annual gathering of small businesses in the United States. Manufacturers and buyers come to the SEMA Show to do business. With a higher number of exhibitors at the upcoming Show, we expect the New Products Showcase to be bigger and more exciting than ever. More important, however, we will be promoting it as one of the best ways to introduce manufacturers, buyers and media to each other.”

Although the Show is right around the corner, it’s never too late for exhibitors to get new or featured products into the Showcase.

“We do have a deadline to take advantage of some price discounts if they have more than one product they wish to enter,” Gattuso said. “However, exhibitors are always allowed to enter one product for free right up to the last day of the Show. So if they miss a deadline associated with a price increase, there’s still no charge if they’re exhibiting just one product. They can Showcase in either the new or featured product category. It’s all up to them.”

Showcase Tips for Exhibitors

To enter new or featured products in the upcoming Showcase, go here. Online registration is easy and takes just minutes. To get the most from your Showcase experience, be sure to read all of the rules and guidelines associated with the registration process.

Of course, drawing attendees to your exhibit space through the New Products Showcase is only the first step. Once at your booth, buyers and media should be able to immediately see the products that brought them there displayed prominently.

“Avoid the common pitfall of cluttering your booth with every product you offer,” suggested Gattuso. “Lead with the core products you showcased and use them as conversation starters to present your business and other related products in a meaningful way.”

SEMA News—October 2013

EVENTS
By Mike Imlay

The New Products Showcase

Connecting Buyers, Sellers and Media at the SEMA Show

	All products are carefully photographed when they come into the New Products Showcase. SEMA then makes the images available to media and other interested parties all year long, both online at www.semaphotos.com and via SEMA News.

If you’re a SEMA Show exhibitor, product exposure is the name of the game. Your number-one goal is attracting buyers and media to your booth, where you can discuss and demonstrate your new and featured products in person. If, on the other hand, you’re a buyer or media attendee, your priority is saving time and legwork in discovering the latest and greatest product innovations amid more than a million square feet of booths and exhibits vying for your attention. Fortunately, there’s an efficient solution for everyone: The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase.

For exhibitors, buyers and media alike, the New Products Showcase has become a focal point of the SEMA Show. Survey data indicates that 87% of buyers consider new products their first mission when the Show opens. In fact, it’s common strategy among buyers and media to head for the Showcase first, before they do anything else, because it allows them to review more than 2,000 of the aftermarket’s hottest items in one fell swoop. This helps them decide which booths they will visit during the remainder of the Show. Obviously, exhibitors who display product in the Showcase have an edge.

“Open to all exhibitors and located in the upper level at the east end of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall, the approximately 25,000-sq.-ft. New Products Showcase plays a vital role in connecting buyers, sellers and media,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. “If an exhibitor wants to get a product out in front of buyers and the press, entering the New Products Showcase is a no-brainer. An overwhelming majority of buyers look to the Showcase in hopes of finding products that they can add to their businesses, while media attendees make use of the Showcase to cover the latest product trends.”

Given those facts, Show planners do everything they can to encourage exhibitors to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity, said SEMA Show Director Tom Gattuso. “While the New Products Showcase currently boasts more than 2,000 products from hundreds of exhibitors, we still would like to see even higher levels of participation. Almost without exception, exhibitors who actually do participate report better Show results compared with those who don’t.”

Showcase Synergy

	The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase is the number-one connection point for exhibitors, buyers and media. In fact, it’s the first destination for Show attendees seeking to get acquainted with the latest, greatest and hottest products the specialty-equipment industry has to offer.

The New Products Showcase is far more than a static display of aftermarket parts. It’s actually a dynamic, interactive exhibit space that continues to pay dividends long after the Show ends.

First, the cost to exhibitors is nominal—there is no charge for the first new product, and additional products can be entered for $75 a piece. SEMA has also streamlined the process of entering products, with professional teams standing by to help save time. In addition, the SEMA Show has partnered with UPS to simplify return shipping after the Show closes.

The New Products Showcase also makes use of laser scanners and bar codes so that buyers and media can capture product information at the speed of light as they move from product to product. That information can be e-mailed to a specified address or downloaded in several formats, including one for smartphones. Exhibitors, in turn, can look at the data to identify potential new customers and even new market segments. More extensive data fields are also being added into the product descriptions this year to improve compatibility with industry data standards.

Over the years, Show planners have also worked hard to further promote media access for exhibitors, developing a system whereby every new product is professionally photographed and posted so that media can download product content all year long. Moreover, all the photographed products find their way into SEMA News, the association’s trade magazine, which is seen by 18,000 industry professionals monthly. Show planners have also made the Showcase a focal point for international media, who provide feedback for the SEMA Show’s annual Global Media Awards.

But the media exposure doesn’t stop there. The New Products Showcase media efforts this year include an arrangement with Crane Communications’ Autoweek magazine, which expects its audience for SEMA new-product content to reach into the millions. Under the agreement, all Showcase products will automatically be enrolled at no cost into Autoweek’s exclusive SEMA Collection digital marketplace, where the products will be promoted to enthusiasts throughout the year. (To learn more about Autoweek’s SEMA Collection digital marketplace, visit here.)

Beyond products debuting for the very first time, the New Products Showcase also encompasses a Featured Product section for previously introduced products that aftermarket companies also might wish to highlight. “Introduced two years ago, this has turned out to be a very successful addition to the Showcase,” Gattuso said. “Now, if a company has a product that’s not necessarily new but still wants to Showcase it, they have that chance as well. It might be an especially innovative legacy or best-selling product. Whatever the case, there’s no better way to draw buyer and media attention to it.”

The New Products Showcase is primed to become more important to SEMA Show attendees this year than ever before.

“Exhibit space is currently 12% higher than at this time last year, making the 2013 SEMA Show on track to include more than 2,400 exhibiting companies—the highest in the SEMA Show’s 47-year history,” said McGillivray. “As a result, Show organizers have shifted away from a sales strategy and focused instead on helping exhibitors and buyers connect with one another during the event. The trend over the last few years has been one of increased industry optimism. More than 130,000 industry professionals typically attend the SEMA Show, making it the largest annual gathering of small businesses in the United States. Manufacturers and buyers come to the SEMA Show to do business. With a higher number of exhibitors at the upcoming Show, we expect the New Products Showcase to be bigger and more exciting than ever. More important, however, we will be promoting it as one of the best ways to introduce manufacturers, buyers and media to each other.”

Although the Show is right around the corner, it’s never too late for exhibitors to get new or featured products into the Showcase.

“We do have a deadline to take advantage of some price discounts if they have more than one product they wish to enter,” Gattuso said. “However, exhibitors are always allowed to enter one product for free right up to the last day of the Show. So if they miss a deadline associated with a price increase, there’s still no charge if they’re exhibiting just one product. They can Showcase in either the new or featured product category. It’s all up to them.”

Showcase Tips for Exhibitors

To enter new or featured products in the upcoming Showcase, go here. Online registration is easy and takes just minutes. To get the most from your Showcase experience, be sure to read all of the rules and guidelines associated with the registration process.

Of course, drawing attendees to your exhibit space through the New Products Showcase is only the first step. Once at your booth, buyers and media should be able to immediately see the products that brought them there displayed prominently.

“Avoid the common pitfall of cluttering your booth with every product you offer,” suggested Gattuso. “Lead with the core products you showcased and use them as conversation starters to present your business and other related products in a meaningful way.”

SEMA News—October 2013

EVENTS
By Mike Imlay

The New Products Showcase

Connecting Buyers, Sellers and Media at the SEMA Show

	All products are carefully photographed when they come into the New Products Showcase. SEMA then makes the images available to media and other interested parties all year long, both online at www.semaphotos.com and via SEMA News.

If you’re a SEMA Show exhibitor, product exposure is the name of the game. Your number-one goal is attracting buyers and media to your booth, where you can discuss and demonstrate your new and featured products in person. If, on the other hand, you’re a buyer or media attendee, your priority is saving time and legwork in discovering the latest and greatest product innovations amid more than a million square feet of booths and exhibits vying for your attention. Fortunately, there’s an efficient solution for everyone: The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase.

For exhibitors, buyers and media alike, the New Products Showcase has become a focal point of the SEMA Show. Survey data indicates that 87% of buyers consider new products their first mission when the Show opens. In fact, it’s common strategy among buyers and media to head for the Showcase first, before they do anything else, because it allows them to review more than 2,000 of the aftermarket’s hottest items in one fell swoop. This helps them decide which booths they will visit during the remainder of the Show. Obviously, exhibitors who display product in the Showcase have an edge.

“Open to all exhibitors and located in the upper level at the east end of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall, the approximately 25,000-sq.-ft. New Products Showcase plays a vital role in connecting buyers, sellers and media,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. “If an exhibitor wants to get a product out in front of buyers and the press, entering the New Products Showcase is a no-brainer. An overwhelming majority of buyers look to the Showcase in hopes of finding products that they can add to their businesses, while media attendees make use of the Showcase to cover the latest product trends.”

Given those facts, Show planners do everything they can to encourage exhibitors to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity, said SEMA Show Director Tom Gattuso. “While the New Products Showcase currently boasts more than 2,000 products from hundreds of exhibitors, we still would like to see even higher levels of participation. Almost without exception, exhibitors who actually do participate report better Show results compared with those who don’t.”

Showcase Synergy

	The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase is the number-one connection point for exhibitors, buyers and media. In fact, it’s the first destination for Show attendees seeking to get acquainted with the latest, greatest and hottest products the specialty-equipment industry has to offer.

The New Products Showcase is far more than a static display of aftermarket parts. It’s actually a dynamic, interactive exhibit space that continues to pay dividends long after the Show ends.

First, the cost to exhibitors is nominal—there is no charge for the first new product, and additional products can be entered for $75 a piece. SEMA has also streamlined the process of entering products, with professional teams standing by to help save time. In addition, the SEMA Show has partnered with UPS to simplify return shipping after the Show closes.

The New Products Showcase also makes use of laser scanners and bar codes so that buyers and media can capture product information at the speed of light as they move from product to product. That information can be e-mailed to a specified address or downloaded in several formats, including one for smartphones. Exhibitors, in turn, can look at the data to identify potential new customers and even new market segments. More extensive data fields are also being added into the product descriptions this year to improve compatibility with industry data standards.

Over the years, Show planners have also worked hard to further promote media access for exhibitors, developing a system whereby every new product is professionally photographed and posted so that media can download product content all year long. Moreover, all the photographed products find their way into SEMA News, the association’s trade magazine, which is seen by 18,000 industry professionals monthly. Show planners have also made the Showcase a focal point for international media, who provide feedback for the SEMA Show’s annual Global Media Awards.

But the media exposure doesn’t stop there. The New Products Showcase media efforts this year include an arrangement with Crane Communications’ Autoweek magazine, which expects its audience for SEMA new-product content to reach into the millions. Under the agreement, all Showcase products will automatically be enrolled at no cost into Autoweek’s exclusive SEMA Collection digital marketplace, where the products will be promoted to enthusiasts throughout the year. (To learn more about Autoweek’s SEMA Collection digital marketplace, visit here.)

Beyond products debuting for the very first time, the New Products Showcase also encompasses a Featured Product section for previously introduced products that aftermarket companies also might wish to highlight. “Introduced two years ago, this has turned out to be a very successful addition to the Showcase,” Gattuso said. “Now, if a company has a product that’s not necessarily new but still wants to Showcase it, they have that chance as well. It might be an especially innovative legacy or best-selling product. Whatever the case, there’s no better way to draw buyer and media attention to it.”

The New Products Showcase is primed to become more important to SEMA Show attendees this year than ever before.

“Exhibit space is currently 12% higher than at this time last year, making the 2013 SEMA Show on track to include more than 2,400 exhibiting companies—the highest in the SEMA Show’s 47-year history,” said McGillivray. “As a result, Show organizers have shifted away from a sales strategy and focused instead on helping exhibitors and buyers connect with one another during the event. The trend over the last few years has been one of increased industry optimism. More than 130,000 industry professionals typically attend the SEMA Show, making it the largest annual gathering of small businesses in the United States. Manufacturers and buyers come to the SEMA Show to do business. With a higher number of exhibitors at the upcoming Show, we expect the New Products Showcase to be bigger and more exciting than ever. More important, however, we will be promoting it as one of the best ways to introduce manufacturers, buyers and media to each other.”

Although the Show is right around the corner, it’s never too late for exhibitors to get new or featured products into the Showcase.

“We do have a deadline to take advantage of some price discounts if they have more than one product they wish to enter,” Gattuso said. “However, exhibitors are always allowed to enter one product for free right up to the last day of the Show. So if they miss a deadline associated with a price increase, there’s still no charge if they’re exhibiting just one product. They can Showcase in either the new or featured product category. It’s all up to them.”

Showcase Tips for Exhibitors

To enter new or featured products in the upcoming Showcase, go here. Online registration is easy and takes just minutes. To get the most from your Showcase experience, be sure to read all of the rules and guidelines associated with the registration process.

Of course, drawing attendees to your exhibit space through the New Products Showcase is only the first step. Once at your booth, buyers and media should be able to immediately see the products that brought them there displayed prominently.

“Avoid the common pitfall of cluttering your booth with every product you offer,” suggested Gattuso. “Lead with the core products you showcased and use them as conversation starters to present your business and other related products in a meaningful way.”

SEMA News—October 2013

EVENTS
By Mike Imlay

The New Products Showcase

Connecting Buyers, Sellers and Media at the SEMA Show

	All products are carefully photographed when they come into the New Products Showcase. SEMA then makes the images available to media and other interested parties all year long, both online at www.semaphotos.com and via SEMA News.

If you’re a SEMA Show exhibitor, product exposure is the name of the game. Your number-one goal is attracting buyers and media to your booth, where you can discuss and demonstrate your new and featured products in person. If, on the other hand, you’re a buyer or media attendee, your priority is saving time and legwork in discovering the latest and greatest product innovations amid more than a million square feet of booths and exhibits vying for your attention. Fortunately, there’s an efficient solution for everyone: The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase.

For exhibitors, buyers and media alike, the New Products Showcase has become a focal point of the SEMA Show. Survey data indicates that 87% of buyers consider new products their first mission when the Show opens. In fact, it’s common strategy among buyers and media to head for the Showcase first, before they do anything else, because it allows them to review more than 2,000 of the aftermarket’s hottest items in one fell swoop. This helps them decide which booths they will visit during the remainder of the Show. Obviously, exhibitors who display product in the Showcase have an edge.

“Open to all exhibitors and located in the upper level at the east end of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall, the approximately 25,000-sq.-ft. New Products Showcase plays a vital role in connecting buyers, sellers and media,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. “If an exhibitor wants to get a product out in front of buyers and the press, entering the New Products Showcase is a no-brainer. An overwhelming majority of buyers look to the Showcase in hopes of finding products that they can add to their businesses, while media attendees make use of the Showcase to cover the latest product trends.”

Given those facts, Show planners do everything they can to encourage exhibitors to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity, said SEMA Show Director Tom Gattuso. “While the New Products Showcase currently boasts more than 2,000 products from hundreds of exhibitors, we still would like to see even higher levels of participation. Almost without exception, exhibitors who actually do participate report better Show results compared with those who don’t.”

Showcase Synergy

	The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase is the number-one connection point for exhibitors, buyers and media. In fact, it’s the first destination for Show attendees seeking to get acquainted with the latest, greatest and hottest products the specialty-equipment industry has to offer.

The New Products Showcase is far more than a static display of aftermarket parts. It’s actually a dynamic, interactive exhibit space that continues to pay dividends long after the Show ends.

First, the cost to exhibitors is nominal—there is no charge for the first new product, and additional products can be entered for $75 a piece. SEMA has also streamlined the process of entering products, with professional teams standing by to help save time. In addition, the SEMA Show has partnered with UPS to simplify return shipping after the Show closes.

The New Products Showcase also makes use of laser scanners and bar codes so that buyers and media can capture product information at the speed of light as they move from product to product. That information can be e-mailed to a specified address or downloaded in several formats, including one for smartphones. Exhibitors, in turn, can look at the data to identify potential new customers and even new market segments. More extensive data fields are also being added into the product descriptions this year to improve compatibility with industry data standards.

Over the years, Show planners have also worked hard to further promote media access for exhibitors, developing a system whereby every new product is professionally photographed and posted so that media can download product content all year long. Moreover, all the photographed products find their way into SEMA News, the association’s trade magazine, which is seen by 18,000 industry professionals monthly. Show planners have also made the Showcase a focal point for international media, who provide feedback for the SEMA Show’s annual Global Media Awards.

But the media exposure doesn’t stop there. The New Products Showcase media efforts this year include an arrangement with Crane Communications’ Autoweek magazine, which expects its audience for SEMA new-product content to reach into the millions. Under the agreement, all Showcase products will automatically be enrolled at no cost into Autoweek’s exclusive SEMA Collection digital marketplace, where the products will be promoted to enthusiasts throughout the year. (To learn more about Autoweek’s SEMA Collection digital marketplace, visit here.)

Beyond products debuting for the very first time, the New Products Showcase also encompasses a Featured Product section for previously introduced products that aftermarket companies also might wish to highlight. “Introduced two years ago, this has turned out to be a very successful addition to the Showcase,” Gattuso said. “Now, if a company has a product that’s not necessarily new but still wants to Showcase it, they have that chance as well. It might be an especially innovative legacy or best-selling product. Whatever the case, there’s no better way to draw buyer and media attention to it.”

The New Products Showcase is primed to become more important to SEMA Show attendees this year than ever before.

“Exhibit space is currently 12% higher than at this time last year, making the 2013 SEMA Show on track to include more than 2,400 exhibiting companies—the highest in the SEMA Show’s 47-year history,” said McGillivray. “As a result, Show organizers have shifted away from a sales strategy and focused instead on helping exhibitors and buyers connect with one another during the event. The trend over the last few years has been one of increased industry optimism. More than 130,000 industry professionals typically attend the SEMA Show, making it the largest annual gathering of small businesses in the United States. Manufacturers and buyers come to the SEMA Show to do business. With a higher number of exhibitors at the upcoming Show, we expect the New Products Showcase to be bigger and more exciting than ever. More important, however, we will be promoting it as one of the best ways to introduce manufacturers, buyers and media to each other.”

Although the Show is right around the corner, it’s never too late for exhibitors to get new or featured products into the Showcase.

“We do have a deadline to take advantage of some price discounts if they have more than one product they wish to enter,” Gattuso said. “However, exhibitors are always allowed to enter one product for free right up to the last day of the Show. So if they miss a deadline associated with a price increase, there’s still no charge if they’re exhibiting just one product. They can Showcase in either the new or featured product category. It’s all up to them.”

Showcase Tips for Exhibitors

To enter new or featured products in the upcoming Showcase, go here. Online registration is easy and takes just minutes. To get the most from your Showcase experience, be sure to read all of the rules and guidelines associated with the registration process.

Of course, drawing attendees to your exhibit space through the New Products Showcase is only the first step. Once at your booth, buyers and media should be able to immediately see the products that brought them there displayed prominently.

“Avoid the common pitfall of cluttering your booth with every product you offer,” suggested Gattuso. “Lead with the core products you showcased and use them as conversation starters to present your business and other related products in a meaningful way.”

SEMA News—October 2013

INDUSTRY NEWS

SEMA Show to Feature Three New Exhibitor Areas

	The First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas include hundreds of exhibitors representing a variety of market segments.

In addition to 11 designated floor sections, the 2013 SEMA Show will include three different areas where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors can be found. While the Show has included First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas in previous years, 2013 marks the first time that the Show will include three such areas:

• Upper South Hall, east end near the New Products Showcase: This is the same area where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors were located in 2012.
• Skybridge, between Central and South Halls: Previous locations of the Media Center, the Center for International Commerce and the Show Office. For 2013, the Media Center will move to N110 (meeting room to the east of the Grand Lobby); the Center for International Commerce will be located in N255 (second floor above the Grand Lobby); and the Show office will be located in C102.
• Las Vegas Hotel (LVH) South Pavilion area, near Central Hall: The LVH is located adjacent to the north side of North Hall. General registration and several exhibitors will be located in the Pavilion area of the LVH.

Visit www.SEMAShow.com to view a floorplan and learn more about the 2013 SEMA Show.

SEMA News—October 2013

INDUSTRY NEWS

SEMA Show to Feature Three New Exhibitor Areas

	The First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas include hundreds of exhibitors representing a variety of market segments.

In addition to 11 designated floor sections, the 2013 SEMA Show will include three different areas where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors can be found. While the Show has included First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas in previous years, 2013 marks the first time that the Show will include three such areas:

• Upper South Hall, east end near the New Products Showcase: This is the same area where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors were located in 2012.
• Skybridge, between Central and South Halls: Previous locations of the Media Center, the Center for International Commerce and the Show Office. For 2013, the Media Center will move to N110 (meeting room to the east of the Grand Lobby); the Center for International Commerce will be located in N255 (second floor above the Grand Lobby); and the Show office will be located in C102.
• Las Vegas Hotel (LVH) South Pavilion area, near Central Hall: The LVH is located adjacent to the north side of North Hall. General registration and several exhibitors will be located in the Pavilion area of the LVH.

Visit www.SEMAShow.com to view a floorplan and learn more about the 2013 SEMA Show.

SEMA News—October 2013

INDUSTRY NEWS

SEMA Show to Feature Three New Exhibitor Areas

	The First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas include hundreds of exhibitors representing a variety of market segments.

In addition to 11 designated floor sections, the 2013 SEMA Show will include three different areas where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors can be found. While the Show has included First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas in previous years, 2013 marks the first time that the Show will include three such areas:

• Upper South Hall, east end near the New Products Showcase: This is the same area where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors were located in 2012.
• Skybridge, between Central and South Halls: Previous locations of the Media Center, the Center for International Commerce and the Show Office. For 2013, the Media Center will move to N110 (meeting room to the east of the Grand Lobby); the Center for International Commerce will be located in N255 (second floor above the Grand Lobby); and the Show office will be located in C102.
• Las Vegas Hotel (LVH) South Pavilion area, near Central Hall: The LVH is located adjacent to the north side of North Hall. General registration and several exhibitors will be located in the Pavilion area of the LVH.

Visit www.SEMAShow.com to view a floorplan and learn more about the 2013 SEMA Show.

SEMA News—October 2013

INDUSTRY NEWS

SEMA Show to Feature Three New Exhibitor Areas

	The First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas include hundreds of exhibitors representing a variety of market segments.

In addition to 11 designated floor sections, the 2013 SEMA Show will include three different areas where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors can be found. While the Show has included First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas in previous years, 2013 marks the first time that the Show will include three such areas:

• Upper South Hall, east end near the New Products Showcase: This is the same area where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors were located in 2012.
• Skybridge, between Central and South Halls: Previous locations of the Media Center, the Center for International Commerce and the Show Office. For 2013, the Media Center will move to N110 (meeting room to the east of the Grand Lobby); the Center for International Commerce will be located in N255 (second floor above the Grand Lobby); and the Show office will be located in C102.
• Las Vegas Hotel (LVH) South Pavilion area, near Central Hall: The LVH is located adjacent to the north side of North Hall. General registration and several exhibitors will be located in the Pavilion area of the LVH.

Visit www.SEMAShow.com to view a floorplan and learn more about the 2013 SEMA Show.

SEMA News—October 2013

INDUSTRY NEWS

SEMA Show to Feature Three New Exhibitor Areas

	The First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas include hundreds of exhibitors representing a variety of market segments.

In addition to 11 designated floor sections, the 2013 SEMA Show will include three different areas where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors can be found. While the Show has included First-Time and Featured Exhibitors areas in previous years, 2013 marks the first time that the Show will include three such areas:

• Upper South Hall, east end near the New Products Showcase: This is the same area where First-Time and Featured Exhibitors were located in 2012.
• Skybridge, between Central and South Halls: Previous locations of the Media Center, the Center for International Commerce and the Show Office. For 2013, the Media Center will move to N110 (meeting room to the east of the Grand Lobby); the Center for International Commerce will be located in N255 (second floor above the Grand Lobby); and the Show office will be located in C102.
• Las Vegas Hotel (LVH) South Pavilion area, near Central Hall: The LVH is located adjacent to the north side of North Hall. General registration and several exhibitors will be located in the Pavilion area of the LVH.

Visit www.SEMAShow.com to view a floorplan and learn more about the 2013 SEMA Show.

SEMA News—October 2013

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

SEMA Programs Aid Exporting Members

Education and Logistical Help for Global Companies

	A ’12 Toyota HiLux (shown) is one of two vehicles popular outside the United States but not sold in this country and that is available for SEMA members to measure in order to create export-ready products.

Exporting automotive specialty-equipment products can allow U.S. companies to increase their customer bases for improved bottom lines, better position themselves to ride out possible future U.S. economic downturns, and increase overall competitiveness through access to new customers. Exporting leads to new ways of doing business, and SEMA supports the global efforts of its members through a series of targeted international programs. This is the second of a two-part series on SEMA programs and resources designed to assist members to grow their international sales.

International Vehicle Measuring Sessions

While there is much talk about moving toward global vehicles—one model of each vehicle for the world—that is not the current reality. SEMA has created a program to help members overcome the hurdles of making products for vehicles that are popular in key international markets but are not available in the United States. In partnership with the U.S. Commerce Department, SEMA launched a program in July 2012 to provide measuring opportunities for such vehicles. More than 180 companies have already measured the initial vehicles—a ’12 double-cab 4x4 Toyota HiLux and a ’13 4x4 double-cab Ford Ranger T6—to allow them to prototype and create export-ready products. These vehicles are available free of charge to SEMA-member manufacturers to measure at the new SEMA Garage, adjacent to SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, California.

Make/Model Data

Last year, Chrysler set a new record with sales of more than 700,000 Jeeps worldwide. Just over 194,140 of them were Wranglers, and nearly 141,700 were Jeep Cherokees. If you make parts for these vehicles—or any application-specific products, actually—SEMA has a new resource to help you identify the best export markets for your products. Reports on sales figures by make and model for 22 countries are available spanning 2005–2011. The reports list the top 25 car, SUV, pickup and musclecar sales in each of these key countries.

SEMA also has data on the top 40 markets for 13 different SUV and truck models, including the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, three Toyota models, two Ram models, two Mitsubishi models, the Chevy Silverado and, of course, the Ford F-Series.

Legislation and Regulations

SEMA can provide members with legislative updates in key international markets, including Europe, Australia, the Middle East and China.

SEMA Show

A record 25% of buyers from 100 countries at the SEMA Show reside outside the United States. Buyers from virtually every nation on the planet plan on attending the 2013 event to select from the newest and most innovative products to sell in their home markets. Given the growing number of international attendees at the SEMA Show, it’s a great place to make initial contact with buyers without even leaving the United States. SEMA offers a variety of programs and resources to link Show exhibitors with these international distributors and retailers.

Place Items in the Ideas Alive Showcase

		International Vehicle Make and Model Data
		Make and model data is available for the top-selling cars, pickups and SUVs from 2005–2011 for a host of international locales: For selected countries in the Americas: Argentina, Brazil and Mexico For selected Asian countries: China (PRC), Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand For selected European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom For Russia, Ukraine and selected Eastern European Countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. For selected Middle East and African countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates Source: SEMA calculations from IHS data.

The SEMA Show provides an amazing opportunity to launch new products and spread innovative ideas. A record number of registered journalists—including daily news reporters, magazine editors, television news crews, bloggers and electronic media representatives of all kinds—choose to file stories based on what they see at the Show, virtually ensuring that any newsworthy event, large or small, quickly comes to the attention of enthusiasts worldwide. And the only way to win a prestigious Global Media Award (see below, “International Happy Hour/Global Media Awards”) from leading overseas journalists is to place products in the New Products Showcase.

Attend International Seminars

On Monday, November 4, SEMA invites SEMA Show attendees interested in global commerce to three informal, practical sessions on key markets. From 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., the focus will be on the Middle East market. That will be followed by a session on the Russia market from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. The final session of the day will focus on the China market.

These sessions will feature key buyers and SEMA members that are already active in the markets, and they are a great way to meet insiders and discuss as a group the latest trends and opportunities while learning to navigate each market’s particular challenges.

Middle East Seminar

Learn how to cash in on this lucrative region at the Middle East SEMA Show seminar (Monday, November 4, from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), Room N254. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and surrounding countries provide some of the best opportunities for U.S. specialty-parts manufacturers. Off-roading, classic-car collecting and motorsports are all growing in popularity in the area. Attendees will also learn about the details of the third SEMA one-on-one matchmaking program, to be held in the UAE in March 2014.

Russia Seminar

A 2013 SEMA Show seminar on Russia—Monday, November 4, from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. in the LVCC, Room 254—will explore the specialty-equipment market in the world’s largest country in terms of area (more than 6.6 million sq. mi.). This will be the first time Russia will be featured, with key local buyers and SEMA members that are already active in the market providing insights into some of the great opportunities and challenges. For instance:

• Russia is one of the fastest-growing emerging market economies and ranks sixth in the world in terms of annual passenger-vehicle sales. The country’s auto market has rebounded from the 2008–2009 recession, and new-vehicle sales are up 11% for 2012 from the previous year, making Russia the second-largest European vehicle market. With 2.9 million passenger vehicles sold last year, the country is quickly gaining on Germany, the top market in Europe, and many experts estimate that the positions will flip between these two countries in the next few years.
• There are now 38.7 million passenger vehicles on Russian roads. But with 140 million people, a large, unmet demand still exists for those who have not yet had the opportunity to purchase a vehicle.
• SUVs represent the largest and fastest-growing automotive sector in Russia, making up nearly 31% of all passenger sales in 2012. Nearly one-third of all passenger-vehicle sales were SUVs—more than double the rate of SUV sales throughout the rest of Europe.
• Russia has the highest gross domestic product per capita among the members of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and Russia should be one of the biggest consumer markets on a global basis by 2020, according to Russian Machines Chairman Siegfried Wolf in a Just-Auto.com interview. Wolf also said that Russia has double the per capita income of China—$20,000 compared to $11,000—and India is at about $6,000. (Russian Machines also owns the GAZ Group automotive division.)

China Seminar

Chinese distributors and SEMA members already successful in the region will provide insider tips at the SEMA Show seminar Monday, November 4, from 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., LVCC, Room 254. Attendees will learn about the latest trends, applications and perceptions of U.S. brands in the Chinese market. This will be a great opportunity to meet with press and distributors of specialty-equipment products in this market of 1.3 billion people in an informal, practical session that will assist attendees in deciding if this market is a good fit for their products.

International Happy Hour/Global Media Awards

Attend the tenth annual SEMA Show’s International Happy Hour—the largest annual gathering of the global specialty-equipment industry. Network over a cold beer with top international distributors and retailers from key overseas markets. Attendees are invited to meet leading international journalists from 20 countries who will serve on the Global Media Awards panel. The journalists are charged with selecting 10 products each from more than 2,000 entries in the New Products Showcase. The products are selected on the basis of being best suited for the journalists’ home markets, and the judges will be available to talk to attendees about their markets and their editorial opportunities. Exhibitors are invited to register now here.

Center for International Commerce

The SEMA Center for International Commerce (CIC), LVCC, Room N255, is a valuable resource for Show exhibitors and international buyers. SEMA’s international staff will be on hand with a team of interpreters to assist in bilingual communication in key languages, such as German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese. Complimentary private meeting rooms are also available.

Additional information on all of the  www.sema.org/international by contacting Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.