By SEMA Editors

The 2022 SEMA Show is about seven weeks away. Here’s a rundown of key deadlines, including early-bird and advance rates available for several booth services, as well as checklists to keep you on track and on budget.

Complete Deadlines Checklist – Take advantage of Early-bird rates—order before the deadlines!

The deadlines checklist provides a breakdown of all of the deadlines for booth orders, rentals, booth vehicle applications, celebrity appearance notifications and much more.

Budget Checklist – Double check your Show prep.

The budget checklist form allows you to keep track of all your costs and ensures that you are adequately prepared for your experience at the SEMA Show. 

Upcoming Exhibitor Deadlines – Take advantage of discounts by acting before the deadlines.

• September 18 - Lead Retrieval Rental (Advance Rate)–CompuSystems
• September 16 - Sponsorship Artwork/Materials Due to Freeman
• September 22 - Freight–Freeman Warehouse–first day to accept advance freight
• September 30 - Target Move-in Date Change Request-Freeman
• September 30 - Internet/Telephone Order (Advance Rate)–Cox Business (LVCC)
• October 3 – International Air Freight Arriving at Los Angeles International (LAX) Airport
• October 3 – International Sea Freight Arriving at Long Beach Terminal
• October 7 – Products for Project Vehicle Builders
• October 7 – EAC – (Exhibitor-Appointed Contractor) Application Form
• October 7 – New Products Entry (Advance Rate)
• October 13 – Shipping of Carpet to Advance Warehouse – CARPET/PAD only
• October 14 – Meeting/Function Space Reservation
• October 17 – Booth Catering Order Service – Centerplate
• October 19 – Tents/Canopies – Full Circle Events
• October 20 – Hanging Sign/Banner Shipments to Advance Freeman Warehouse
• October 20 – New Products Showcase Advance Shipments to Freeman Warehouse

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

More information on the 2022 SEMA Show is available at www.SEMAShow.com.

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) is presenting two new awards at the SEMA Show to honor amazing hot rods and builders that the push the limits of creativity and innovation.  

SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) is presenting two new awards at the SEMA Show: Design & Innovation and Evolution of Hot Rodding.

New to the 2022 SEMA Show, the “Design & Innovation Award” will be presented to a builder or shop in recognition of a vehicle that exemplifies the meaning of an exceptional hot rod. Judges will be looking for details in the design, craftsmanship and engineering that represent the passion and skill of the builder and the creativity of their innovative mind. The “Evolution of Hot Rodding Award” will celebrate a vehicle that pushes the boundaries of tradition and embodies the evolving trends in the hot-rod industry, and judges will be looking for exceptional build quality, creative design, innovative technology and features that advance and expand the definition of a hot rod.

Hot-rod builders showcasing a vehicle at the SEMA Show are invited to submit their build for award consideration by posting a photo of their completed hot rod on Instagram now through October 30. The caption must include the hashtag #SEMAHRIA2022, year/make/model of the vehicle, builder name, shop name and booth number or relative location (i.e., Silver Lot) of the vehicle at the SEMA Show.   

Submissions will be visited and judged in person by a committee of hot-rod industry leaders who will serve as judges, and winners will be announced and honored at the SEMA Show HRIA Reception, November 2, at 5:15 p.m., in the Westgate Ballrooms A-C. 

By Ashley Reyes

With the worldwide automotive industry gathered in Las Vegas for the 2022 SEMA Show, attending the annual trade show is the best time to meet other professionals and build connections. SEMA council and network activities are ideal for connecting with others in similar market segments and niches. Showgoers can now reserve their attendance for the following events:

With the worldwide automotive industry gathered in Las Vegas for the 2022 SEMA Show, attending the annual trade show is the best time to meet other professionals and build connections.

Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO)

ARMO Industry Reception, November 2, at 5:30 p.m., Westgate Ballroom B

This social event is highly anticipated among Showgoers in the restoration market and includes an awards ceremony recognizing individuals and companies whose work has made a significant impact on the restoration industry.

SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN)

ETTN Tech ’n Toast, November 3, at 8:00 a.m., Upper North Hall N235

This energized networking breakfast features open discussion on ideas and concerns related to automotive technology.

ETTN Lunch & Learn, November 3, at 12:30 p.m., Upper North Hall N235

This event features presentations on battery design basics; material technology, surface finishes and measuring equipment; SEMA Garage Detroit resources and opportunities to discuss and learn about the latest automotive technology trends.

Future Leaders Network (FLN)

FLN Reception, November 1, at 5:30 p.m., Top of Renaissance Parking Garage

This event will bring together young professionals to celebrate the strides they are making in the automotive aftermarket. An awards ceremony will also take place to honor top individuals.

FLN General Membership Meeting Breakfast, November 2, at 8:00 a.m., West Hall W238

FLN members and prospective members will grow and expand their network, connect with the council's select committee and learn the many ways FLN can assist them and their businesses.

Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA)

HRIA Reception, November 2, at 5:15 p.m., Westgate Ballrooms A-C

This event will bring together colleagues, leaders and enthusiasts to celebrate their passion for the hot-rod customization hobby. An awards ceremony will take place to honor top individuals and companies.

Professional Restylers Organization (PRO)

PRO Reception, November 1, at 5:00 p.m., West Hall 3rd Floor Terrace

This event will bring together colleagues, leaders and enthusiasts to celebrate their passion for new-vehicle accessorization. An awards ceremony will also take place to honor top individuals and companies.

PRO Booth Happy Hour, November 2, at 4:00 p.m., West Hall PRO Booth #50185

Network with automotive restyling professionals during the SEMA Show PRO Booth Happy Hour. This fun event will include the PRO Cup Challenge winner announcements.

Lunch with the PROs, November 3, at 11:30 a.m., West Hall 219

Restyling businesses will connect with one another and learn about the benefits available to council members. Discussion topics include the current state of the industry and roadblocks in the restyling industry.

SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN)

SBN All Female Build Reveal, November 1, at 12:30 p.m., West Hall Booth #57061

SBN Gear-Up Girl Networking Event, November 2, at 4:30 p.m., West Hall W210 Entry Way

Reserved only for women, the event serves as a networking opportunity for professionals to give back and share advice with today’s female youth.  

SBN Reception, November 2, at 5:30 p.m., West Hall 210 Entry Way

This event will celebrate the strides women are making in the automotive aftermarket. Attendees will connect with the SBN select committee and learn about resources and how to get involved.

Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA)

TORA Industry Reception, November 2, at 5:00 p.m., West Hall 3rd Floor Terrace

This event will bring together colleagues, leaders and enthusiasts to celebrate their passion for truck and off-road aftermarket. An awards ceremony will also take place to honor top individuals and companies. Pinewood Drag races will take place in partnership with SEMA Cares.

Wheel & Tire Council (WTC)

WTC Reception, November 1, at 5:00 p.m., Lower South Members Lounge, Driven by WTC, Booth #48179

This event will bring together colleagues, leaders and enthusiasts to celebrate their passion for the custom wheel and tire industry.

WTC Coffee & Conversation, November 2–3, at 8:00 a.m., Inside Lower South – Entrance to Global Tire Expo

Wheel and tire members and exhibitors are invited to stop by and network with one another and learn what is new and exciting this year with the industry and WTC.

WTC Happy Hour, November 2, at 5:00 p.m., Lower South Members Lounge, Driven by WTC, Booth #48179

Wind down from a busy day on the SEMA Show floor and network with other wheel and tire council members, connect through open conversation, and learn about WTC’s programs and resources.

Don’t miss out on great networking—RSVP now for SEMA Show council and network events.

By Ashley Reyes

As part of the third annual SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) Cup Challenge, the PRO Booth #50185 at the 2022 SEMA Show will include seven new-model cars and trucks featuring restyling packages that are marketable, easy-to-replicate and profitable. The seven vehicles are competing to showcase and encourage new-vehicle buyers and dealers to incorporate simple, everyday accessories into their sales.

Through the SEMA PRO Cup Challenge, accessory manufacturers see how their products can be packaged with other products, restylers get ideas to take back to their local markets and SEMA Showgoers witness how new vehicles can be transformed and can even vote for a build to win a “Fan Favorite Award.” 

The SEMA PRO Cup Challenge is the only competition of its kind at the SEMA Show that pits restyler against restyler to create a package for a new-model car or truck. Through the competition, accessory manufacturers see how their products can be packaged with other products, restylers get ideas to take back to their local markets and SEMA Showgoers witness how new vehicles can be transformed and can even vote for a build to win a “Fan Favorite Award.” 

This year’s vehicles will include mixture of internal-combustion engines and electric. In addition to the Fan Favorite Award, a panel of judges will select an overall winner to be named SEMA PRO Cup Challenge champion.

“The variety of vehicles in this year’s PRO Cup Challenge will surely show restyling shops how they can use traditional restyling products as well as some new products and services to build packages,” said PRO Chair Josh Poulson. “There will be a good mixture of truck accessories, film products, interior products, 12-volt products and no doubt some show-stopping new products to create these exciting builds.”

SEMA Showgoers can witness the competition in action and see the vehicle builds up close by visiting PRO Booth #50185 during SEMA Show week. The SEMA PRO Cup Challenge Winner and Fan Favorite Award Winner will be announced during the SEMA Show PRO Booth Happy Hour, November 2, at 4:00 p.m.  

Learn more at www.sema.org/pro-cup-challenge.

NMRA, NMCA Release 2023 Event Schedules

ProMedia has released the 2023 schedules for the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals series and the Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals series. The Holley NMRA Ford Nationals series will celebrate its 25th year in 2023, with several special features and celebrations planned to mark the occasion. The NMCA slate, meanwhile, features one new track and five familiar venues. For more information, visit nmradigital.com and nmcadigital.com.

2023 Holley NMRA Ford Nationals Schedule
March 2–5: 29th Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout
Orlando Speed World, Orlando, FL

April 13–16: 15th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, NC

May 4–7: 18th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, IL

June 8–11: 23rd Annual NMRA Ford Performance Nationals
Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH

July 20–23: 3rd Annual NMRA/NMCA Power Festival
US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, MI

Sept. 28–Oct. 1: 24th Annual NMRA World Finals + Holley Ford Fest
Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling Green, KY

2023 Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Schedule
March 16–19: 21st Annual NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem
Orlando Speed World, Orlando, FL

April 13–16: 15th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, NC

May 4–7: 18th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, IL

July 20–23: 3rd Annual NMRA/NMCA Power Festival
US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, MI

August 24–27: 22nd Annual NMCA All-American Nationals
Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH

September 21–24: 22nd Annual NMCA World Street Finals
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis, IN

Extreme E Launches Initiative for New Mechanical, Engineering Talent

Extreme E—the all-electric SUV racing series that aims to raise awareness about environmental issues—has launched a new “Racing for All” initiative to create opportunities for new mechanical and engineering talent to join the series.

Extreme E teams are limited to five mechanics or engineers each, but the Racing for All initiative provides an additional position for a sixth member to gain hands-on experience. This position is open to those with less than one year’s professional motorsports experience to learn what it takes to be part of a professional race team. This will help provide the first step on the career ladder in a competitive industry.

Women, people of a minority ethnicity and people of lower socioeconomic backgrounds are encouraged to apply if interested in this opportunity. The program aims to remove the “barriers of opportunity and bias throughout the motorsports talent pipeline from primary school age to those already in the industry.” These barriers have been identified in The Hamilton Commission’s report—Accelerating Change: Improving Representation of Black People in UK Motorsport—and programs such as FIA’s Girls on Track. For more information and to apply, visit extreme-e.com/en/racing-for-all.

Giants RB Antonio Williams Joins NHRA’s Foley Lewis Racing

Foley Lewis Racing (FLR)—the NHRA Top Fuel drag racing team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, and headed by Doug Foley and Tim Lewis—has announced Antonio Williams as its news director of business development. Williams is the current running back for the New York Giants. The Foley Lewis Racing team will race next at the 38th annual Pep Boys Nationals, September 15–18, at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit foleylewisracing.com.

For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.

By Ashley Reyes

As the electric-vehicle (EV) aftermarket evolves and changes, engineers, programmers and product developers must understand how to keep an electric vehicle battery safe and at peak performance levels.

During the webinar “EV Calibration” presented by the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN), September 28, at 12:30 p.m. (PDT), participants will learn how a battery’s vehicle control unit (VCU) operates and why it performs the way it does. Attendees will hear from Kirk Miller, an expert in the performance aftermarket who focuses on the tuner, EV and motorsports market segments. As vice president of sales and marketing for AEM Electronics/AEM EV, Miller will break down the basics for working on EVs.

This will be a detailed session covering information that is communicated to and from the battery management system (BMS), and what the VCU does with regard to reacting to performance demands and/or de-rating due to changes in temperature, current and voltage that are outside of what is determined to be ideal. Miller will answer participants’ questions live.

Register today. 

By Ashley Reyes

The wheel and tire aftermarket represents a diverse network of professionals from complementary backgrounds. Whether it be media or warehouse distributor, manufacturers or service providers, retailers, marketing gurus or manufacturing representatives, each discipline works together to establish a strong foundation that benefits the industry as a whole.  

To help its members build quality business relationships, expand their professional network, and learn how they can work with other wheel and tire companies, the SEMA Wheel & Tire Council (WTC) will host a virtual networking event on September 28 at 4:00 p.m. (PDT).  

Attendees will be introduced to other WTC members and meet members from complementary areas of expertise. Members within common disciplines will network among themselves, giving participants the greatest value. They will be able to discuss what their companies do, share pivotal moments in their careers, talk about current projects, career advice and more. If you work in the wheel and tire industry, start creating quality connections by registering today.

  By SEMA Editors

SEMA Show exhibitors and attendees preparing for the 2022 SEMA Show can lock in the guaranteed lowest hotel rate now by booking in the SEMA Show Block.

Making hotel reservations in the Block provides you with the most affordable and convenient options for a wide range of hotels located on and off the Strip.

Several Las Vegas hotels are offering free parking to those who book in the SEMA Show block.

All of the hotels available through the SEMA Show Block come with a low-price guarantee. To help ensure that your price remains the lowest, SEMA will price-match lower advertised rates, even after your reservations are set. Whether you're looking for your favorite place to stay, or for a hotel within close proximity to the Show, you can book with confidence knowing you will get the rooms you need at the the most affordable price available.

The SEMA Show also provides shuttle service to and from the Show for the hotels listed that are not within walking distance to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

There are more than 45 hotels available in the block. For more information on the hotels listed below, including rating, price per night and distance from the Las Vegas Convention Center, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Driving to the Show? See the list below for hotels offering free parking and book through the SEMA Show Block to secure your stay.

• Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – $269 per night
• Downtown Grand Las Vegas – $125.50 per night
• Encore – $265 per night
• Golden Nugget Las Vegas Hotel & Casino – $138 per night
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Flamingo – $282 per night
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Paradise – $281 per night
• OYO Hotel and Casino Las Vegas – $130 per night
• Palace Station – $115 per night
• SAHARA – $225 per night
• The Strat – $139 per night
• Tropicana – $105 per night
• Westin – $223 per night
• Wynn – $265 per night

Book your hotel now!

To reserve your booth for the 2022 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

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

Inside Sales Representative
Enthusiast Auto Holdings

The inside sales representative will be responsible for driving rapid sales and margin growth for ECS Tuning and Turner Motorsport through answering calls, emails, live chat and social-media channels, while providing customers with best-in-class service and support. This rapid growth will be achieved by closing new sales leads over the phone, live chat, email, social media/forums and retaining existing customers through service. Candidates must be a car enthusiast.

Manufacturing Process Engineer
Cognito Motorsports

Cognito Motorsports is hiring a manufacturing process engineer responsible for improving the processes, documentation and efficiencies applied at each stage of the product production cycle, from building-to-packaging-to-shipping. This position will work with cross-functional teams, including engineering, manufacturing, assembly/packaging, marketing and contract manufacturers to establish and refine production processes and workflows. Additional responsibilities include concurrently developing, reviewing and improving detailed bills of operations for new and existing products with a focus on manufacturing and assembly efficiency, quality control, repeatability and timely completion.

Powertrain Calibration Technician
Edelbrock Group

Edelbrock Group is hiring a powertrain calibration technician to support customers by supplying the proper calibrations for their vehicles, troubleshoot customer issues with supercharger installation, install test instrumentation on research and development vehicles and run power curves and emissions traces on chassis dynos. Candidates should have a EFI tuning school certificate and a minimum of five years of experience calibrating powertrains.