SEMA News—November 2015

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archive

Biggest Year Ever

What a difference a year makes. While the first High Performance and Custom Trade Show drew about 100 exhibitors to the drafty halls of Dodger Stadium in 1967, the second edition a year later moved to the modern, well-lit Anaheim Convention Center, where 140 exhibitors used 201 10x10-ft. booths to display their products and make their 1968 sales pitches to 3,800 distributors and dealers from all over this country, Mexico and Canada.

Ray Brock, publisher of Hot Rod Industry News (HRIN), proudly trotted out those facts in his editorial column for the trade magazine’s February 1968 issue, which featured extensive event coverage.

Already, attendees and show organizers—as well as Brock and other HRIN writers—were abbreviating the event’s cumbersome official name to “The SEMA Show,” helped, no doubt, by the SEMA-themed banners hung throughout the hall. The 1968 event kicked off with a cocktail and dinner party for the exhibitors, hosted by Robert E. and Margie Petersen at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. On Thursday night, SEMA’s annual holiday banquet closed the show. In between were shop tours, product demonstrations and lots of face time in the booths. “Activities for the ladies” included sightseeing trips to historic Olvera Street and the “newly moored” Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Among the trends cited by writer Bob Leif in his show coverage: Volkswagen speed equipment (“the VW is another flathead,” he said), off-roading (a “new market getting a good portion of dealer interest”), high-performance apparel, fiberglass items (“everything from hoods to bodies”) and even smog-friendly speed parts.

The California Air Resources Board had a booth with a VW Squareback “equipped with a new fuel injection system, and a pair of engines that featured speed items such as manifolds and cam,” Leif wrote. “Jardine headers even displayed some models that were equipped with the air pump openings. It looks like a good year coming up for both the high performance business and the smog legislators, now that it’s been found out that we can all work together to solve some of our common problems.”

Leif may have been a bit optimistic there, but he was closer to the mark when he predicted that 1968 “will be the biggest year ever for the high performance and custom field. We don’t make that statement idly, as several of the guests at the show noted that they were presently in the process of expanding their facilities or moving to larger quarters to handle the increased flow of business through their doors.”

Brock, too, was bullish, noting that 1968’s exhibitors used just half of the convention hall’s available 100,000 sq. ft.

“Next year we anticipate using at least three-fourths of the hall, or 75,000 sq. ft. and, who knows, maybe by 1970 we will have the whole hall filled with specialty equipment manufacturer exhibits,” he noted.

In fact, the hall that seemed so spacious and accommodating would hold the SEMA Show for fewer than 10 years before a new, bigger venue was chosen—Las Vegas.

SEMA News—November 2015

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archive

Biggest Year Ever

What a difference a year makes. While the first High Performance and Custom Trade Show drew about 100 exhibitors to the drafty halls of Dodger Stadium in 1967, the second edition a year later moved to the modern, well-lit Anaheim Convention Center, where 140 exhibitors used 201 10x10-ft. booths to display their products and make their 1968 sales pitches to 3,800 distributors and dealers from all over this country, Mexico and Canada.

Ray Brock, publisher of Hot Rod Industry News (HRIN), proudly trotted out those facts in his editorial column for the trade magazine’s February 1968 issue, which featured extensive event coverage.

Already, attendees and show organizers—as well as Brock and other HRIN writers—were abbreviating the event’s cumbersome official name to “The SEMA Show,” helped, no doubt, by the SEMA-themed banners hung throughout the hall. The 1968 event kicked off with a cocktail and dinner party for the exhibitors, hosted by Robert E. and Margie Petersen at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. On Thursday night, SEMA’s annual holiday banquet closed the show. In between were shop tours, product demonstrations and lots of face time in the booths. “Activities for the ladies” included sightseeing trips to historic Olvera Street and the “newly moored” Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Among the trends cited by writer Bob Leif in his show coverage: Volkswagen speed equipment (“the VW is another flathead,” he said), off-roading (a “new market getting a good portion of dealer interest”), high-performance apparel, fiberglass items (“everything from hoods to bodies”) and even smog-friendly speed parts.

The California Air Resources Board had a booth with a VW Squareback “equipped with a new fuel injection system, and a pair of engines that featured speed items such as manifolds and cam,” Leif wrote. “Jardine headers even displayed some models that were equipped with the air pump openings. It looks like a good year coming up for both the high performance business and the smog legislators, now that it’s been found out that we can all work together to solve some of our common problems.”

Leif may have been a bit optimistic there, but he was closer to the mark when he predicted that 1968 “will be the biggest year ever for the high performance and custom field. We don’t make that statement idly, as several of the guests at the show noted that they were presently in the process of expanding their facilities or moving to larger quarters to handle the increased flow of business through their doors.”

Brock, too, was bullish, noting that 1968’s exhibitors used just half of the convention hall’s available 100,000 sq. ft.

“Next year we anticipate using at least three-fourths of the hall, or 75,000 sq. ft. and, who knows, maybe by 1970 we will have the whole hall filled with specialty equipment manufacturer exhibits,” he noted.

In fact, the hall that seemed so spacious and accommodating would hold the SEMA Show for fewer than 10 years before a new, bigger venue was chosen—Las Vegas.

SEMA News—November 2015

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archive

Biggest Year Ever

What a difference a year makes. While the first High Performance and Custom Trade Show drew about 100 exhibitors to the drafty halls of Dodger Stadium in 1967, the second edition a year later moved to the modern, well-lit Anaheim Convention Center, where 140 exhibitors used 201 10x10-ft. booths to display their products and make their 1968 sales pitches to 3,800 distributors and dealers from all over this country, Mexico and Canada.

Ray Brock, publisher of Hot Rod Industry News (HRIN), proudly trotted out those facts in his editorial column for the trade magazine’s February 1968 issue, which featured extensive event coverage.

Already, attendees and show organizers—as well as Brock and other HRIN writers—were abbreviating the event’s cumbersome official name to “The SEMA Show,” helped, no doubt, by the SEMA-themed banners hung throughout the hall. The 1968 event kicked off with a cocktail and dinner party for the exhibitors, hosted by Robert E. and Margie Petersen at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. On Thursday night, SEMA’s annual holiday banquet closed the show. In between were shop tours, product demonstrations and lots of face time in the booths. “Activities for the ladies” included sightseeing trips to historic Olvera Street and the “newly moored” Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Among the trends cited by writer Bob Leif in his show coverage: Volkswagen speed equipment (“the VW is another flathead,” he said), off-roading (a “new market getting a good portion of dealer interest”), high-performance apparel, fiberglass items (“everything from hoods to bodies”) and even smog-friendly speed parts.

The California Air Resources Board had a booth with a VW Squareback “equipped with a new fuel injection system, and a pair of engines that featured speed items such as manifolds and cam,” Leif wrote. “Jardine headers even displayed some models that were equipped with the air pump openings. It looks like a good year coming up for both the high performance business and the smog legislators, now that it’s been found out that we can all work together to solve some of our common problems.”

Leif may have been a bit optimistic there, but he was closer to the mark when he predicted that 1968 “will be the biggest year ever for the high performance and custom field. We don’t make that statement idly, as several of the guests at the show noted that they were presently in the process of expanding their facilities or moving to larger quarters to handle the increased flow of business through their doors.”

Brock, too, was bullish, noting that 1968’s exhibitors used just half of the convention hall’s available 100,000 sq. ft.

“Next year we anticipate using at least three-fourths of the hall, or 75,000 sq. ft. and, who knows, maybe by 1970 we will have the whole hall filled with specialty equipment manufacturer exhibits,” he noted.

In fact, the hall that seemed so spacious and accommodating would hold the SEMA Show for fewer than 10 years before a new, bigger venue was chosen—Las Vegas.

SEMA News—November 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Continuous Improvement: Responding to Your Feedback

The 2015 SEMA Show is upon us, but when the Show is over, don’t be surprised if we ask for your feedback. Our annual post-Show survey goes out to more than 3,000 Show attendees. It is part of our process to provide a SEMA Show and an association that are responsive to needs, lead the industry to future opportunities and deliver return on investment. We consider it essential, and you should, too.

Here are a few facts to consider:

• Since 1990, our industry has grown 500%, from $7.2 billion to $36.2 billion.
• New-vehicle technology is developing rapidly as computers increasingly control most of a car’s systems.
• Advanced manufacturing systems can develop prototypes in a matter of hours.
• The world has gone online, connecting our industry and its products to customers more quickly but often less personally.
• Data is becoming a key business asset and need.

Your feedback to SEMA has led to new member resources, such as our vehicle technology initiatives, the SEMA Garage and the SEMA Data Co-op. At this year’s SEMA Show, you’ll be able to see firsthand some of the tools and services SEMA is offering under these initiatives.

In the Convention Center’s Grand Lobby, now known as SEMA Central, Show attendees can learn about our vehicle CAD library and our 3D scanning services, along with a chance to meet SEMA staff experts to learn how to certify your products for emissions regulations. You can also find out about the SEMA Data Co-op’s new SEMA Search, which gives industry members a powerful look-up tool that contains all the brands and products in the SEMA Data Co-op. This is your invitation to come by and say hello.

Another big opportunity is about improving consumer awareness. (We think of it as stoking the growth of the gearhead nation.) Social media gives us new opportunities to reach more consumers than ever before. One of the newest and most visible tactics has been the creation of SEMA Ignited, the consumer-facing, social-media-friendly event held on Friday after the SEMA Show.

Ignited allows enthusiast customers to interact directly with SEMA Show exhibitors and allows exhibitors to leverage their SEMA Show investments by gaining more exposure for their brands and products. We estimate that more than 10,000 people will attend, but perhaps more significantly, the event is designed to leverage the reach of new media. Factor in thousands of consumers with their cell-phone cameras, and this event has the potential to reach consumers like never before. And the event works for traditional media as well. Last year’s one-hour television special on Velocity Network, “SEMA Battle of the Builders,” drew more than
2 million viewers.

Speaking of improvement, SEMA Ignited will take place this year right across the street from the Convention Center, which will make it easier for Show exhibitors and attendees to participate. This time around, we have strengthened consumer marketing efforts, added attractions and revamped the layout, but just like last year, if you are a SEMA Show attendee, your badge will get you in.

Also based on information from our annual survey, we’ve worked to improve key Show features. For example, the New Products Showcase is now centrally located on the Skybridge. The New Products Showcase houses nearly 2,000 products, so we now offer free use of laser scanners that will allow attendees to capture product data more easily than ever. Busy buyers can scan the bar codes of products and receive the product data via e-mail.

We’ve also taken steps to create wider food options and new transportation upgrades, so there should be shorter lines and more time left to do business.

When all is said and done, this year’s SEMA Show will offer hundreds of improvements, large and small, that we hope will add up to a big difference. Our goal is to make the 2015 SEMA Show the best ever—and do even better in the years to come.

SEMA News—November 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Continuous Improvement: Responding to Your Feedback

The 2015 SEMA Show is upon us, but when the Show is over, don’t be surprised if we ask for your feedback. Our annual post-Show survey goes out to more than 3,000 Show attendees. It is part of our process to provide a SEMA Show and an association that are responsive to needs, lead the industry to future opportunities and deliver return on investment. We consider it essential, and you should, too.

Here are a few facts to consider:

• Since 1990, our industry has grown 500%, from $7.2 billion to $36.2 billion.
• New-vehicle technology is developing rapidly as computers increasingly control most of a car’s systems.
• Advanced manufacturing systems can develop prototypes in a matter of hours.
• The world has gone online, connecting our industry and its products to customers more quickly but often less personally.
• Data is becoming a key business asset and need.

Your feedback to SEMA has led to new member resources, such as our vehicle technology initiatives, the SEMA Garage and the SEMA Data Co-op. At this year’s SEMA Show, you’ll be able to see firsthand some of the tools and services SEMA is offering under these initiatives.

In the Convention Center’s Grand Lobby, now known as SEMA Central, Show attendees can learn about our vehicle CAD library and our 3D scanning services, along with a chance to meet SEMA staff experts to learn how to certify your products for emissions regulations. You can also find out about the SEMA Data Co-op’s new SEMA Search, which gives industry members a powerful look-up tool that contains all the brands and products in the SEMA Data Co-op. This is your invitation to come by and say hello.

Another big opportunity is about improving consumer awareness. (We think of it as stoking the growth of the gearhead nation.) Social media gives us new opportunities to reach more consumers than ever before. One of the newest and most visible tactics has been the creation of SEMA Ignited, the consumer-facing, social-media-friendly event held on Friday after the SEMA Show.

Ignited allows enthusiast customers to interact directly with SEMA Show exhibitors and allows exhibitors to leverage their SEMA Show investments by gaining more exposure for their brands and products. We estimate that more than 10,000 people will attend, but perhaps more significantly, the event is designed to leverage the reach of new media. Factor in thousands of consumers with their cell-phone cameras, and this event has the potential to reach consumers like never before. And the event works for traditional media as well. Last year’s one-hour television special on Velocity Network, “SEMA Battle of the Builders,” drew more than
2 million viewers.

Speaking of improvement, SEMA Ignited will take place this year right across the street from the Convention Center, which will make it easier for Show exhibitors and attendees to participate. This time around, we have strengthened consumer marketing efforts, added attractions and revamped the layout, but just like last year, if you are a SEMA Show attendee, your badge will get you in.

Also based on information from our annual survey, we’ve worked to improve key Show features. For example, the New Products Showcase is now centrally located on the Skybridge. The New Products Showcase houses nearly 2,000 products, so we now offer free use of laser scanners that will allow attendees to capture product data more easily than ever. Busy buyers can scan the bar codes of products and receive the product data via e-mail.

We’ve also taken steps to create wider food options and new transportation upgrades, so there should be shorter lines and more time left to do business.

When all is said and done, this year’s SEMA Show will offer hundreds of improvements, large and small, that we hope will add up to a big difference. Our goal is to make the 2015 SEMA Show the best ever—and do even better in the years to come.

SEMA News—November 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Continuous Improvement: Responding to Your Feedback

The 2015 SEMA Show is upon us, but when the Show is over, don’t be surprised if we ask for your feedback. Our annual post-Show survey goes out to more than 3,000 Show attendees. It is part of our process to provide a SEMA Show and an association that are responsive to needs, lead the industry to future opportunities and deliver return on investment. We consider it essential, and you should, too.

Here are a few facts to consider:

• Since 1990, our industry has grown 500%, from $7.2 billion to $36.2 billion.
• New-vehicle technology is developing rapidly as computers increasingly control most of a car’s systems.
• Advanced manufacturing systems can develop prototypes in a matter of hours.
• The world has gone online, connecting our industry and its products to customers more quickly but often less personally.
• Data is becoming a key business asset and need.

Your feedback to SEMA has led to new member resources, such as our vehicle technology initiatives, the SEMA Garage and the SEMA Data Co-op. At this year’s SEMA Show, you’ll be able to see firsthand some of the tools and services SEMA is offering under these initiatives.

In the Convention Center’s Grand Lobby, now known as SEMA Central, Show attendees can learn about our vehicle CAD library and our 3D scanning services, along with a chance to meet SEMA staff experts to learn how to certify your products for emissions regulations. You can also find out about the SEMA Data Co-op’s new SEMA Search, which gives industry members a powerful look-up tool that contains all the brands and products in the SEMA Data Co-op. This is your invitation to come by and say hello.

Another big opportunity is about improving consumer awareness. (We think of it as stoking the growth of the gearhead nation.) Social media gives us new opportunities to reach more consumers than ever before. One of the newest and most visible tactics has been the creation of SEMA Ignited, the consumer-facing, social-media-friendly event held on Friday after the SEMA Show.

Ignited allows enthusiast customers to interact directly with SEMA Show exhibitors and allows exhibitors to leverage their SEMA Show investments by gaining more exposure for their brands and products. We estimate that more than 10,000 people will attend, but perhaps more significantly, the event is designed to leverage the reach of new media. Factor in thousands of consumers with their cell-phone cameras, and this event has the potential to reach consumers like never before. And the event works for traditional media as well. Last year’s one-hour television special on Velocity Network, “SEMA Battle of the Builders,” drew more than
2 million viewers.

Speaking of improvement, SEMA Ignited will take place this year right across the street from the Convention Center, which will make it easier for Show exhibitors and attendees to participate. This time around, we have strengthened consumer marketing efforts, added attractions and revamped the layout, but just like last year, if you are a SEMA Show attendee, your badge will get you in.

Also based on information from our annual survey, we’ve worked to improve key Show features. For example, the New Products Showcase is now centrally located on the Skybridge. The New Products Showcase houses nearly 2,000 products, so we now offer free use of laser scanners that will allow attendees to capture product data more easily than ever. Busy buyers can scan the bar codes of products and receive the product data via e-mail.

We’ve also taken steps to create wider food options and new transportation upgrades, so there should be shorter lines and more time left to do business.

When all is said and done, this year’s SEMA Show will offer hundreds of improvements, large and small, that we hope will add up to a big difference. Our goal is to make the 2015 SEMA Show the best ever—and do even better in the years to come.

SEMA News—November 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Continuous Improvement: Responding to Your Feedback

The 2015 SEMA Show is upon us, but when the Show is over, don’t be surprised if we ask for your feedback. Our annual post-Show survey goes out to more than 3,000 Show attendees. It is part of our process to provide a SEMA Show and an association that are responsive to needs, lead the industry to future opportunities and deliver return on investment. We consider it essential, and you should, too.

Here are a few facts to consider:

• Since 1990, our industry has grown 500%, from $7.2 billion to $36.2 billion.
• New-vehicle technology is developing rapidly as computers increasingly control most of a car’s systems.
• Advanced manufacturing systems can develop prototypes in a matter of hours.
• The world has gone online, connecting our industry and its products to customers more quickly but often less personally.
• Data is becoming a key business asset and need.

Your feedback to SEMA has led to new member resources, such as our vehicle technology initiatives, the SEMA Garage and the SEMA Data Co-op. At this year’s SEMA Show, you’ll be able to see firsthand some of the tools and services SEMA is offering under these initiatives.

In the Convention Center’s Grand Lobby, now known as SEMA Central, Show attendees can learn about our vehicle CAD library and our 3D scanning services, along with a chance to meet SEMA staff experts to learn how to certify your products for emissions regulations. You can also find out about the SEMA Data Co-op’s new SEMA Search, which gives industry members a powerful look-up tool that contains all the brands and products in the SEMA Data Co-op. This is your invitation to come by and say hello.

Another big opportunity is about improving consumer awareness. (We think of it as stoking the growth of the gearhead nation.) Social media gives us new opportunities to reach more consumers than ever before. One of the newest and most visible tactics has been the creation of SEMA Ignited, the consumer-facing, social-media-friendly event held on Friday after the SEMA Show.

Ignited allows enthusiast customers to interact directly with SEMA Show exhibitors and allows exhibitors to leverage their SEMA Show investments by gaining more exposure for their brands and products. We estimate that more than 10,000 people will attend, but perhaps more significantly, the event is designed to leverage the reach of new media. Factor in thousands of consumers with their cell-phone cameras, and this event has the potential to reach consumers like never before. And the event works for traditional media as well. Last year’s one-hour television special on Velocity Network, “SEMA Battle of the Builders,” drew more than
2 million viewers.

Speaking of improvement, SEMA Ignited will take place this year right across the street from the Convention Center, which will make it easier for Show exhibitors and attendees to participate. This time around, we have strengthened consumer marketing efforts, added attractions and revamped the layout, but just like last year, if you are a SEMA Show attendee, your badge will get you in.

Also based on information from our annual survey, we’ve worked to improve key Show features. For example, the New Products Showcase is now centrally located on the Skybridge. The New Products Showcase houses nearly 2,000 products, so we now offer free use of laser scanners that will allow attendees to capture product data more easily than ever. Busy buyers can scan the bar codes of products and receive the product data via e-mail.

We’ve also taken steps to create wider food options and new transportation upgrades, so there should be shorter lines and more time left to do business.

When all is said and done, this year’s SEMA Show will offer hundreds of improvements, large and small, that we hope will add up to a big difference. Our goal is to make the 2015 SEMA Show the best ever—and do even better in the years to come.

SEMA News—November 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Continuous Improvement: Responding to Your Feedback

The 2015 SEMA Show is upon us, but when the Show is over, don’t be surprised if we ask for your feedback. Our annual post-Show survey goes out to more than 3,000 Show attendees. It is part of our process to provide a SEMA Show and an association that are responsive to needs, lead the industry to future opportunities and deliver return on investment. We consider it essential, and you should, too.

Here are a few facts to consider:

• Since 1990, our industry has grown 500%, from $7.2 billion to $36.2 billion.
• New-vehicle technology is developing rapidly as computers increasingly control most of a car’s systems.
• Advanced manufacturing systems can develop prototypes in a matter of hours.
• The world has gone online, connecting our industry and its products to customers more quickly but often less personally.
• Data is becoming a key business asset and need.

Your feedback to SEMA has led to new member resources, such as our vehicle technology initiatives, the SEMA Garage and the SEMA Data Co-op. At this year’s SEMA Show, you’ll be able to see firsthand some of the tools and services SEMA is offering under these initiatives.

In the Convention Center’s Grand Lobby, now known as SEMA Central, Show attendees can learn about our vehicle CAD library and our 3D scanning services, along with a chance to meet SEMA staff experts to learn how to certify your products for emissions regulations. You can also find out about the SEMA Data Co-op’s new SEMA Search, which gives industry members a powerful look-up tool that contains all the brands and products in the SEMA Data Co-op. This is your invitation to come by and say hello.

Another big opportunity is about improving consumer awareness. (We think of it as stoking the growth of the gearhead nation.) Social media gives us new opportunities to reach more consumers than ever before. One of the newest and most visible tactics has been the creation of SEMA Ignited, the consumer-facing, social-media-friendly event held on Friday after the SEMA Show.

Ignited allows enthusiast customers to interact directly with SEMA Show exhibitors and allows exhibitors to leverage their SEMA Show investments by gaining more exposure for their brands and products. We estimate that more than 10,000 people will attend, but perhaps more significantly, the event is designed to leverage the reach of new media. Factor in thousands of consumers with their cell-phone cameras, and this event has the potential to reach consumers like never before. And the event works for traditional media as well. Last year’s one-hour television special on Velocity Network, “SEMA Battle of the Builders,” drew more than
2 million viewers.

Speaking of improvement, SEMA Ignited will take place this year right across the street from the Convention Center, which will make it easier for Show exhibitors and attendees to participate. This time around, we have strengthened consumer marketing efforts, added attractions and revamped the layout, but just like last year, if you are a SEMA Show attendee, your badge will get you in.

Also based on information from our annual survey, we’ve worked to improve key Show features. For example, the New Products Showcase is now centrally located on the Skybridge. The New Products Showcase houses nearly 2,000 products, so we now offer free use of laser scanners that will allow attendees to capture product data more easily than ever. Busy buyers can scan the bar codes of products and receive the product data via e-mail.

We’ve also taken steps to create wider food options and new transportation upgrades, so there should be shorter lines and more time left to do business.

When all is said and done, this year’s SEMA Show will offer hundreds of improvements, large and small, that we hope will add up to a big difference. Our goal is to make the 2015 SEMA Show the best ever—and do even better in the years to come.

SEMA News—November 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Continuous Improvement: Responding to Your Feedback

The 2015 SEMA Show is upon us, but when the Show is over, don’t be surprised if we ask for your feedback. Our annual post-Show survey goes out to more than 3,000 Show attendees. It is part of our process to provide a SEMA Show and an association that are responsive to needs, lead the industry to future opportunities and deliver return on investment. We consider it essential, and you should, too.

Here are a few facts to consider:

• Since 1990, our industry has grown 500%, from $7.2 billion to $36.2 billion.
• New-vehicle technology is developing rapidly as computers increasingly control most of a car’s systems.
• Advanced manufacturing systems can develop prototypes in a matter of hours.
• The world has gone online, connecting our industry and its products to customers more quickly but often less personally.
• Data is becoming a key business asset and need.

Your feedback to SEMA has led to new member resources, such as our vehicle technology initiatives, the SEMA Garage and the SEMA Data Co-op. At this year’s SEMA Show, you’ll be able to see firsthand some of the tools and services SEMA is offering under these initiatives.

In the Convention Center’s Grand Lobby, now known as SEMA Central, Show attendees can learn about our vehicle CAD library and our 3D scanning services, along with a chance to meet SEMA staff experts to learn how to certify your products for emissions regulations. You can also find out about the SEMA Data Co-op’s new SEMA Search, which gives industry members a powerful look-up tool that contains all the brands and products in the SEMA Data Co-op. This is your invitation to come by and say hello.

Another big opportunity is about improving consumer awareness. (We think of it as stoking the growth of the gearhead nation.) Social media gives us new opportunities to reach more consumers than ever before. One of the newest and most visible tactics has been the creation of SEMA Ignited, the consumer-facing, social-media-friendly event held on Friday after the SEMA Show.

Ignited allows enthusiast customers to interact directly with SEMA Show exhibitors and allows exhibitors to leverage their SEMA Show investments by gaining more exposure for their brands and products. We estimate that more than 10,000 people will attend, but perhaps more significantly, the event is designed to leverage the reach of new media. Factor in thousands of consumers with their cell-phone cameras, and this event has the potential to reach consumers like never before. And the event works for traditional media as well. Last year’s one-hour television special on Velocity Network, “SEMA Battle of the Builders,” drew more than
2 million viewers.

Speaking of improvement, SEMA Ignited will take place this year right across the street from the Convention Center, which will make it easier for Show exhibitors and attendees to participate. This time around, we have strengthened consumer marketing efforts, added attractions and revamped the layout, but just like last year, if you are a SEMA Show attendee, your badge will get you in.

Also based on information from our annual survey, we’ve worked to improve key Show features. For example, the New Products Showcase is now centrally located on the Skybridge. The New Products Showcase houses nearly 2,000 products, so we now offer free use of laser scanners that will allow attendees to capture product data more easily than ever. Busy buyers can scan the bar codes of products and receive the product data via e-mail.

We’ve also taken steps to create wider food options and new transportation upgrades, so there should be shorter lines and more time left to do business.

When all is said and done, this year’s SEMA Show will offer hundreds of improvements, large and small, that we hope will add up to a big difference. Our goal is to make the 2015 SEMA Show the best ever—and do even better in the years to come.

SEMA News—November 2015

CHRIS KERSTING

Continuous Improvement: Responding to Your Feedback

The 2015 SEMA Show is upon us, but when the Show is over, don’t be surprised if we ask for your feedback. Our annual post-Show survey goes out to more than 3,000 Show attendees. It is part of our process to provide a SEMA Show and an association that are responsive to needs, lead the industry to future opportunities and deliver return on investment. We consider it essential, and you should, too.

Here are a few facts to consider:

• Since 1990, our industry has grown 500%, from $7.2 billion to $36.2 billion.
• New-vehicle technology is developing rapidly as computers increasingly control most of a car’s systems.
• Advanced manufacturing systems can develop prototypes in a matter of hours.
• The world has gone online, connecting our industry and its products to customers more quickly but often less personally.
• Data is becoming a key business asset and need.

Your feedback to SEMA has led to new member resources, such as our vehicle technology initiatives, the SEMA Garage and the SEMA Data Co-op. At this year’s SEMA Show, you’ll be able to see firsthand some of the tools and services SEMA is offering under these initiatives.

In the Convention Center’s Grand Lobby, now known as SEMA Central, Show attendees can learn about our vehicle CAD library and our 3D scanning services, along with a chance to meet SEMA staff experts to learn how to certify your products for emissions regulations. You can also find out about the SEMA Data Co-op’s new SEMA Search, which gives industry members a powerful look-up tool that contains all the brands and products in the SEMA Data Co-op. This is your invitation to come by and say hello.

Another big opportunity is about improving consumer awareness. (We think of it as stoking the growth of the gearhead nation.) Social media gives us new opportunities to reach more consumers than ever before. One of the newest and most visible tactics has been the creation of SEMA Ignited, the consumer-facing, social-media-friendly event held on Friday after the SEMA Show.

Ignited allows enthusiast customers to interact directly with SEMA Show exhibitors and allows exhibitors to leverage their SEMA Show investments by gaining more exposure for their brands and products. We estimate that more than 10,000 people will attend, but perhaps more significantly, the event is designed to leverage the reach of new media. Factor in thousands of consumers with their cell-phone cameras, and this event has the potential to reach consumers like never before. And the event works for traditional media as well. Last year’s one-hour television special on Velocity Network, “SEMA Battle of the Builders,” drew more than
2 million viewers.

Speaking of improvement, SEMA Ignited will take place this year right across the street from the Convention Center, which will make it easier for Show exhibitors and attendees to participate. This time around, we have strengthened consumer marketing efforts, added attractions and revamped the layout, but just like last year, if you are a SEMA Show attendee, your badge will get you in.

Also based on information from our annual survey, we’ve worked to improve key Show features. For example, the New Products Showcase is now centrally located on the Skybridge. The New Products Showcase houses nearly 2,000 products, so we now offer free use of laser scanners that will allow attendees to capture product data more easily than ever. Busy buyers can scan the bar codes of products and receive the product data via e-mail.

We’ve also taken steps to create wider food options and new transportation upgrades, so there should be shorter lines and more time left to do business.

When all is said and done, this year’s SEMA Show will offer hundreds of improvements, large and small, that we hope will add up to a big difference. Our goal is to make the 2015 SEMA Show the best ever—and do even better in the years to come.