Election season is over, and SEMA is now focused on the new legislative sessions in Washington and state capitols across the nation. Heading into 2019, this column provides a brief update on some key federal initiatives.
With the 2018 SEMA Show in the books, the industry collectively turns to follow-up. For exhibitors and buyers, pursuing leads and contacts from the Show can lay the foundation for a successful year ahead. Likewise here at SEMA, the weeks following the Show are filled with post-Show assessments, including gauging where the industry is headed.
It’s no secret that data—in simplest terms, information—has become an important driver of business success. Through use of data, businesses can develop more informed strategies, and optimize outcomes. Which is another way of saying that the more you know, the better your chances to work smarter and boost revenue. Data, and the interpretation of data, directly translates to a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Data creates opportunity. Unfortunately, not every small business can focus on data development while in the heat of battle.
It’s exciting to see that the industry is once again poised to unveil another burst of innovation, as evidenced by the broad array of new products and extraordinary vehicles slated to appear on the SEMA Show floor.
Based on years of casual input, surveys and observation, the SEMA Show team has gathered a very useful collection of the tips and tricks used by seasoned buyer attendees to make the most of the SEMA Show. “Expert buyers” come to the Show knowing what they are looking for, cover new ground efficiently, and take advantage of every available resource.
The SEMA Show, a global marketplace that mirrors the industry, creates an environment that annually attracts some 70,000 buyers seeking new products and new ideas. For exhibitors, it’s an opportunity to attract new customers to their booths, generate productive conversations, and build brands and customer lists in one short week.
SEMA is an industry collective representing all facets of the specialty aftermarket, and we are fortunate that our industry is also part of a rich American automotive culture. In this issue of SEMA News, we honor individuals who have made a distinct contribution to our industry through invention, innovative practices or conspicuously outstanding service. Their stories will be added to the trove of life stories we admire in the SEMA Hall of Fame. But the Hall of Fame is just one way in which the association seeks to gather and preserve our industry’s unique slice of automotive history and heritage. SEMA is working on other fronts as well.
As we write this, preparations for the 2018 SEMA Show are in full swing. Booth selection is nearly complete, and exhibiting companies are already coordinating with the staff at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, to firm up plans for the upcoming Show. As we construct the Show each year, the focus is on creating value for exhibitors and making sure to include productive opportunities for buyers to do business. In the process, we look for new ideas to build on the shoulders of the SEMA Show, to expand audiences and create more excitement not only within the industry but beyond the Show walls to the consumer world as well.
Over the years, SEMA has played a role helping our members see upcoming opportunities—and challenges—by looking at prior-year industry sales data. To that end, the association provides a research department that publishes studies documenting both industry growth and recession and establishing data about the size of the various markets that make up our large and extremely varied specialty products industry.
At a recent SEMA Town Hall meeting held at the K&N facility in Riverside, California, an attendee asked what SEMA is doing to help build the next generation of enthusiasts and to get young people interested in automotive careers. It’s a question that takes time to answer, because SEMA has long been working on a variety of programs and initiatives to enhance youth engagement and highlight career paths open to students.
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