The Hottest Vehicles of the SEMA Show

During the 2013 SEMA Show, the SEMA Award for Hottest 4x4-SUV went to the Jeep Wrangler. This well-deserved honor was the result of the Wrangler's dominant presence throughout the Show. Here now are some examples of builders turning stock Wranglers into rolling, rugged masterpieces. Take time to scroll through each entry and notice that in every writeup, there are direct links to manufacturers with 2013-2014 Jeep Wrangler accessories.

“The SEMA Show has always been the annual event where the newest and most innovative products are seen first,” said Chris J. Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. “The SEMA Award celebrates the industry’s unique ability to identify and set the trends that influence consumers worldwide. It also underscores the cooperative relationship between the automakers and SEMA-member companies.”

SEMA Show Exhibitors Share Their Perspectives

The 2013 SEMA Show was the biggest in the event’s 47-year history, with more than 126,000 people converging on the Las Vegas Convention Center to do business at the world’s largest annual automotive trade show. We visited a few random exhibitors to ask how the Show was going from their perspective, and this is what we heard.

Vulnerability Awaiting Plunder

“With data collection, ‘the sooner the better’ is always the best answer.”—Marissa Mayer

It’s a simple truth in today’s business environment: Data is driving business like never before, whether it’s data about customers, products, competitors or any number of other factors that determine how well informed we are. For those of us in the automotive specialty-equipment trade, “data” is typically talked about in terms of product data—all of the properly presented words, numbers and pictures that illustrate the full rich value, function and desirability of a particular product.

SEMA-Member Companies Donate Parts for Scholarship Engine—a 700-plus-hp Dart LS Next Package

Launched two years ago, the SEMA Scholarship Engine Project has enjoyed support from nearly two dozen manufacturers and the talents of noted engine builder Ed Pink. The first year saw a 347ci small-block Ford engine go on the auction block, while a 405ci small-block Chevy was built last year. Both engines featured Dart SHP iron blocks and SHP aluminum cylinder heads.

The SEMA Show is now a wrap. The 2013 Show featured nearly 2,400 exhibitors and covered more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.

The benefits to Show exhibitors included access to more than 60,000 buyers and the chance to work with manufacturers, such as Ford, Scion and Hyundai, on project vehicles that showcased their products as they were intended to be used.

Buyers from 135 countries descended on Las Vegas to meet with exhibitors at the 2013 SEMA Show and take part in numerous international programs. In fact, 25% of all buyers at the 2013 SEMA Show were from beyond U.S. shores, which was good news for exhibitors seeking to broaden their customer bases.

In the next issue of SEMA News, we will look at other international activities held at the 2013 SEMA Show, including coverage of the international journalists who served on the Global Media Award panel. These leading media outlets from 20 countries were charged with selecting the top 10 products each believed would sell best in their home markets. We will explore insights into their vehicle customization markets and their reasons for their selections.

As a trade-only event, the SEMA Show requires attendees to demonstrate involvement in the automotive aftermarket in order to gain a badge. Although there are instances where guests and VIPs are allowed to visit the Show, the vast majority of the more than 126,000 attendees are members of the industry. And yet data indicates that the SEMA Show is more than ever before boosting consumer perceptions of automotive culture, the idea of customization and interest in the latest model year’s offerings of cars and trucks.

The SEMA Show has long attracted coverage from the enthusiast media, centered on racing heroes, the newest performance technologies and tuner-culture builders, such as Chip Foose. As a result, there is high awareness among the core group of enthusiasts who fix, repair and modify practically every car they own.

Ford F-750 and Corvette Z07 Prototype?

How Robust Data Has Improved Business

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC), the industry-owned data repository, moved from Beta phase into full operation just last summer. Since then there’s been a lot of talk about “clean data” and the need for manufacturers within the specialty-equipment industry to “take control” of it. ACES, PIES, long descriptions and even product photos and videos are now critical to sales in today’s digital age.