Advice for First-Time (and Even Long-Time) Exhibitors
More than 130,000 automotive industry professionals will attend the 2014 SEMA Show, November 4–7, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), and more than 60,000 of them will be buyers searching the aisles for products to carry in their retail outlets and installation centers. Historically, 87% of those buyers plan to purchase products from the Show’s exhibitors. With some forethought, a bit of research and a successful strategy, even first-time exhibitors can take full advantage of those sales opportunities at what has become the largest annual gathering of small businesses in the United States.
You might be able to start a nail with a screwdriver, but it’s a whole lot easier with a hammer. The proper tool makes any task flow more smoothly—and automotive machining and modification are certainly the beneficiaries of tool and equipment innovations. A wealth of working gear was introduced in the New Products Showcase at the 2013 SEMA Show. We’ve gathered them together on the next few pages for your review and enjoyment. There may be a gem here that can make your next undertaking more of a joy and less of a job.
Off Road Warehouse Offers It All for Racers, Enthusiasts and Hobbyists
Off Road Warehouse (ORW) has been in business for more than 43 years. Off-road enthusiast and desert racer Howard Hughes (no relation to the business magnate and aviator) founded the company when he tired of having to get parts through mail order and recognized that others who raced and off-roaded felt the same. He started with a small location in a suburb of San Diego, California, and eventually opened two more stores in the area.
New Introductions and Featured Parts From the 2013 SEMA Show
The restoration marketplace includes not only matching-number renovations of classic cars and trucks but also original-appearing vehicles that have been updated with modern running gear and comfort features. The restomod projects encompass a large portion of the vehicles that many shops now build, but there is also an abundance of nostalgia and traditional projects that call for period- and OE-correct components. On the following pages, we’ve assembled a listing of the restoration parts that were featured in the New Products Showcase at the 2013 SEMA Show. Also included are comments about restoration market trends by professionals who manufacture, distribute or use many of the products found on these pages.
Car-Care and Restyling Products From the 2013 SEMA Show
From classic cars to today’s modern muscle, every automobile requires care, and each can also benefit from components that may subtly or outrageously change a vehicle’s appearance. At the 2013 SEMA Show, dozens of products were displayed under the car-care and restyling classifications in the New Products Showcase. The range of innovation ran from spoiler sunroofs and body side moldings to polishes, waxes and protective films. We’ve gathered the full contingent for your perusal here, along with comments on industry trends from a few executives who represent some of the industry’s leading car-care companies.
Quality Components for Fun Machines
Motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft—small on size, big on entertainment value. And the New Products Showcase at the 2013 SEMA Show was brimming with powersports accessories designed to boost performance, add functionality and enhance appearance. The next few pages highlight the new and featured products displayed in the powersports category of the Showcase.
Integrating Wireless Technology Holds Boundless Potential
Connected-car technology continues to flourish in the mobile-electronics segment of the automotive aftermarket. Wi-Fi, smartphones and tablets now allow users to bring their apps and content into their vehicles and link wirelessly to onboard electronics, providing greater degrees of personalization.
A Look at Areas of Interest for Specialty-Equipment Companies
For this story, we have drawn upon information from a variety of sources that, taken together, may suggest business trends. SEMA’s trade show data, new-vehicle sales, educational tendencies and other indicators are some of these often-overlooked sources. What follows is a look at some of the areas of interest that may show where business is headed in the near future.
Preview of a New Report on the Side-by-Side Accessory Marketplace
Spurred by the growth in the number of utility task vehicles (UTVs) over the last decade, SEMA recently released a new report examining the size, types of accessories and accessory purchasing processes involved in this burgeoning powersports segment.
UTVs, also known as side-by-sides, evolved as an offshoot of the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) market. The earliest models were spawned by the need for greater cargo capacity for those who used three- and four-wheel cycles for work tasks on farms, job sites, golf courses and other areas where off-road performance was required but a fullsize pickup was unnecessary or too cumbersome.
The wheel segment continues to be among the most robust in the automotive specialty-equipment industry, as evidenced by the dozens of wheel manufacturers that exhibited at the recent SEMA Show. Wheel builders continue to refine manufacturing techniques such as laser cutting for high-quality surface finishes and evolving designs that include deep concaves, mesh spokes and revolving caps. The following pages highlight some of the innovations from exhibitors in the Wheels & Accessories section, as seen in the 2013 SEMA Show New Products Showcase.
