“Power Buyers” Reveal How They Find Products

Developing a great product is only the first step in creating a successful business. The next is to get that product into the hands of consumers. To do that, manufacturers need to forge links in the distribution chain, moving their products to the warehouse distributors, jobbers and retail outlets that eventually place the parts in the hands of end users.

Providing young automotive enthusiasts with an opportunity to develop and showcase their talents while being exposed to the automotive aftermarket industry, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow was launched in 2008 at the Race & Performance Expo in St. Charles, Illinois, and has been invited to compete at the SEMA Show every year since its inception. The organization’s goal is to reach out to high-school students before they graduate in order to provide much-needed future talent for the automotive specialty-equipment market.

New products from SEMA member companies, including Snap-on Equipment, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, SPA Turbo USA, EngineQuest, H3R Performance and more.

Enhance and streamline your 2012 SEMA Show experience by using the newly created SEMA Show app for smartphones. Attendees can use the free, innovative digital resource to navigate the Show floor, locate exhibitors and plan for education sessions. The new app even allows users to search for exhibiting companies by product category and then communicate with them to set appointments.

The SEMA Mustang Build—Powered by Women, launched by the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), spotlights women working in the automotive aftermarket and encourages women to pursue careers in the industry. Ford Motor Co. donated a ’13 Mustang GT for the project to be modified entirely by SBN members.

Kick off the 2012 SEMA Show with award-winning automotive designer and television celebrity Chip Foose and the 2012 SEMA Show New Products Breakfast, Tuesday morning, October 30, in the Las Vegas Hotel. As keynote speaker for the annual breakfast, Foose will share stories and inspire attendees as the SEMA Show’s New Products Awards are announced and presented.

Moving indoors at 7:30 p.m., the party continues with comedian Christopher Titus performing throughout the evening. Titus, who currently has three one-hour specials running on Comedy Central, starred in a self-titled sitcom on Fox called “Titus.” The show earned Titus a Writer’s Guild nomination as well as an Emmy nomination.

Insider Tips for Taking Full Advantage of the 2012 Show

As a buyer, you realize that the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas is the world’s premier automotive aftermarket trade event—and you wouldn’t miss it for the world. Yet with so many business opportunities concentrated under one roof at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), how do you make the most of your Show experience? It’s not easy to cover more than 1 million sq. ft. of products, exhibits, display vehicles and special events in just a few, short days. With the Show rapidly approaching, now is the time to get organized and establish your game plan. Here are eight insider tips to get you started.

By now you’ve likely heard news that this year’s SEMA Show is tracking at near-record levels. When the Show opens October 30, we’ll have more than 2,100 exhibiting companies, 1,500 custom rides, close to 1,800 new products in the Ideas Alive showcase and more qualified buyer attendees than ever before. The SEMA Show is once again set to deliver the best of our industry’s innovative genius gathered into a single, highly effective marketplace.

We’re shining a spotlight on “Innovations of Generations”—celebrating the accomplishments of our past but also highlighting the advances and innovations being led by our younger industry members.

Rolling Art Loaded With Specialty Equipment

Industry professionals from across the country and around the world will gather at the Las Vegas Convention Center from October 30 through November 2 to learn about the newest releases in automotive specialty equipment. There, they will make business connections that will bring innovative products to consumers during the coming year. Many of the products to be introduced by the approximately 2,000 exhibiting companies will be showcased on the vehicles for which they are intended. For the past few years, SEMA News has previewed dozens of these automotive artworks, and we’ve renewed the tradition once more for 2012. Enjoy a foretaste of the 2012 SEMA Show feature vehicles in the following pages, and get ready to see many more in Las Vegas!