Annual Summit and Gala Mark Association’s 50th Year

As the specialty-equipment industry’s premier trade association, SEMA relies on elected volunteers to serve on its Board of Directors and in positions of council leadership. Representing every segment of the automotive aftermarket, these industry professionals are dedicated to the advancement of marketing, regulatory and business standards and practices that promote industry growth for all. In short, they are on the front lines identifying challenges and opportunities facing the industry and crafting policies and programs to address them. To support and recognize their efforts, SEMA holds a series of intensive Leadership Days events each year, with this year’s gathering held principally at the Sheraton Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California, July 24–25.

On July 12, 2013, SEMA-member companies joined with SEMA staff and thousands of enthusiasts to celebrate the fourth annual Collector Car Appreciation Day (CCAD). Official events were held in the United States, Canada and Australia to commemorate the day, designated by a SEMA-requested U.S. Senate resolution.

Sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), the U.S. Senate resolution recognized “that the collection and restoration of historic and classic cars is an important part of preserving the technological achievements and cultural heritage of the United States.” Lawmakers in states, provinces, counties and cities have followed the Senate’s lead by adopting their own resolutions. This year’s participants included: Michigan; New Mexico; New York; Manitoba, Canada; Nova Scotia, Canada; Las Vegas, Nevada; Madera County, California; York County, Virginia; and Washington Parish, Louisiana.

Take Advantage of the Programs, Promotions and Tools

The SEMA Show is the world’s most valuable automotive specialty-equipment trade show. More than 2,100 companies have already secured space for the 2013 event, including more than 415 first-time exhibitors. And while the information provided here is particularly urgent for those who are new to the SEMA Show, it is also must-know content for all exhibiting manufacturers.

More than 130,000 industry professionals are expected at the Show, which is open only to those individuals who are employed in the automotive industry. It is designed to provide manufacturers of automotive products and accessories with a venue to connect and do business with buyers from throughout the world, so the better informed exhibitors are, the more successful their experience will be.

The Vehicle Technology Center (VTC) held a prominent position in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center at the 2012 SEMA Show, drawing greater attention and attendance than ever before. The VTC and Technology Briefing Seminar (TBS) program will be returning to the 2013 SEMA Show, providing attendees with new levels of education through the program’s vehicle technology keynotes, briefing sessions and workshops.

The association’s vehicle technology programs, initiatives and relationships are investments in SEMA’s collective future. The purpose of the VTC and the accompanying TBS program is to inform SEMA members about the latest vehicle technologies and introduce them to the programs, resources, partners, solutions and benefits available to them at affordable costs as well as show them how to protect their businesses in the face of disruptive and advanced technological change. Advanced vehicle technologies are integral to both the relevance and the future of SEMA. To ignore their impact is a fundamental mistake. Disruptive technologies don’t totally eliminate existing vehicle technologies, but they do often eliminate unprepared businesses and companies.

Automakers Predict Growth, Show Newest Models

Auto-sales analysts are predicting growth in car sales overall—some to levels as high as 15.4 million for 2013. That would be good news for aftermarket manufacturers and retailers, as unit growth in the types of vehicles that enthusiasts tend to customize continues to gain momentum.

New Models Take Center Stage

A host of cars and trucks that could be important to SEMA-member retailers and manufacturers were debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Among those likely to be of interest to enthusiasts and the companies that serve them are the ’14 Corvette, ’14 Lexus IS and ’14 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Also shown was a concept version of what is thought to be Ford’s next F-Series pickup. If there was a single theme to the show, it was about enhancing mileage without sacrificing performance.

The Los Angeles Auto Show has a reputation as a “green car” event that skews heavily toward advanced technology. This year’s show was consistent with that image, but there were more than a few debuts of high-volume production vehicles that will matter to SEMA members, along with an unusual number of interesting concept vehicles that may point the way to the future. Here are some that caught our eye.