About 400 members of the automotive specialty-parts industry attended the 2018 SEMA Installation & Gala, themed “Success Starts Here,” at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City in Universal City, California, on July 20, to pay tribute to the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers. Jessi Combs and Kevin Oeste served as the evening’s emcees. Honorees included the SEMA Hall of Fame class of 2018—Donnie Eatherly, P&E Distributors; Ed Pink, Ed Pink’s Garage; and Chris Thomson, TMG Performance Products.

The purpose of the SEMA Show is to do business. Anything that gets in the way of that can be thought of as an obstruction, yet we all have to eat, especially since attending the SEMA Show can be a strenuous undertaking. It’s not unusual to walk many miles in a single day, so addressing the need to keep the fires burning without sacrificing too much floor time can be a challenge worthy of some consideration.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded $297,000 to 102 individuals this year. The financial awards included scholarships for current students and loan-forgiveness awards to employees of SEMA-member companies.

For many in the custom-car industry, the SEMA Battle of the Builders is a chance to prove that they are among the best. The 2017 competition began with nearly 300 applications from builders representing an elite group of individuals who have demonstrated extreme talent, creativity and craftsmanship in modifying cars, trucks and SUVs. The field was not only the largest to date but was also deep in entries of exceptional quality. This year also saw the expansion of the Young Guns recognition, which shines the light on young, up-and-coming builders in the automotive industry.

With an overall emphasis on advanced safety technologies and efficiency improvements, the LA Auto Show set the stage for new-model debuts and concept vehicles from top OEMs. Here’s a look at what’s new and specifically relevant for the specialty-equipment market.

A partnership now eight years in the making, WD-40 Co. and SEMA Cares have again teamed to create a one-of-a-kind build, with SEMA Cares’ partner charities—Childhelp and the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund—as the beneficiaries. Over the years, WD-40 has produced vehicles representing a variety of niches, partnering with automotive aftermarket companies to help turn ideas into reality.

The annual Global Tire Expo (GTE), powered by the Tire Industry Association (TIA), ran within the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. As it does every year, the GTE brought in large crowds as it continued to build on its mission to further its goals of education, industry advocacy and professionalism.

More than 3,000 automotive aftermarket professionals gathered on day three of the 2017 SEMA Show for the industry’s preeminent awards ceremony, the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, held at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas. The annual Thursday-evening banquet is where specialty-equipment business is set aside for a moment to allow innovators, leaders and legends to take center stage as they are recognized for their contributions to the $42 billion industry.

Nearly 500 members of the automotive specialty-equipment industry attended the 2017 SEMA Installation and Gala, themed “Leaders & Legends,” at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center in Pomona, California, July 28, to pay tribute to the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers.

For the third consecutive year, the 2017 Pinewood Builders Challenge—previously held during SEMA’s Installation Gala—featured head-to-head racing last summer at the National Street Rod Association Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to the Builders Challenge, a Manufacturers’ Shootout was staged for the third time ever for participating members of the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA).