 SEMA Middle East Business Development Conference offers manufacturers the opportunity to explore the potential for their products in the UAE and neighboring countries. |
By Linda Spencer
A limited number of slots are still available for the fifth SEMA Middle East Business Development Conference, March 29–April 2, 2016, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The event provides SEMA-member manufacturers the opportunity to explore the potential for their products in the UAE and neighboring countries, where consumers seek out the latest and greatest products to personalize their rides. Buyers from throughout the Middle East are eager for the newest American products for classic-car restoration, off-roading and street performance.
The program includes a turnkey booth at the Abu-Dhabi-based Custom Show Emirates, networking events with pre-vetted buyers from nearly a dozen countries, visits to local customizing shops, participation in a measuring session of vehicles featuring popularly customized overseas but not sold in the United States, a briefing with U.S. Government officials and seasoned exporters on the “do’s and don’ts” of setting up successful distribution in the region, pre-trip support and a pre-trip briefing on what to bring and what to expect.
For more information on how to exhibit, visit the SEMA website or contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org. For a recap of last year’s event, read the SEMA News article or view video highlights of the 2015 and 2014 events.
What your peers have to say about the SEMA Middle East Program:
 The Middle East Business Development Conference includes a measuring session of vehicles featuring popularly customized overseas but not sold in the United States. | |
- “The SEMA Middle East Business Conference was a perfect opportunity for us as a new entrant to the Middle Eastern market,” said Michael Sampson, director of operations and foreign sales for Rock-Slide Engineering. “Attending the SEMA Middle East Business Conference allowed us to find our first customers and begin what should be a long and profitable relationship in the Middle East for Rock-Slide Engineering.”
- “The Middle East continues to prosper for the automotive industry,” said Kevin Floody, director of international sales for aFe Power. “Each year I come, I become more excited about the great opportunities for growth. We are seeing tremendous interest in our products because of their compatibility with the vehicles sold here and the desire to modify them.”
- “We have been doing business in the Middle East for the past 14 or 15 years, and although our brand is very well known and respected in the region, SEMA’s contribution to our success is crucial, and these trips are undeniably beneficial for us,” said Josh Abbott, international sales manager for Borla Performance Industries. “The fact that we are provided with the chance to meet a group of hand-selected, pre-qualified buyers is priceless, and we very much appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this effort of bringing companies and markets together for the greater good of the industry.”