By Kenny Wright and Laura Pitts
The 2023 SEMA Show continues to wow attendees with aisles and aisles of the latest specialty-equipment aftermarket innovations alongside a robust schedule of educational and networking events, now through November 3 in Las Vegas. Following is a wrap-up of trends spotted on the SEMA Show floor; be sure to check out the SEMA Education list of sessions--like the Main Stage Experience headlined by Tim Tebow and the Future of Automotive Fuel Technology panel--here.
Attendees Curious About Electric Vehicle (EV) Conversion Products in the New Product Showcase
As the world's largest display of new automotive products and technology, the SEMA Show New Product Showcase did not disappoint buyers, media members, influencers and related automotive professionals with hundreds of offerings across 18 distinct product categories. Trending this year are EV conversion-supporting products, with attendees flocking to learn more about how these parts can help upgrade their vehicles or business offerings.
One product, the BCLD battery and coolant leak detector by Redline Detection, caught several buyers' eyes as the only EV test technology that can pinpoint leaks for fast repair and for its ability to meet all OEM warranty and safety standards.
Redline Detector's BCLD battery and coolant leak detector is among buyer-favorite offerings in the 2023 SEMA Show New Product Showcase.
Redline Detector's BCLD battery and coolant leak detector was called "super cool," by buyer Angel Medina of VP Fleet Services, a repair garage in Texas City, Texas. "I mean, all this EV stuff is so new, but it's great to know what's current. So the New Product Showcase is always a cool place to visit at the SEMA Show," he said.
Medina's sentiments were echoed by buyer Brian Wenk, who said, "The [BCLD battery and coolant leak detector] is pretty cool. I see a lot of new products all the time... but this is unheard of, so I had to check it out," said Wenk of Optimized Distribution Partners, a tools and equipment provider in Commerce City, Colorado.
Wide Variety of Custom Collision Repair Training Sessions Set Attendees Up for Success, Sessions Still Open for Thursday
Several SEMA partners presented dedicated events and seminars to further enhance the professional careers of attendees during the 2023 SEMA Show, which features one of the most education-rich schedules in recent years.
Registration is still open for the SCRS OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, Thursday, November 2.
For example, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) will host its OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, Thursday, November 2, 9:00 a.m. PDT through 1:00 p.m. PDT.
The Summit features three distinct sessions:
- Session I: Understanding OEM Insurance, 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. PDT.
- Session II: North American Automotive Material Outlook and Implications to Collision Repair, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. PDT.
- Session III: Research and Validation of Calibration Solutions, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. PDT.
Visit bit.ly/RDE2023 to register online for the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, which is just a sample of the many SCRS-backed events that took place during the 2023 SEMA Show Week, topics that covered employee retention, advanced repair planning, refinishing processes, marketing and related repairer-driven sessions.
In addition, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) has teamed up with SEMA to provide I-CAR Collision Repair Training sessions that took place during the SEMA Show Week, with multiple sessions available to maximize attendees' opportunities to join.
I-CAR Collision Repair Training sessions, which will take place on Thursday, November 2, features hands-on MIG-welding techniques and best practices.
Thursday's lineup of seminars includes topics on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), MIG-welding technology and applications, EV overview and considerations and "color theory" applications for vehicles. Register for these events here.
Tire Industry Association Provides Product-Specific Technical Sessions
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has presented a lineup of educational sessions during the 2023 Show, with topics on tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), which have been a standard on new cars for 15 years but challenges associated with servicing these systems prevail to this day. For this session, TIA partnered with ATEQ TPMS Tools, Bartec USA and Schrader TPMS Solutions to create a structured Q&A discussion on real-world scenarios.
TIA sessions at the 2023 SEMA Show cover the gamut of tire-related topics, including safety, repair, tire pressure, selling tires and wheel installation.
Additional 2023 seminars covered service truck driver safety, how to be a successful tire dealer, wheel installation and retention and total truck tire repair with the Tread Rubber and Tire Repair Materials Manufacturers' Group (TRMG).
Shell Performance Unbound Educates Industry Members on Latest Fuel Technology With Outdoor Activation
Shell invites SEMA Show participants to the Shell Performance Unbound location in the Silver Lot (outside of Central Hall), where its scientists are on hand, explaining the science and key details behind its latest fuel technology, including its new and improved premium gasoline, which removes up to 100% of performance-robbing deposits to rejuvenate an engine's performance.
"We're excited to be here at the SEMA Show, so that we can tell everyone in the industry about our latest fuel technology," said Shelley O'Brien of Shell.