SEMA News - October 2010

Mapping Out Some of the Don’t-Miss Features at the 2010 Gathering

	In less than two months, the doors to the world’s largest automotive specialty-equipment trade show will open again. The 2010 SEMA Show will highlight all of the traditional attractions attendees have come to expect, but there will also be more than a dozen new and improved programs and features.

The 2010 SEMA Show is mere weeks away, but the Show organizers have been working diligently since the Las Vegas Convention Center’s doors closed last year to bring even more value to attendees. In addition to the traditional offerings—more than 1,800 exhibitors, 1,500 industry-changing product innovations and dazzling vehicle displays—this year’s SEMA Show boasts more than a dozen new or improved features. Take advantage of everything the automotive specialty-equipment industry’s largest trade show has to offer, starting with….

Enhanced Online Floorplan

Finding exhibitors using the Internet has become even easier for the 2010 SEMA Show. Just visit here, when the page opens, you’ll discover a footprint of the Las Vegas Convention Center along with the icons of all the SEMA Show sections. Click on either the location or the section logo you’re looking for, and the appropriate floorplan will open so that you can peruse the exhibitor booths housed there. If you know the name of the exhibitor, click on the “exhibitor list” link at the bottom of the first floorplan page, then enter the company name. The company’s information will be listed, including a link to the exhibitor’s booth. Click on the link, and you’ll be shown a floorplan with that company’s booth highlighted. Plan your week for the most efficient routes possible!

SEMA OnlineMarketing Conference

	Finding exhibitors via the Internet has become even easier for the 2010 SEMA Show. Just go to www.SEMAShow.com/floorplan. When the page opens, you’ll discover a footprint of the Las Vegas Convention Center and complete exhibitor information.

The SEMA Online Marketing Conference at the 2010 SEMA Show will help novices and veterans alike to navigate the dynamics of the shifting online landscape. Experts, including staff from Google, Facebook and YouTube, will present on subjects that include the essentials of search-engine optimization, search-engine marketing, landing page optimization, local search, pay-per-click, social media marketing, website analytics, forums and blogs, video and more. The conference will offer a Fundamentals Track for businesses and marketers just getting started and an Intermediate/Advanced Track for the more experienced. The conference will be held on Monday, November 1, 2010, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Advanced registration is $99 for members ($199 nonmembers) by October 17; $199 for members ($249 for nonmembers) after. Registration for the OMC does not include the required Show registration ($25 by October 17. $75 after). For complete details, visit here.

SEMA Award Top Vehicle Program

The SEMA Show “Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show” program is being modified to showcase top trendsetting vehicles, which will be honored with the SEMA Award. Through this enhanced program, exhibitors at the 2010 SEMA Show will determine the hottest vehicles in three categories: car, truck and 4x4-SUV. With more than 1,800 exhibiting companies, the SEMA Show typically includes more than 800 qualified booth vehicles. Modifications range from products that improve performance, safety and convenience to those that enhance appearance and comfort. Show organizers will survey every booth vehicle at the SEMA Show, and the most prominent in the three categories will be announced as the SEMA Award honorees on the first day of the event, Tuesday, November 2, in Las Vegas.

Enthusiast Opinion Leader Research Project

The SEMA Online Marketing Conference, Powersports Dealer Update Workshops and SCRS Repairer Driven Education seminars are just three of the educational offerings that are either new or revised for 2010. Visit www.SEMAShow.com/education to get a full rundown of what’s available.

The Enthusiast Opinion Leader Research Project, which debuted at the 2009 SEMA Show, will be expanded at the 2010 event. The nation’s most active and influential automotive enthusiasts will help industry professionals identify future trends by providing firsthand feedback on the products and vehicles debuting at the Show. Enthusiasts, selected through a rigorous application process, attend the SEMA Show for one day. In addition to completing a comprehensive pre-Show survey, they are tasked with using social media—Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube—to share their feedback on product and vehicle trends from the Show. Onsite focus groups provide deeper insight into enthusiasts’ attitudes and outlooks about the industry. Organizers are expanding on last year’s success and will increase the number of participants in the 2010 program, which will take place this year on Friday, November 5.

All-New Proving Ground Experience

The Truck Trend Proving Ground will feature the Lucas Off Road Demonstration, highlighted by some ground-pounding high-speed truck action. Sponsors include Maxxis Tire, Ford, MagnaFlow Performance Exhaust and PPG. The high-performance proving grounds have been relocated to Silver Lot 1 and 2, and the proving grounds course will be built to facilitate the Lucas flying trucks. New for 2010 will be the Monster Pit Powered by Ford, just south of the Truck Trend Proving Grounds. Ford will be on site with a fleet of Ford performance vehicles
and promotions.

SEMA Vehicle Technology Lab

The Lucas Off Road Demonstration at an all-new Truck Trend Proving Ground experience will be augmented this year by the Monster Pit Powered by Ford. The Blue Oval team will be on site with a fleet of Ford performance vehicles and promotions.

A new display area in the Upper South Hall, booth #36203, will focus on advanced vehicle technologies. The display will feature alternative powertrains, racing, open-architecture concept vehicles, mobile-electronics integration, driver and computer simulations and hardware-in-the loop demonstrations of electronic stability control systems and vehicle dynamics performance of aftermarket-modified vehicles. The SEMA Vehicle Technology Lab will also showcase the advanced technologies, products and companies discussed at the Driving Safe, Driving Connected and Driving Green Performance Technology Briefings. Vehicle dynamics demonstrations and technology simulations will be held by industry leaders from CarSim, dSPACE, SEMA, Clemson University’s ICAR and more. The lab will help inform SEMA members about programs, partnerships and the products, systems and vehicle development tools available at affordable costs to SEMA-member companies.

Dealer Day Conference

The 2010 SEMA Show will feature a program targeted specifically for auto dealers on Wednesday, November 3, from 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. at the Las Vegas Hilton, Pavilions 2–3. The program marks the third consecutive year that the Dealer Day Conference will be held at the Show. SEMA listened to feedback from previous attendees and tailored this year’s event to specifically address the needs and concerns of the dealer community. The 2010 event will focus on three key components of successful accessory programs. From integration to the sales process to profit generation, this new and improved program is designed to provide dealers with practical information and resources that will serve as a catalyst in their everyday operations. Advanced registration is $99 by October 17, $149 after (does not include required Show registration of $25 by October 17, $75 after). For more information, visit here.

New Products Showcase Expands

The SEMA Show New Products Showcase will expand to include two new categories, one focused on tires and related products, the other on wheels and related products. Thousands of buyers and media visit the New Products Showcase, and exhibitors rely on it as a tool to generate awareness of their products.

The SEMA Show New Products Showcase, one of the most popular attractions at the annual trade show, will expand to include two new categories, one focused on tires and related products, the other on wheels and related products. Thousands of buyers and media visit the New Products Showcase, and exhibitors rely on it as a tool to generate awareness of their products. The changes to the New Products Showcase are among many enhancements being made at the 2010 SEMA Show to better service the tire and wheel markets. Organizers also announced the creation of the Global Tire Expo—Powered by the Tire Industry Association. The Global Tire Expo will be a tire industry-only part of the SEMA Show, featuring exhibitors from all segments of the tire industry, including automotive, commercial, retreading, recycling and more. Wheel manufacturers will also have a dedicated area of the SEMA Show, with companies in this market exhibiting in the newly created Wheels & Accessories section.

Powersports Dealer Update Workshops

Powersports dealers may attend high-level training from the industry experts at Gart Sutton and Associates (GSA) during the 2010 SEMA Show, November 1–2, at the Renaissance Hotel. The workshops will cover topics ranging from parts and accessories, sales, finance and insurance to service and dealership management. The eight powersports dealer-specific education workshops are open to all powersports dealers. Registration also includes two industry keynote speaker lunches and a special state-of-the-industry powersports panel dealers simply can’t afford to miss. Advanced registration is $99 by October 17; $149 after (does not include required Show registration of $25 by October 17, $75 after). For complete details, visit here.

SCRS Repairer Driven Education

A brand-new Society of Collision Repair Specialists's (SCRS) Repairer Driven Education (RDE) program will premier at this year’s SEMA Show. The collision industry will have a much larger presence at the SEMA Show than ever before, with both an expanded footprint in the Paint, Body & Equipment section and through RDE seminars tailored to collision-repair businesses, which will be offered November 4–5. The seminar series will be provided as a package, and registrants will have the option to attend six seminars that will be delivered between the hours of 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday of the SEMA Show. Advanced registration is $225 by October 17; $275 after (does not include required Show registration of $25 by October 17, $75 after). For complete information and registration, visit here.

New Products Awards Breakfast

The Enthusiast Opinion Leader Research Project will be expanded at the 2010 event. The program brings the nation’s most active and influential automotive enthusiasts to the SEMA Show on Friday, November 5, to help industry professionals identify future trends through firsthand feedback on the products and vehicles debuting at the Show.

John B. Rogers Jr., president, CEO and co-founder of Local Motors, will provide what promises to be an inspiring keynote address at the New Products Awards Breakfast on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. All exhibitors and attendees are invited to hear how Rogers’ auto manufacturing company is changing the way cars are designed and built. Local Motors creates a unique chassis and body for each of its vehicles but doesn’t make many of its own components, preferring to collaborate with the specialty-equipment market for high-quality, proven products. The New Products Awards Breakfast takes place on the Show’s opening day before the floor opens. During the breakfast, awards for the best new products in the New Products Showcase are announced. Visit www.SEMAShow.com/specialevents to obtain tickets, which are free but are only available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Mopar Alley Entrance Enhanced

The Mopar Alley connector between the Central and South Halls was already plenty cool, but now there is a wide aisle to the Alley in the South Hall starting at the Continental Tire booth. Whether you want to transit from one hall to the other or you’re looking for the best in Mopar muscle, the Alley is the place to be.

I-Car Demonstration Area

I-CAR delivers performance-focused training to collision industry professionals, helping to ensure that every person in the industry has the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve a complete and safe repair. Now I-CAR is bringing its collision repair training to the SEMA Show. On November 2–3, I-Car will present a series of courses for collision-repair professionals in rooms N231–N242 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. View the course descriptions and register for the training. The cost is $95 per course (does not include required Show registration of $25 by October 17, $75 after).

James Gregory to Entertain at SEMA Show

SEMA Show attendees may unwind after a busy week in Las Vegas with comedian James Gregory, who will entertain at the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet on Thursday, November 4, 2010, 7:30 p.m, at the Las Vegas Hilton. Tickets to the annual celebration are $50 and available to those registered for the SEMA Show at www.SEMAShow.com/specialevents. Heard weekly on syndicated radio shows throughout the country, Gregory was described in a Huntsville Times critique as “America’s Funniest Man” after he performed for the first time ever in 1982. The banquet is considered by many to be the industry’s greatest celebration, where more than 3,000 people gather to witness the announcement of the Person of the Year, Rep of the Year, WD of the Year and more.