Innovators and Icons Take The Stage
Vaughn Gittin Jr. at The Stage during SEMA360.
The 2019 SEMA Show made headlines with the launch of a new educational platform. Jointly presented by SEMA’s education department and the Wheel & Tire Council (WTC), The Stage featured multiple daily interviews with some of the industry’s foremost thought leaders and legends.
The Stage was hosted by DUB President and Co-founder Myles Kovacs, who engaged in thought-proving conversations throughout the week. Heading into the 2020 Show, Kovacs was poised to reprise his role. With the cancellation of the Show, SEMA and WTC pivoted the event to SEMA360. With his usual wit, smarts and gift of gab, Kovacs hit a home run, engaging in lively conversations with a new crop of industry personalities.
The SEMA360 headliners included an iconic group of legends and innovators, from drifting driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. and custom-car fabricator Dave Kindig of Kindig-It to West Coast Customs founder Ryan Friedlinghaus. Besides being the subject of an interview with Kovacs, Aaron Kaufman of ArcLight Fabrication also hosted a Stage interview with SEMA Launch Pad winner Roland Hence of FrontLane.
In a departure from the 2019 format that centered on industry-related topics, Kovacs shifted to more free-flowing conversations that allowed guests to share insights into their backgrounds, experiences and life stories.
“The interviews were different from last year’s,” noted WTC Chair Tyson Boyer. “Myles delved into personal areas and asked questions that really highlighted things you would never have known about these guests, and Aaron’s interview with the Launch Pad winner was a bonus.
“Our Wheel & Tire Council is grateful that we were able to kick off the second annual Stage with Myles. Our hats are off to Myles and Aaron for their unwavering support and ability to deliver exactly what our audience was looking for.”
“Being in the business for more than 20 years, you’d think I’d know everybody,” Kovacs added. “But hearing the stories, I got a new appreciation for the people in the industry and the passion they have for what they do.”
