SEMA News—July 2021

REQUIRED READING

By Juan Torres

Eager to Reconnect

After more than a year of forced restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the automotive aftermarket industry is eager to conduct business in person. The demand to reconnect with colleagues and customers in a trade-show environment was clearly evident when SEMA officially announced the return of the in-person 2021 SEMA Show, scheduled for November 2–5, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. News about the return of the 2021 SEMA Show, along with SEMA’s announced plans for the Convention Center’s newly constructed West Hall, generated plenty of media coverage, as seen from the following publications.

Muscle Cars & Trucks Journalist Lucas Allen’s excitement for the 2021 SEMA Show came across in his article about the return of the in-person event. He stated that the event was “already heating up” even though the Show was eight months away, with more than 1,000 exhibitors registered at that time.
Repairer Driven News For editor John Huetter, the new West Hall expansion meant more space for new exhibitors and the opportunity for companies to expand the size of their booths. He discussed those topics and possible changes to the SEMA Show floorplan with SEMA Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso.
Autobody News SEMA’s return to an in-person Show in 2021 underscored the work Las Vegas and its businesses had done to welcome back large-venue events, John Yoswick reported. He also highlighted that SEMA was still working with authorities to “deliver the best SEMA Show ever.”
Heard on Social Media “SEMA Show attendees will experience a revamped and enlarged trade show, thanks to the completion of a fourth exhibit hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center.”—Tire Business, via Twitter “SEMA Show organizers announced plans in the new LVCC West Hall for the return to in-person event on track for November 2–5, 2021.”—12 Volt News, via Facebook “@SEMASHOW is on track to deliver an exciting in-person SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.”—Motor, via Twitter “With exhibits included in the #LVCC’s newly constructed West Hall, the entire #SEMA Show floorplan will be optimized and offers room for new features and enhancements.”—Truck Videos, via Twitter