The Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) has ranked education as a key component of its mission from its early days as the Street Rod Market Alliance (SRMA). In the mid-’90s, SEMA and SRMA launched the Street Rod Industry Trade Conference. Held at a hotel in San Antonio, Texas, in conjunction with Vintage Air, the yearly business-to-business event served as a launch pad for business-management seminars and hands-on technical workshops.

During the late ’80s and early ’90s, SEMA’s Street Rod Market Alliance (SRMA)—the predecessor to the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA)—had a small booth in Street Rod Alley in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) at the SEMA Show. SRMA also had a feature-vehicle display area located nearby, which showcased several street rods of the day.

It’s hard to miss all the hot-rod-related activities during the SEMA Show. From Hot Rod Alley to the Hot Rod Builder’s Panel to the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) reception, a spotlight shone brightly on HRIA throughout the 2019 Show, both on and off the exhibit floor.

Hot rods have played a prominent role at the SEMA Show for decades. Old-timers will recall the days when a slew of rods took up a substantial swath of space in the North Hall, along with the stellar feature vehicles displayed at what was then known as the Street Rod Marketing Alliance Awards Banquet.

From its early days as the Street Rod Marketing Alliance (SRMA) to what is now the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA), the hot-rod industry has been a formidable force within the specialty-equipment market. In keeping with its efforts to provide business-building resources, the council has always ranked education as a top priority. Nowhere is the focus on learning experiences more in evidence than at the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) Street Rod Nationals.