SCORE International will bring the excitement of its legendary Baja 1000 to the 2014 SEMA Show, November 4–7, through its signature off-road activities and attractions. The outdoor, 70,000-sq.-ft. SCORE Baja 1000 Experience will feature a desert-racing exhibit with dozens of Baja 1000 Trophy Truck and Class 1 race vehicles.

An interactive pit competition area, exhibits from leading off-road companies, video streams of SCORE Dirt Live through SCOREvision and autograph sessions are just some of the attractions visitors can expect come Show time.

Morris 4x4 Center Has Maintained a 30% Average Annual Growth Rate Since 2005

Morris 4x4 Center is a pure-play Jeep parts and accessories Internet retailer—which accounts for 98% of all sales—and is housed in a 32,000-sq.-ft. facility in Pompano Beach, Florida, with 70 employees. It started as a 6,500-sq.-ft. warehouse complex with six units. Every few years, the company expanded into another unit. In November of this year, Morris will move again, this time into a 60,000-sq.-ft. facility.

A Powersports Category Snapshot

SEMA research indicates that more than a third of automotive accessory enthusiasts are likely to own a powersports vehicle. That means the powersports market offers great crossover potential for aftermarket businesses catering to other specialty-equipment segments. So what’s one of the hottest trends in the powersports arena?

The SEMA-commissioned report notes that approximately 670,000 UTV models were sold from 2010 to 2012. This is consistent with other market analyses that have predicted continued healthy growth of the segment through 2015.

The SEMA Show may be well known for project vehicles and special builds, but amazing new products are the stars of the event. In fact, 60,000 buyers and 3,000 media from all over the world traveled to the Las Vegas Convention Center primarily because of the all the new products on display. Reporters were able to find products in specific categories of interest to their audiences, such as truck, SUV and off-road in the case of Truck Trend and Truckin’, or restoration and racing and performance for Modified magazine. No matter the category, reporters had access to hundreds of amazing new products.

After six years of back-and-forth and negotiations that spanned not only the U.S. Congress but also the U.S. military (the Marine Corps, to be precise), a compromise has been negotiated to keep 96,000 acres of land open to off-road enthusiasts in the Johnson Valley OHV area near Twentynine Palms, California.

SEMA and the SEMA Action Network (SAN) worked closely with a number of organizations related to the off-road community to support this provision, which keeps a large portion of the area open to off-road and outdoor enthusiasts while at the same time providing for the needs of the U.S. military. One of SAN’s initiatives is to look for practical solutions to off-road use questions to preserve the rights of the nation’s enthusiast communities. SEMA is gratified that, after six years, a win-win compromise could be enacted to the benefit of all parties involved.

Hourly Sessions All Day Monday, Sponsored by the SEMA Data Co-op

From beginner to expert, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) education track is sure to provide insight into better managing your product data and making use of the new SDC Product Information Management System. Join the SDC team for training and ideas presented through interactive discussions, questions and answers and demonstrations on the following topics:

Strong Growth and Fatter Pocketbooks Warrant a Closer Look at the Potential in Latin America’s Second-Largest Economy

Automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers might want to take a look at selling into Mexico, the second-largest export market for the United States. According to the International Monetary Fund, 85% of the world’s growth—and new customers—over the next five years are located outside the United States, and our neighbor to the South is an increasingly interesting market.

Pickups Are the Latest Craze on the Chinese Off-Road Scene

SEMA News recently traveled to Beijing, China, the center of the Chinese off-road market, to talk to some key players about evolving trends. All of the sources we consulted widely credited the Jeep Wrangler as one of the most exciting and important developments in recent years in growing the off-road market, but they said that pickups are the fastest-growing segment.

The Science of Standardized Product Data Management for Manufacturers and Re-sellers With SEMA Data Co-op

Dealers, jobbers, installers and other specialty-equipment industry enthusiasts attending the 2012 SEMA Show will be able to visit the educational display in the Upper South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, where other truck, SUV and off-road equipment is showcased.