Exhibitors participate in the SEMA Show primarily to connect with buyers from throughout the world. The main objective of the exhibitor is to sell and promote products, and journalists are often attracted to the innovations that appear at the SEMA Show.

For the first time in its long history, the 2014 SEMA Show ended with an “after party” called SEMA Ignited, where the general public viewed hundreds of cars and trucks from the trade-only event. Thousands of enthusiasts came out to get up close with one-of-a-kind cars, trucks and SUVs. Reporters flocked to SEMA Ignited as well to witness the thrill and excitement of this brand-new venue. Read on to see what reporters had to say about the first-ever SEMA Ignited. And tune in to the one-hour TV special scheduled to air on the Velocity Network in March 2015 to see footage of the event and the Battle of the Builders competition that culminated at SEMA Ignited.

While the 2014 SEMA Show is now in the history books, highlights from the annual event live on as media coverage continues to highlight the vehicles, products and activities from the event. One consistent theme year after year is that the SEMA Show is a place for the industry to discover new automotive aftermarket trends.

The message is clear: Automotive customization is thriving, and American-based businesses are at the forefront of product technology and innovation for the industry. As highlighted in the recent “SEMA Annual Market Study,” the automotive specialty-equipment market now represents $33 billion in annual sales—a 7% increase over the previous year.

The SEMA Garage is officially open and ready for business. After months of planning and renovation, SEMA recently held a party to introduce the SEMA Garage to the automotive industry. Many were able to see firsthand such features of the Garage as the photo cove, 3-D printer, training center and emissions lab. The Garage has been so well received and generated such interest that media from New York to Los Angeles are taking notice, and the SEMA Garage is making headlines.

Beginning November 4, the eyes of the automotive world will be on the Las Vegas Convention Center and the annual SEMA Show. This year’s Show will be a mixture of new products, vehicle debuts and exciting events, such as the SCORE Baja 1000 event which will be held for the first time in conjunction with the Show. With more than 130,000 attendees, this year’s Show promises to be something truly special. Here’s what the media highlighted from the 2013 SEMA Show and what they are previewing for the 2014 SEMA Show.

The SEMA Action Network (SAN) seeks to protect the automotive hobby by bringing together the specialty-equipment industry and the enthusiast community. To achieve this objective, the SAN is involved in many different projects and initiatives. The group participates in events such as the annual Collector Car Appreciation Day and the Hot Rod Power Tour.

In addition, the SAN ensures that its members are aware of relevant legislation on both the state and federal levels through its award-winning Driving Force newsletter. Below are a few recent news articles that highlight SAN activities.

The 2013 SEMA Show featured literally thousands of cars. All kinds of cars. No matter what type you prefer, chances are it was on display at the SEMA Show. Whether it was Mustangs, Camaros, Porsches, Toyotas, Corvettes or something else, you were guaranteed to see the latest and greatest. These cars provide a canvas for the best in wheels, mobile-electronics products and LED headlights, just to name a few.

These custom builds were a great way for the Show’s almost 2,500 exhibitors to showcase and display their aftermarket products. SEMA Show vehicles provided aftermarket product manufacturers with the ability...

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.