If you’re an exhibitor with a significant revelation and you want to let the cat out of the bag, holding a press conference is the best way to get in front of the media. Hours of planning, preparation and strategy are required to successfully pull it off, but the results can be well worth it. It’s best to ensure that you have the necessary staffing and resources at your disposal to optimize your chances of convincing the media to show up and connect with you, and getting the coverage you seek.

Since its official open house in July, the new SEMA Garage—Industry Innovations Center has garnered high marks from the SEMA’s membership. In fact, its summer-evening debut attracted more than 700 industry professionals for a firsthand tour of the comprehensive facility designed to help members bring fresh specialty-equipment products to market, from concept to complete photographed state.The SEMA Garage Opens to Industry Wows

As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. In recent months, the new SEMA Garage—Industry Innovations Center has officially thrown its doors wide open to SEMA members, welcoming them to let their creativity flow within the new facility. In return, the initial industry response has been incredible. Clearly, SEMA membership is intrigued with the possibilities.

Exhibiting at the SEMA Show—especially for the first time—can be a logistical labyrinth. But a bit of planning and forethought can result in a straightforward map to success.The SEMA Show Director Provides Insights to the 2014 Event

With nearly 20 years in the production of both consumer and trade automotive events, the SEMA Show’s Tom Gattuso is well versed in ensuring that attendees and exhibitors receive the greatest return on their investments. He holds a certification in event management, and the 2014 SEMA Show will be his fourth as its director. SEMA News was pleased to talk with him about the Show, its features and his expectations for this year’s venue.

More Than a Trade Show, It’s an Automotive Paradise

The SEMA Show is a business event, as everyone in the industry knows. It’s the venue where buyers and sellers come together to provide products to installers and stock the shelves of retail outlets throughout the nation and the world. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s one of the world’s greatest custom car shows. It’s a four-day university of automotive knowledge. It’s a carnival, complete with wild rides and sideshows. There’s more going on at the SEMA Show than at many of the planet’s amusement parks, and there’s only so much time in each day. Attendees have to plan ahead if they want to catch every nuance available. Here’s a brief look at some of the major points of interest.

SEMA Members Celebrate Fifth Annual Collector Car Appreciation Day

Colby Martin, Collector Car Appreciation Day, Aftermarket Parts Laws, Aftermarket Parts RegulationOn July 11, 2014, SEMA members joined with SEMA staff and thousands of enthusiasts to celebrate the fifth annual Collector Car Appreciation Day (CCAD). A wide range of official events were held in the United States, Canada and Australia to commemorate the day, designated by SEMA-requested U.S. Senate Resolution 493, which was sponsored by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Senator Mark Begich (D-AK).

The U.S. Senate Resolution recognized “that the collection and restoration of historic and classic cars is an important part of preserving the technological achievements and cultural heritage of the United States.” Lawmakers in states, counties and local areas all over the country and Canada followed the Senate’s lead. The states of California, Louisiana and New Mexico, along with the Canadian Provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia, adopted their own resolutions commemorating the day.

Veteran Show attendees know that every first-time exhibitor represents a business opportunity. At the 2014 SEMA Show, attendees will come face-to-face with more than 415 new exhibitors. Visit www.semashow.com/floorplan for a listing of SEMA Show exhibitors.The Keys Are Collecting, Qualifying and Following Up

According to a report entitled “2013 SEMA Show Research”—a post-Show survey of exhibitors and attendees—almost 90% of exhibitors at the 2013 SEMA Show said that they exhibit in order to generate leads and increase awareness of their companies. Slightly higher percentages said that those objectives were met at the 2013 Show.

Four Expert Tips for Building Online Buzz for Your Booth Starting Today

The latest registration statistics for this year’s SEMA Show indicate a more than 5% increase in the number of buyers planning to hit the Show floor on Tuesday–Friday, November 4–7. With more buyers than ever coming to the Show, an exhibitor’s obvious goal is to entice as many of them into the company booth as possible. You’ll likely do this with new-product introductions, updates to signature product lines, booth demonstrations, project-vehicle reveals and even, perhaps, celebrity appearances. However, all of those tactics do little good if you don’t build buzz about them ahead of time.

Exhibiting at the SEMA Show—especially for the first time—can be a logistical labyrinth. But a bit of planning and forethought can result in a straightforward map to success.Advice for First-Time (and Even Long-Time) Exhibitors

More than 130,000 automotive industry professionals will attend the 2014 SEMA Show, November 4–7, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), and more than 60,000 of them will be buyers searching the aisles for products to carry in their retail outlets and installation centers. Historically, 87% of those buyers plan to purchase products from the Show’s exhibitors. With some forethought, a bit of research and a successful strategy, even first-time exhibitors can take full advantage of those sales opportunities at what has become the largest annual gathering of small businesses in the United States.

Veteran Show attendees know that every first-time exhibitor represents a business opportunity. At the 2014 SEMA Show, attendees will come face-to-face with more than 415 new exhibitors. Visit www.semashow.com/floorplan for a listing of SEMA Show exhibitors.More Than 415 Business Opportunities

Every first-time exhibitor represents a business opportunity. Attendees, looking for the latest trends and hottest new products, know that new exhibitors can be a tremendous resource. This year (as of July 29, 2014) more than 415 new companies have already registered for a booth at this year’s Show.

The online list of first-timers represents the leading edge of what will be a strong freshmen class for the 2014 SEMA Show. Buyers can now browse through and note businesses to visit during the 2014 SEMA Show online.

Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer’s attention.How Fusion Brakes Handled Its Very First SEMA Show

Thousands of companies exhibit at the SEMA Show each year, and tens of thousands of industry buyers come to the Show for the sole purpose of discovering new products and companies. Of the more than 2,000 exhibitors at the typical SEMA Show, some 400 to 600 are there for the first time. Many are small companies that bring never-before-seen products. In many cases, their decision to exhibit at the SEMA Show represents their single largest marketing cost of the year.

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