Since its inception in 1967, the annual SEMA Show has evolved to fit the times, reflecting and responding to changes in the specialty automotive industry, and the 2021 Show (November 2–5) will be no different. With an additional 600.000 sq. ft. of exhibition space this year, the 2021 Show promises to offer attendees a dazzling array of enthusiast events, builds, competitions and networking opportunities.

The vehicle builds and celebrity appearances may generate the most attention on the exhibition floor, but at the SEMA Show, the real place to assess the state of the automotive aftermarket—and to stay in touch with all of the latest technologies and trends—is the New Products Showcase. It’s newly relocated for 2021, now occupying a 30,000-sq.-ft. area of Upper South Hall at booth #31255. A must-see for all attendees and a first stop for many, the Showcase is open during Show hours, and is conveniently located near the Show Media Center, which can be helpful for members of the working press who need to optimize their Show time.

First-time exhibitors are often of special interest to SEMA Show attendees because they bring never-before-seen products and services to the industry. In fact, first-time exhibitors are great sources of innovation and the latest product-line opportunities for installers, jobbers and retailers. They can even introduce attendees to potential crossover markets.

The SEMA Show is back for 2021! Attracting more than 150,000 industry leaders, including 60,000 buyers from around the world, the annual Show, to be held November 2–5 in Las Vegas, is still growing. This year, it will expand into the Las Vegas Convention Center’s brand-new West Hall, providing an additional 1.4 million sq. ft. of exhibit space. Despite the Show having been canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies industry-wide (including those that were first-time exhibitors in 2019) are reporting record sales over the past year, and those that struggled are now starting to bounce back.

The buzz is palpable. Momentum is building for the 2021 SEMA Show. Slated for November 2–5 in the newly expanded Las Vegas Convention Center, the Show marks the return of SEMA’s in-person trade events—and it’s that opportunity for live, face-to-face connection and networking that has the industry talking.

SEMA leadership, volunteers and industry icons are set to gather in Las Vegas for the 2021 SEMA Installation Gala on Friday, July 30. To underscore the significance of SEMA’s return to in-person events, the evening gala will take place in the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), the same venue where thousands of industry professionals will congregate for the 2021 SEMA Show in November.

With just five months to go, SEMA is on track to again deliver an exciting in-person SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), November 2–5. In addition, the LVCC’s newly constructed West Hall will ensure ample space for new Show features and enhancements.

When SEMA News caught up with Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Loren Healy via video conference, it was their first chance to catch a breath in weeks. Both drivers were dusting off from King of The Hammers and couldn’t wait to start sharing comments about the race, the new Bronco and the SEMAification of electrics.

This past December, the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Road Tour wrapped up its ambitious nationwide schedule of visits to racing and performance businesses from Indianapolis to California. With the metrics and reviews now in, it appears that the tour will pay dividends to businesses in the racing category for a long time to come.

Since its inception in 2014, the SEMA Show’s annual Battle of the Builders (BOTB) has become one of the most anticipated events of SEMA Show week. While the cancellation of the 2020 Show in Las Vegas seemed to put the event on hold for a year, there was still plenty of industry interest in holding a BOTB-type event, even if done remotely.