The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded $272,000 to 97 individuals this year. The financial awards include scholarships for current students and loan-forgiveness awards to employees of SEMA-member companies.
More than 3,000 members of the media will attend the 2019 SEMA Show. They will represent all manner of publications—large and small, domestic and international, printed and electronic—and can sometimes provide a meaningful boost to a new-product launch or a brand’s image. In a recent survey, in fact, 42% of exhibitors told us that they measure success based on media exposure from the Show. If you’re one of those exhibitors, here are some best-practices tips for keeping your media interactions productive and efficient.
The good news for 2019 SEMA Show exhibitors is that the trade-only event is on track to draw more than 60,000 buyers, a large percentage of whom are already deciding which companies they will see. With the Show’s opening just weeks away on Tuesday, November 5, this is the critical point for first-time and veteran exhibitors alike to make sure that their booths and Show strategies are ready to go.
If you’re a buyer destined for the 2019 SEMA Show, now is the time to strategize a successful Show itinerary. First-time exhibitors are of particular interest because they bring never-before-seen products and services to the Show. As of June, more than 250 first-time exhibitors were already on the floorplan, and that data is offered here so you can get busy preparing a list of leads well before your Las Vegas arrival. Seasoned buyers will tell you that this is one of the best ways to hit the ground running and take full advantage of an active Show week.
The 2018 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition began with more than 300 vehicles entered by builders and customizers from all across the United States. The entries included vehicles crafted by both well-known, highly acclaimed builders and lesser-known younger customizers. The 2018 format was updated to provide a mechanism to recognize winners in four different categories: Hot Rod, Truck/Off-Road, Sport Compact and Young Guns (under 27).
For nearly a decade, WD-40 and SEMA Cares have worked together to bring vehicles to auction for the benefit of SEMA Cares’ charitable partner organizations. On January 17, a ’67 Camaro will be auctioned to benefit Childhelp at the Barrett Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Childhelp is an organization dedicated to closing the cycle of child abuse in the United States by helping victims and those at risk.
About 400 members of the automotive specialty-parts industry attended the 2018 SEMA Installation & Gala, themed “Success Starts Here,” at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City in Universal City, California, on July 20, to pay tribute to the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers. Jessi Combs and Kevin Oeste served as the evening’s emcees. Honorees included the SEMA Hall of Fame class of 2018—Donnie Eatherly, P&E Distributors; Ed Pink, Ed Pink’s Garage; and Chris Thomson, TMG Performance Products.
The purpose of the SEMA Show is to do business. Anything that gets in the way of that can be thought of as an obstruction, yet we all have to eat, especially since attending the SEMA Show can be a strenuous undertaking. It’s not unusual to walk many miles in a single day, so addressing the need to keep the fires burning without sacrificing too much floor time can be a challenge worthy of some consideration.
The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded $297,000 to 102 individuals this year. The financial awards included scholarships for current students and loan-forgiveness awards to employees of SEMA-member companies.
For many in the custom-car industry, the SEMA Battle of the Builders is a chance to prove that they are among the best. The 2017 competition began with nearly 300 applications from builders representing an elite group of individuals who have demonstrated extreme talent, creativity and craftsmanship in modifying cars, trucks and SUVs. The field was not only the largest to date but was also deep in entries of exceptional quality. This year also saw the expansion of the Young Guns recognition, which shines the light on young, up-and-coming builders in the automotive industry.