THE BIG Show
Every year since 1967, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has presented the latest products from the automotive aftermarket industry - products that enhance the performance, styling, comfort, convenience and safety of cars, trucks and SUVs.
At that first show, held in Los Angeles, a grand total of 98 companies exhibited. Now there are close to 2,400 companies exhibiting and the show covers a massive 1.2 million square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Centre. The growth of the show reflects the automotive aftermarket industry that’s now worth an estimated US$44.6 billion.
And while the SEMA Show is a trade show and not a public event, it’s become something that plenty of car enthusiasts want to get into. The reason they want to get in is not so much for the new products and future technologies, but for the cars that many companies use to demonstrate their wares.
For outsiders, SEMA is a car show first and foremost. And to be honest, a lot of the trade and media representatives (around 3,300 media reps annually attend) see it the same way, too.
In terms of those display cars, you’ll see just about everything, from classic American muscle to European exotica, as well as a LOT of pickup trucks. There’s also plenty of oddities and rarities each year as exhibiting businesses aim for something different to bring attention to their stand.
The major American automotive manufacturers – Ford, Chrysler and GM – get involved to varying degrees each year,
