Tabla de contenidos para SEMA Show-The Guide en SEMA Magazine

All corners of the aftermarket converge across the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), and the New Products Showcase (NPS) is your hub for all things innovative. NPS continues to be the most anticipated feature at the SEMA Show, and for good reason. Here, participating exhibitors will showcase their most cutting-edge parts, tools and accessories for the entire specialty-equipment industry to see. LAST YEAR, [THE NEW PRODUCTS SHOWCASE] SAW 1,600 REGISTERED PRODUCTS, AND ORGANIZERS EXPECT THE SAME IF NOT MORE THIS YEAR. In previous years, North Hall housed the NPS feature. However, this year you’ll find its new home in Lower South Hall in booth #41271, stationed next to the Global Tire Expo—Powered by TIA and the main registration area. Hundreds of products from the many brands that exhibit at the…

The countdown has begun as we enter the closing weeks leading to the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where you will be among thousands of automotive manufacturers and have access to 150,000 specialty-equipment market professionals. As an exhibitor, you’re probably thinking there’s still time to lock in details like lodging, meals and promotional packages, freight plans and more. You’re correct; however, important deadlines are fast approaching, and some will be redlining by the time this issue hits your desk. We’ll review some upcoming cost-saving dates you won’t want to miss, including freight shipments through Freeman, New Product Showcasing, ad spacing and more. Offering further insight and final tips before your excursion to Las Vegas are SEMA’s Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso and Trade Show Director Andy Tompkins, who…

By day, the annual SEMA Show hums with B2B exchanges, demonstrations and adrena-line-pumping vehicular action. But after hours, a whole different vibe takes hold. During the evenings, Show discussions continue in dinner meetings, receptions and napkin conversations across Las Vegas. And on Thursday and Friday nights the SEMA Show crescendos with two headline events mixing celebration with networking, music, entertainment and automotive camaraderie. Make plans now to join the night excitement at the new SEMA Industry Honors at Fontainebleau Las Vegas and SEMA Fest 2025. SEMA INDUSTRY HONORS Formerly the Industry Awards Banquet ● BleauLive Theater, Fontainebleau Las Vegas Thursday, November 6 6:00 p.m.: Reception with networking, cocktails and appetizers  7:00–9:00 p.m.: Awards Program. 9:00 p.m.: After-Party SEMA’s annual Thursday-night awards and celebration event will see some big changes as…

SEMA Show attendees seeking to sharpen and tune their knowledge and skills within the industry should explore the many programs offered by SEMA Education. This Show feature comprises courses designed to develop new skills, inform industry members and foster business strategies in an engaging classroom setting at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) during Show Week. Understandably, some attendees may hesitate to leave the Show floor, but SEMA classes and seminars are worth their time in gold and most are only an hour long, so you can get right back into the action. In addition, several educational experiences and activations can be found in key Show areas, so it’s a good idea to check out the many options. SEMA Education runs a three-day schedule, from Tuesday, November 4, to Thursday,…

The ideas, names, logos and inventions of your company are valuable property and often can be legally protected for your exclusive use. But many SEMA-member companies are unaware of the types of intellectual property (IP) their company generates, how to go about protecting them or how to decide exactly which protective investments could be appropriate. The task of optimizing IP protection will vary from company to company. Perhaps the single most important piece of advice the association can offer is to seek qualified council—both when IP issues arise and, ideally, well in advance of any possible entanglements. One such entity is the Ohio-based law firm of Sisson and Banyas, which specializes in IP protection. The firm exhibits at the SEMA Show, and Manager of Legal Protection Jeffrey Banyas is a…

The 2025 SEMA Show returns to Las Vegas with a packed lineup of events, outdoor activations and other special features designed to immerse attendees in automotive culture and the latest trends and innovations energizing the aftermarket. While the more than 2,400 brands convening in Las Vegas remain the core of the Show, the features listed here add a whole other dimension to the “SEMA Week experience” and are must-see suggestions for every attendee’s itinerary. The information provided in this article was up-to-date as of press time, but be sure to consult semashow.com for the latest details. We also highly recommend downloading (and regularly consulting) the official SEMA Show mobile app available through your native app store (search SEMA Show) as well as online at semashow.com/app. The free app puts the…

It’s been 58 years since the very first interpretation of the SEMA Show took place beneath the grandstands of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Dubbed the High Performance and Custom Trade Show, the inaugural event saw 98 exhibitors gather under the cover of those ballpark stands. Almost six decades on and, incredibly, the SEMA Show’s footprint now spans more than 1 million sq. ft. of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s the epicenter of the automotive aftermarket industry and the backbone of SEMA’s efforts throughout the year. We recently sat down with SEMA Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso to learn more about the Show’s evolution and future trajectory. SEMA Magazine: How many SEMA Shows have you been involved in? Tom Gattuso: This will be my 14th SEMA Show as…

New technologies create fresh opportunities for savvy business owners, but taking advantage of them requires staying up-to-date on the latest innovations in the aftermarket automotive industry. Our industry is currently facing a range of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, 3D printing, innovative powertrains and automated systems. As new-vehicle technology continues to evolve, so does SEMA’s commitment to keeping SEMA Show attendees at the forefront of cutting-edge developments. At the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November 4–7, the FutureTech Studio (Central Hall booth #24401) will give attendees a first-hand look at the newest technologies, ground-breaking ideas, and industry pioneers shaping the future of mobility. “The idea of FutureTech Studio is for SEMA Show attendees to see something ground-breaking and revolutionary,” says Luis Morales, SEMA director of vehicle technology and product…

No other specialty automotive trade event unites every industry category in one place like the annual SEMA Show. This fact is especially reflected in the Show’s relationships with major partners like the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR), the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA), presenter of the Global Tire Expo (GTE). Each of these organizations delivers valuable education and programing in their respective fields to SEMA Showgoers. I-CAR Supporting Collision Repair Professionals Through Education, Innovation and Hands-On Expertise A trusted industry leader in training, innovation and workforce development, I-CAR returns to the 2025 SEMA Show to mark 16 years of advancing collision repair. This year, I-CAR strengthens its role as a trusted education and thought leader with a powerful lineup of interactive…

SEMA Data (SD) is the largest industry product database for resellers and offers vital data-management services and standardization to manufacturers to make their product data more appealing to handle. To help you understand the services provided through SD, we spoke with SEMA Vice President of Technology, Data and Strategic Initiative Gigi Ho to explore their benefits and data score system to answer the question you might be asking: “What exactly is SEMA Data, and how could it benefit my business?” Feel free also to inquire about this in person at the SEMA Show. You can find SD exhibiting in Central Hall booth #20678. A DIGITAL AGE The digital market grows every month, and brands and manufacturers are doing everything they can to optimize their product data for an online market.…

With the 2025 SEMA Show just weeks away, now is the time to finalize your plans to attend the industry’s premier automotive trade event, November 4-7, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). As of press time, the Show was on track to total more than 2,400 exhibitors covering millions of square feet of exhibit space—literally filling the inside and outside areas of the massive LVCC campus. “From cutting-edge vehicle builds to the latest innovations in the automotive aftermarket, the SEMA Show is where the world gathers every year to experience the energy, passion and innovations that define the specialty-equipment aftermarket,” notes SEMA Trade Shows Director Andy Tompkins. “Year in and out, the Show is among the best investments any industry member can make to grow their business and succeed…

Just like the vehicles we build our businesses around, planning your SEMA Show trip has a lot of moving parts. Whether you’re attending or exhibiting, you’re going to have to plan your travel, your lodging, your daily commute and your meals. Here, we’ll offer savings, logistic strategies and meal tips to help you plan your SEMA Week so you not only survive but thrive. LODGING If you haven’t already booked your accommodation, the first place we suggest looking for the best deals is semashow.com under the hotel tab. SEMA has partnered with on Peak as its official hotel provider and offers attendees and exhibitors significant savings on their hotel reservations. Apart from costs, be mindful of how far the hotel you plan to stay at is from the Las Vegas…

Ask SEMA Show attendees why they come to the industry’s number-one trade event each year, and they’ll typically rank “finding new products” among their top reasons. But new products are just the tip of the SEMA Show iceberg—the visible indicators of deeper trends coursing through industry channels. Because grasping those trends can be critical to charting your business’s future, we put a simple question to trusted industry experts representing a range of SEMA Show product categories: “What are the most noteworthy trends this year’s attendees are likely to see?” Their answers, featured here, make good starting points for trendspotting at the 2025 Show. But don’t stop there. Be sure to allot plenty of “discovery time” in your Show schedule to explore additional trends and insights that can propel your business…

“THE CAR-CULTURE WORLD IS THE BIGGEST IT’S EVER BEEN, AND IT’S NOT STOPPING ANYTIME SOON…” For more than 20 years, photographer Larry Chen has been telling the story of car culture around the world through pictures. His epic images convey a deep passion for all things automotive, equaled only by the passion of those who build and drive his photographic subjects. These images and the stories they tell saw Chen being awarded SEMA’s inaugural Content Creator of the Year in 2022. Now, his work will be the face of this year’s event in Las Vegas as SEMA’s official Show artist. SEMA Magazine: When and how did you get started as an automotive photographer? Larry Chen: I started in 2004; my first event was GT Live. They brought over all the…

One of the most consequential trends you’ll notice at the 2025 SEMA Show will be the exponential growth and evolution in technology across various vehicle platforms. The transformations taking place encompass powertrains, materials, software and safety systems. The industry’s marketing is buzzing with such resonating terms as “EV,” “AI” and “autonomy,” to name a few, and the advancements taking place will impact almost every business in the aftermarket industry. Today’s safety systems not only encompass such traditional components as airbags and seatbelts; they also incorporate a new wave of technology known as advanced driver assistance systems, also called ADAS for short. These systems drive features such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), forward-collision warning (FCW), lane-departure warning (LDW), blind-spot warning (BSW) and adaptive cruise control (ACC), to name a few. While…

A new band of builders are readying their project vehicles to take the stage at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas for the ultimate car-building competition: Battle of the Builders (BOTB) Presented by Mothers Polish. The annual contest sets out to find the most well-built and innovative vehicles in the automotive aftermarket across four unique categories: 4 Wheel Drive & Off-Road; Hot Rod & Hot Rod Truck; Sport Compact, Import Performance, Luxury & Exotic; and Young Guns (contestants aged 29 and under). In the short period leading up to the SEMA Show, a six-judge panel comprised of industry leaders will narrow the field from hundreds of vehicles to 40—10 from each category—which will be announced on the first day of Show Week at the BOTB stage in North Hall…