It is my pleasure to welcome exhibitors, attendees and enthusiasts to the 2017 SEMA Show. It’s here that more than 160,000 attendees with a common interest come together to see the latest trends in automotive innovation reflected in revolutionary new products and vehicles showcasing them in a highly effective marketplace. There’s no question about it: If you are looking for opportunity, you have come to the right place.
This year, the SEMA Action Network (SAN) is celebrating two decades of political horsepower. Over the past 20 years, long battles have been waged over Cash for Clunkers initiatives, unfair exhaust-noise restrictions, excessive taxes, titling and registration problems, backyard builds, racing and other issues. From fax machines to Facebook, the SAN’s history is chronicled on www.SEMAsan.com/history.
Organizers of the first High Performance and Custom Trade Show, which was held 50 years ago at Dodger Stadium, recognized early on that the Show needed to move out of the ballpark’s halls and into a proper convention facility for it to have any growth potential. The second show—already being referred to as the SEMA Show—did just that, relocating in 1968 to the Anaheim Convention Center.
What are the current trend lines for the aftermarket? What parts are selling, and who’s buying them? How are consumers locating and purchasing these products? And what might businesses glean from key economic and industry indicators to help them chart both their short- and long-term growth?
While the SEMA Show builds the optimal environment for matching buyers with sellers, exhibitors may have a variety of different goals for the week, such as making new contacts, or connecting with current customers. With the 2017 SEMA Show now less than eight weeks away, it’s time to be serious about putting together a game plan for attracting the right buyers to your booth.
As we move closer to the rapidly approaching 2017 SEMA Show, the stage is set with an expansive selection of education seminars, special events and interactive experiences for Show attendees to live out firsthand. Year after year, SEMA renews its commitment to bring the most cutting-edge concepts and technologies to the automotive aftermarket, all under one roof in Las Vegas. The following is a list of the top must-see features for the 2017 SEMA Show.
Located in the Skybridge between the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central and South Halls, the SEMA Show New Products Showcase displays about 3,000 products each year, all organized by Show section. In addition to new releases, there is also a “Featured” category, where exhibitors highlight their signature or best-selling products. Each entry is displayed with detailed product and contact information, making follow-up easy for buyers and media. With all these products gathered in one area, it’s the most efficient way to find new products and generate new business.
While ransomware has long been epidemic, the latest figures are positively chilling, with 61% of businesses surveyed last year saying they had been hit by ransomware, according to a study by CyberEdge Group (www.cyber-edge.com/cdr).
Often considered the mecca for the automotive specialty-equipment industry, the annual SEMA Show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, attracts more than 160,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries. In 2016, the Show featured 2,325 exhibitors, including 383 first-timers—many of whom attended the Exhibitor Summit in June to help them prepare for the big stage.
While any sort of website identity theft is alarming, the version that results in a hacker taking command and control of your website—and ultimately of your business dealings—is especially brutal. Under that scenario, hackers find a way to break into your website and then take over all of the interfaces your business uses to operate that website.
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