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Empowering an Industry
The 2013 SEMA Show left no doubt that the automotive specialty-equipment industry is stronger than ever. While final attendance figures were being audited at press time, organizers reported that more than 126,000 credentials were issued prior to the event, with thousands more processed on site.
More than 60,000 of those badges went to buyers, who came from all over the world. The numbers represented a 7% increase over those from the previous year and were the highest in SEMA Show history. It was the third year in a row that the Show had seen significant growth.
Vulnerability Awaiting Plunder
As a trade-only event, the SEMA Show requires attendees to demonstrate involvement in the automotive aftermarket in order to gain a badge. Although there are instances where guests and VIPs are allowed to visit the Show, the vast majority of the more than 126,000 attendees are members of the industry. And yet data indicates that the SEMA Show is more than ever before boosting consumer perceptions of automotive culture, the idea of customization and interest in the latest model year’s offerings of cars and trucks. 
SEMA-Member Companies Donate Parts for Scholarship Engine—a 700-plus-hp Dart LS Next Package
During the 2013 SEMA Show, the SEMA Award for Hottest 4x4-SUV went to the Jeep Wrangler. This well-deserved honor was the result of the Wrangler's dominant presence throughout the Show. Here now are some examples of builders turning stock Wranglers into rolling, rugged masterpieces. Take time to scroll through each entry and notice that in every writeup, there are direct links to manufacturers with 2013-2014 Jeep Wrangler accessories.
SEMA Show Exhibitors Share Their Perspectives
More than 90 newly elected officials came to Washington last year to serve in the United States Congress. 
SEMA and its Automotive Restoration Market Organization and Hot Rod Industry Alliance have announced that the next Collector Car Appreciation Day will be celebrated July 11, 2014. The date will mark the fifth consecutive commemoration in what is now an annual event to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society. 
SEMA Cares has teamed up with Childhelp to purchase bicycles for the children of Merv Griffin Village. Childhelp is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect. Childhelp exists to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. 
SEMA invites industry professionals to the first stop of the 2014 Town Hall tour, where members and prospective members will gather at Flowmaster, B&M & Hurst Warehouse in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, January 29, from 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., for an evening of networking with local industry leaders and SEMA staff. The panelists for the Town Hall include SEMA Chairman Nate Shelton, B&M Racing and Performance Products Inc.; Joel Ayres, Bedslide/Tākit Inc.; and John Hotchkis, Hotchkis Performance LLC.
Media registration for the 2014 Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Media Trade Conference (MTC) is available online. Through the annual event, journalists—including freelancers, bloggers, TV reporters and magazine writers—participate in private, uninterrupted meetings with executives from manufacturing companies. 
Buyers from 135 countries descended on Las Vegas to meet with exhibitors at the 2013 SEMA Show and take part in numerous international programs. In fact, 25% of all buyers at the 2013 SEMA Show were from beyond U.S. shores, which was good news for exhibitors seeking to broaden their customer bases.
The SEMA Show is now a wrap. The 2013 Show featured nearly 2,400 exhibitors and covered more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. 
At first glance, it would seem that hot-rodding magazines in the ‘60s were all about high-horsepower, big-cubic-inch stuff—drag racing, Bonneville, Indy and the explosion of a new-car segment that we now know as musclecars. But every once in a while, the magazines would branch out into foreign territory (pun intended) and check in with what was happening on the VW tuning front. 
