It’s been about a decade since our industry last coped with a serious recession. Some say there will be a downturn in the next year or two, although that sentiment has been in the forecast for several years now. Current economic indicators are still pointing in the right direction, and a recent SEMA poll found that most member businesses are predicting that 2019 will be another successful year. Our industry and the association learned much from the last downturn. The lessons learned are worth highlighting, because they represent opportunities even today.

Look back at early issues of SEMA News and its predecessors, and it’s easy to see that our industry has perpetually been concerned about awakening and inspiring a next generation of car and truck enthusiasts. The ability to capture the youth market is a focus for many industries simply because future success often depends on it. Because young people are open to new ideas and are still developing preferences and identities, the youth demographic offers the possibility of lengthy attachment to a brand, a product or a lifestyle. In addition, young people have significant collective buying power, are often trendsetters, and they influence other demographic groups.

With the 2018 SEMA Show in the books, the industry collectively turns to follow-up. For exhibitors and buyers, pursuing leads and contacts from the Show can lay the foundation for a successful year ahead. Likewise here at SEMA, the weeks following the Show are filled with post-Show assessments, including gauging where the industry is headed.

It’s exciting to see that the industry is once again poised to unveil another burst of innovation, as evidenced by the broad array of new products and extraordinary vehicles slated to appear on the SEMA Show floor.