We accept credit cards or debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover) for the onsite registration fee. CASH, or Checks will NOT be accepted onsite. No Exceptions.
The SEMA Show is a trade-only industry event. Only qualified registrants employed within the automotive aftermarket industry are approved to receive a badge. Qualified registrants may register online at www.semashow.com when registration goes live Spring 2026. Exhibiting personnel may only register online via their company's key contact, who is designated on your company's booth's Exhibit Space Rental Application (ESRA).
Compiled by SEMA MAGAZINE Staff
Each year prior to the SEMA Show, exhibitors are asked to select the new vehicles that, in their judgment, represent the best opportunities for customization and accessorization via the aftermarket for the coming year. Vehicles are chosen in six separate classes, and the winners are announced before the start of the Show. This year’s announcement was made on Monday, October 30, before the opening of the 2023 Show.
“The SEMA New Vehicle Awards recognize the newest OE platforms that offer the greatest opportunities for customization,” said Warren Kosikov, SEMA vice president of sales. “SEMA Award-winning vehicles are setting the pace in the enthusiast aftermarket, and the 2023 SEMA Show will host many of these award-winning vehicles, each built and accessorized in its own unique way.”
What follows on these pages is a sampling of the winning vehicles that exhibited at the 2023 SEMA Show.
The world’s best-selling sport coupe, Ford’s iconic pony car has been a perennial favorite with the aftermarket, and the all-new, seventh-gen ’24 model provides opportunities galore for builders looking for new platforms on which to create.
“Ford customers love to personalize the performance and appearance of their vehicles, especially Mustang, Bronco and Ranger,” said Mark Wilson, Ford North America vehicle personalization manager. “The Ford Performance parts packages we’re debuting combine the latest design trends with aftermarket accessories engineered to work with these vehicles out of the box.”
Ford brought the new Mustang FP800S concept package to the 2023 SEMA Show, which can be built atop any ’24 Mustang GT coupe with the addition of a new 3.0L, sixth-generation Whipple Supercharger kit, which also available independently of the FP800S package. The FP800S performance package elevates total output to at least 800 hp.
To help manage the fury of the additional horsepower over the standard Mustang GT, the FP800S includes a Ford Performance half-shaft upgrade kit and a street lowering kit. Options include a Borla cat-back exhaust with quad 5.0-in. exhaust tips and carbon-fiber aero elements.
Ford’s best-selling pickup celebrated its 75th birthday in 2023, and after 14 generations, it’s still a popular platform for specialty-equipment manufacturers and consumers alike.
For 2024, Ford offers the F-150 in eight different trim levels, from the base-model XL to the Baja-ready Raptor, with three cab configurations, three bed lengths, and engine options ranging from the flex-fuel capable 2.7L EcoBoost V6 with Auto Start-Stop Technology to the legendary 5.0L V8, which combined with a 10-speed automatic transmission delivers 400 hp and 410 lb.-ft. of torque.
“The Ford truck team’s ability to anticipate customer needs, continuously innovate, and provide best-in-class levels of capability and performance has helped make F-Series the sales leader time and time again,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, Ford Blue. “We’re honored and humbled that our customers have helped us achieve this milestone for more than four decades.”
A hit from its inception, the three-year-old Bronco has already spawned a robust and growing aftermarket for model-specific parts ranging from suspension components to exterior bolt-ons to cargo, overlanding and lifestyle gear.
At the 2023 SEMA Show, Ford showcased the Bronco Ford Performance ORV concept package, which is available on any Bronco Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, or Outer Banks with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine and either automatic or manual transmission. It starts with a 2.0-in. lift via a Bilstein suspension, which accommodates 17-in. white wheels and 35-in. tires. The Bronco package also adds a unique software calibration for the 2.3L engine. Ford Performance options for the ORV pack include a high-clearance Borla cat-back exhaust, an ARB jack and mount and an underhood compressor.
Ford also exhibited the Ford Accessory Personalization concept package, which included retro-cool graphics, an open-air Bimini roof, tube doors and painted wheel arches and grille from the Outer Banks trim, all of which aimed to represent the carefree attitude of a beach-going vehicle.
Long a favorite of tuners, Z-cars enjoy a healthy presence at the SEMA Show each year, and Nissan’s newest should likewise appeal to performance builders and accessorizers.
Nissan’s Thrill Street exhibit at the 2023 SEMA Show showcased a wide range of production and concept vehicles, including the ’23 Nissan Z NISMO, a Safari-style Z concept vehicle and a replica of the Datsun 240Z rally car that helped cement the Z’s place as a sports car icon with its victory in the 1971 East African Safari Rally.
The Nissan Z doubles down on thrilling performance for the ’24 model year with the return of Z NISMO, which delivers features 420 hp and numerous handling, braking and chassis enhancements that elevate its performance on the racetrack.
Additionally, the ’24 Nissan Z Sport and Z Performance continue to offer buyers options to configure a Z that suits their driving style. A standard 3.0L V6 twin turbo engine rated at 400 hp is mated to a six-speed manual transmission with Exedy high-performance clutch as standard, or a responsive nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
“Highly anticipated” would be an understatement to describe Ford’s all-new electric truck. Ford received 200,000 preorders before a single unit was built, and supply-chain disruptions have caused production delays. Still, the F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 45 years running, so this latest addition to Ford’s fullsize pickup line should be a hit with consumers and customizers, too.
“Earning North America’s EV of the Year is huge for the team that has been working so hard to build and deliver as many Lightnings as possible, as quickly as possible,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “We’re moving fast to further ramp production to a 150,000-run rate this fall and pushing to improve every aspect of this truck. We’ve started delivering Lightnings from the factory with a fantastic new user interface update to improve the driver experience that we’ll also roll out to all of our Lightning owners over-the-air.”
“When America’s best-selling vehicle goes electric, you know the transition has momentum,” said Karl Brauer, NACTOY juror and freelance journalist for Forbes. “Ford’s effort to create an all-electric F-150 is remarkable because it combines the standard truck’s dimensions, which means it retains massive aftermarket support, with substantial upgrades to areas like storage and mobile power support. It’s really the best of all worlds, giving the F-150 Lightning a wide range of applications for both traditional and new-to-the-segment truck customers.”
Toyotas in general are perennial favorites of accessorizers, and Toyota’s all-new fifth-gen Tacoma holds additional promise for the coming year. Toyota is offering the Tacoma in eight different models, so consumers (and customizers) will have a variety of palates on which to realize their own artistic visions.
“We are proud to receive the SEMA Midsize Truck of the Year award,” said Mike Tripp, group vice president, Toyota Marketing. “The SEMA Awards celebrate the creativity and personalization that play so heavily with customers. For 2024, we have built a Tacoma for every person and every lifestyle with the flexibility to allow customers to find their own adventure and push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
At the 2023 SEMA Show, Toyota exhibited seven ’24 Tacomas that represented just a few of the many possibilities Tacoma offers. The concepts and specialty builds include the Tacoma Blue Beetle in addition to accessorized versions of Tacoma TrailHunter, Tacoma TRD Pro, Tacoma TRD Off-Road and more. Toyota also debuted the ’24 Tacoma X-Runner Concept, Toyota Calty Design Studio’s take on what a 3.4L twin-turbocharged V6 in a slammed street truck could look like given the flexibility offered by Tacoma’s TGNA-F product platform.
As we enter 2024, our industry and SEMA, your trade association, stand at a momentous point. Just two months ago, the annual SEMA Show garnered tremendous support, welcoming more than 2,200 exhibitors and approximately 160,000 attendees to the Las Vegas Convention Center. The high energy was palpable as the industry gathered to network and discover the next-gen products, ideas and innovations that will drive its growth and future, both this year and beyond.
In addition, we launched SEMA Fest, an exciting new music and car-culture event. As a complement to the SEMA Show, SEMA Fest broke new ground, and we are committed to growing the event as a means of promoting the automotive lifestyle among consumers, converting fans to enthusiasts, and enthusiasts to evangelists.
The two events followed SEMA’s recent, first-ever economic impact report showing that the aftermarket
industry contributes $337 billion to the American economy and creates 1.3 million jobs. Meanwhile, our recently released “SEMA State of the Industry Report” saw two-thirds of industry companies reporting stable or growing sales over the last year.
In short, our industry is a major driver of growth and prosperity in the United States, and we remain at the forefront of adopting policies and technologies that help reduce vehicle emissions while delivering businesses and consumers change and innovation. SEMA currently serves 6,500-plus member companies, representing more than 40,000 employees. Our mission is to help member businesses succeed and prosper, and in 2024 you will see us redoubling our commitment to this mission on many fronts.
First, we will keep our industry viable and protect it from politicians and regulators who threaten our livelihoods. To this end, we have made significant investments in our government affairs efforts, and you will increasingly see us mobilizing our industry and enlisting the public in our fight to protect it.
We will also remain at the forefront of technology. Our new SEMA Garage Detroit is up and fully
operational, and ready to assist our members in understanding, accessing and working with emerging
technologies. (For example, look for a new ADAS white paper coming out soon!)
We will further expand our industry’s marketplaces while providing tools that address real business needs, growing our SEMA Data program, advancing vital market research, and maintaining the SEMA Show as the industry’s leading rallying point.
You’ll also see us foster and build communities of impact. We’ve launched our SEMA Individual Membership program to help galvanize our collective reach, inviting enthusiasts into our SEMA fold. Our nine councils and networks will increase programs to unite different facets of our industry to address common challenges. We will reach new audiences, notably through a new DEI task force to help us reach more diverse communities.
Ultimately, we’re refocusing on you, the member, and elevating our customer service. Our team will prioritize your member experience in all we do. We will update our systems and processes, make meaningful improvements to our website, payment systems and more.
It’s an exciting time for our industry, and we’re seizing the momentum to effect real change on your behalf.
President and CEO
Mike Spagnola
Sports legend and philanthropist Tim Tebow was a keynote in an education program that featured a wide range of inspirational speakers and industry topics.
Compiled by SEMA Magazine Editors
As part of SEMA’s continuing initiative to offer comprehensive career- and professional-development programs to members throughout the year, the 2023 SEMA Show featured a hands-on education curriculum of nearly 100 courses that focused on leadership and skills development, networking, exploration of emerging trends, and industry best practices.
“We wanted to support our attendees by offering a customizable learning journey for skill development and competency-based education, inclusive of the Show and throughout the rest of the year,” said Pamela Brown-Matthis, SEMA director of education. “Our goal was to engage Showgoers by creating high-energy learning situations throughout the Show environment and creating educational opportunities that are delivered in various formats, whether they be ‘fireside chats,’ workshops, Main Stage Experiences or celebrity showcases.”
This 2023 Show’s educational curriculum featured globally recognized motivational speakers and industry leaders who shared their experiences and expertise with Show attendees.
“We were very intentional about selecting our sessions and speakers,” Brown-Matthis explained. “All of our speakers are subject-matter experts who have the knowledge and ability to inspire change, and our sessions offer content that is relevant, meaningful and valuable for all our Show participants.” For 2023, Show planners organized the Show’s sessions into six highly focused SEMA Education tracks: Inside the Shop; Aftermarket Updates and Future Trends; Small-Business Strategy; Sales and Marketing; Vehicle Technology and Electric
Vehicles; and Legal and Regulatory.
All of our speakers are subject- matter experts who have the knowledge and ability to inspire change, and our sessions offer content that is relevant, meaningful and valuable for all our Show participants.”
Among the many new 2023 sessions, a Women in Automotive Symposium included four professional-development workshops, a power networking luncheon and a fireside chat hosted by Carolyn Jackson of Barrett-Jackson Auctions and Amanda Bursick of Fox News. An all-day Digital Marketing Bootcamp gave attendees the tools needed to succeed in online media. Additionally, a panel on Alternative Fuels, hosted by Automotive News, explored emerging propulsion technoligies, including natural gas and E85 ethanol. In a similar vein, “The Future of Automotive Fuel Technology,” a panel moderated by PBS’s Margaret Hoover (“Firing LIne”) hosted global industry leaders who discussed the application of alternative fuels in the automotive industry.
Finally, a day-long EV certification program offered hands-on training to technicins. Interest in the program was so strong, three separate workshops were scheduled to accommodate attendee demand.
By David Bellm
Business is a lot like racing—constantly evolving, relentlessly competitive, and always taking advantage of the latest technology to get an edge. Consequently, it's no surprise that more companies in motorsports and the performance automotive aftermarket are tapping into social media as another method of addressing
customer service.
While traditional avenues such as emails and phone calls are still used to address customer inquiries, the advent of social media has provided companies with a powerful tool for communication and customer service. It's allowing specialty-equipment performance companies to build better rapport with customers, strengthen brands and trigger positive conversations among other potential customers who are witnessing the effective resolution of issues.
But on the flipside, there's also the potential for negative effects. Customer expectations are rising higher than ever, which can prove challenging for companies that haven't adequately prepared, or don't have the necessary resources to accommodate customers through additional channels. And, at the same time, the multi-faceted nature of social media communication can strain centralized, chain-of-command driven teams that struggle to devote resources to other departments when necessary.
Given these opposing dynamics, the methods and the degree of commitment to social-media customer service varies widely in motorsports. Some companies have jumped in wholeheartedly, some are dipping a toe in it, and some are avoiding it altogether. And even for those that are embracing it, there's a wide range of methods and expectations being applied to the task.
Nonetheless, social-media customer service experts are looking ahead to a bright future for these platforms in the industry, particularly with the advent of powerful new labor-saving social-media tools driven by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. These tools could lower the barriers that are keeping some companies from diving into social media as a means of improving customer service.
Social-media customer service has evolved considerably in its relatively brief history. Many of the first forays into using social media to communicate with companies came from angry customers taking a last-resort shot at unresponsive businesses in a public forum. But over time, social-media customer service has evolved into a nuanced give-and-take between customers and companies. The topics of these exchanges can be almost anything, including general questions about policies, deep details about products or even gushing praise from loyal zealots.
Use of various social-media platforms in these ways had been steadily growing for years as people in general were spending increasing amounts of time in front of phones and computers, while doing more and more of their business transactions online. Then the pandemic kicked that trend into high gear. With limited means for contacting companies, and people spending more time in front of computers during the two-year-long international ordeal, customers began flocking to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms to voice their needs to companies with which they did business.
Besides the undeniable global factors that have fueled customers' expectations of social media as a medium for communicating with companies, there's a more fundamental reason customers increasingly use social media in this way. Today's social-media platforms convey a greater sense of there being a real person behind the scenes, compared to the coldly anonymous feeling of a blank email contact form, or an impersonal-looking 800 number listed on a website. The basic sense of humanity on social media tends to encourage customers to use this channel instead of the more traditional email and phone methods.
"I think there's an understanding that social media has to have a person behind it, unlike an email form, which you don't really know if it's actually going to a person," said Andreanna Ditton of RacingJunk.com, El Segundo, California.
Handling customer service through social media allows companies to reach customers where they're already at, in a means that they're comfortable with. This fosters a greater sense of trust and openness among customers. This trust is further enhanced by the experience of seeing other customers successfully having their problems with a company resolved on the platform. This creates a powerful social proof that can foster positive feelings toward a brand and build enduring loyalty.
"There have been studies done that have showed that the overall feeling about that business goes up when people see a problem resolved for a customer," said Corey Perlman of Impact Social Media, Roswell, Georgia. "The reason for that is people don't expect businesses not to make mistakes—they just want to see how the company is going to respond to those mistakes."
Although almost any social-media platform is potentially suitable for customer-service interactions, in motorsports and the performance automotive aftermarket the dominant social platforms are Facebook and Instagram. These platforms have become the default standard for car culture, whether it be in the form of videos, cars for sale or posts about automotive topics. This has fostered a vast audience of deeply enthusiastic users for these platforms, and so they're naturally the place companies in this segment need to be when handling customer service through these channels. For automotive-related companies of all types, platforms other than these two stalwarts tend to be too much effort for too little return, according to our sources.
"For our audience, Twitter was a bigger job than we were able to maintain, and we didn't gain much from it," said Ditton. "We still have a Twitter account that people can connect with us or tag us on. We use it to promote our ads, press releases and stuff like that, but we don't do a lot of discussion on it. Same with Pinterest."
Within the car-culture world, Facebook and Instagram users have somewhat different tones and attitudes between the two platforms, driven in large part by the nature of them and the slightly older demographics of Facebook users compared to those of Instagram. But for the most part, the companies we spoke to said the difference in tone and style between the two platforms has become negligible at this point.
"The Facebook and Instagram audiences are more similar than you'd think these days," said Ditton. "We used to see a much different demographic on Instagram than on Facebook. I just don't see that quite as much anymore."
"When a negative response or interaction comes from a customer, the first thing you do is not respond right away, because you're emotional about it."
Whichever platform is used, customers have three basic methods to communicate with companies: Direct messages (DMs), posts and tagging. Direct messages are the most private of these methods, and that brings advantages and disadvantages. When messaging a company directly, there's limited damage to a company's brand if the interaction is negative in any way. But, on the other hand, DMs have limited potential for enhancing a brand and building general goodwill if the interaction goes particularly well.
Instead of messaging a company directly, customers may also choose to simply put their thoughts in a post, for potentially everyone to see. In the extremes, this can have a very damaging effect if the post is negative, but it can also be a very positive lift for a brand if it's in the form of praise for the company or its products.
The sources we spoke to said that it can be effective and efficient to communicate with customers via posts, but they agreed that the
interaction should be moved to private DMs if things get at all negative. Everything is fair game for public consumption and comment when it's in a post. For that same reason, sometimes company representatives need to dial down any negative emotions that can cloud the interaction.
"When a negative response or interaction comes from a customer, the first thing you do is not respond right away, because you're emotional about it," said Perlman. "Take a breath. Give it a little time until you can let go of the emotions and can respond in a diplomatic way. Then respond and try to fix the problem. Oftentimes, if you do that, you can turn a critic into a champion. You can turn an unhappy customer into a very happy and loyal customer just by listening and being attentive to them—even if the problem doesn't necessarily get fully solved—just by being empathetic to their situation.
"But if you can't, and this person is just looking for a fight, then that's the point where you take it offline," continued Perlman. "It's best to say something like, 'I'd like to personally talk with you through this. Please provide me your email, or I'm going to provide our business email here so we can get your phone number and I'll get in contact with you right away."
Besides messaging or creating a post that mentions a company directly, customers can also tag a company in a post. Doing so consists of simply putting the company name somewhere in the post, preceded by a hashtag. This can be done on any post, even if it's only tenuously related to a company or its products. Like other methods of contact, this can be a positive, uplifting moment for a brand or it can be damaging and negative.
That's why it's crucial for companies to continuously monitor what's being said about them online. This technique is called social monitoring or social listening. Although this is a simple concept, it needs to be done on a consistent basis so that damaging statements don't spiral out of control, fueled by a perceived lack of response from the company. Fortunately, it's relatively simple to manage the process and stay on top of what people are saying.
"One easy thing that companies can do to monitor is to set up Google Alerts around their brand," said Perlman. "That way, if something pops up on the internet with their name attached to it, they'll be alerted by Google via email. Or, if you go to Twitter, or Instagram, or Facebook, or even LinkedIn, you can simply type in your brand name in the search bar, and you very quickly can see if anything's been mentioned about you."
The companies that are the most effective at social-media customer service typically have a specific social-monitoring methodology that ensures that job is handled thoroughly and consistently. Bringing greater efficiency and effectiveness to these methods are a number of digital tools that automate the work and provide greater control of the process. But businesses have to be careful to maintain the valuable human component that attracts customers to social media in the first place.
"It all comes down to being authentic," said Perlman. "One of the big questions now is whether businesses should use automatic responses or artificial intelligence services. My thinking on that is, yes, as long as you aren't trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the customer, you're not trying to make them think it's a real person. Commonly asked questions and requests that come in after hours, can be addressed by automated programs. But when you get to a point where it's more specific, you need to get the customer over to a real person."
These digital methods are typically just one component in a comprehensive suite of effective techniques organizations are using to handle customer service via social media. It's essential to establish a solid, consistent process for handling social-media customer service. Without such systems, the chances of customer interactions turning negative greatly increase. But such a system doesn't necessarily need to be complex or especially sophisticated. It can be as basic as having a set time of day to handle certain important tasks.
"If you try to handle customer questions sporadically, you'll get lost," said Will Farkas of Design Engineering, Avon Lake, Ohio. "You've got to really make sure to dedicate time each day to making sure that you are able to cover it. I check things once in the morning, once at lunch, and then once at the end of the day."
Mostly opening up social-media channels for customer service questions is largely a matter of companies simply going where their customers are. But that varies considerably from one market segment to another. To some degree, it comes back to demographics. The enthusiast automotive market in general tends to skew somewhat older in comparison to certain other mainstream products, such as music or video games.
Although older users can certainly be tech-savvy and quite sophisticated in their use of digital devices, they nonetheless often prefer traditional means of communicating with companies. For this reason, the companies we spoke to all emphasized the need to offer multiple channels for communicating with
customers. "In our posts and our direct messages, we always have a way to call us," said Ditton.
"So as soon as they message us, it gives them a phone number for customer service."
Despite the challenges posed by handling customer service problems through social media, it shouldn't be a cause for fear or hesitation. Instead, our sources say companies should jump in and embrace it as just another opportunity to connect with customers.
"One time a client said to me, 'Why should I have social platforms just to give people another reason to talk about me or my business?'" said Perlman. "But that's exactly the reason why you have this social platform—so that they'll talk about you on your own turf. I would prefer a negative customer come to your social platforms for communicating with you than going elsewhere, like Yelp or Google."
Although motorsports and performance automotive aftermarket companies appear to be generally embracing the idea of handling customer-service inquiries through social media, some in the industry have intentionally turned their back on these methods. At first glance, such a move might appear to be unfashionably out of step. But on closer examination, the argument can be made for such a policy in some businesses.
This is particularly true for companies with proprietary platforms that customers use to place orders, check status and communicate problems. Such businesses may feel that monitoring and working customer service on channels outside the company's existing platform is an unnecessary distraction.
Turn 14 Distribution in Horsham, Pennsylvania, is one such company. At one point, the company did allow the option of working with customers through social media, but ultimately decided that it wasn't as effective as simply channeling them back to their own platform.
As a warehouse distributor, Turn 14 works only with established customers who have an account. This means that everyone they deal with is already registered and extensively documented in the company's platform. When clients contact them, the customer support team at Turn 14 can instantly access all of this information in one centralized location. This has proven to be more efficient than jumping back and forth between a social media platform and the company's own platform.
"We have a full-fledged team of 30–40 customer-support employees," said Kyle Crawford, digital media manager. "And we have a whole portal and ticketing system that they use to deal with any kind of customer support requests. We learned pretty quickly that the time that it took us to figure out the order number, or where the part was going, or who it was going to, and then passing that information along to our support team, made it slower than what our support team would have done if they processed a ticket through our system."
If Turn 14 customers do ask questions through social media, they're steered back to the main company platform, where they interact directly with a member of the customer-support team. Because of the efficiency and thoroughness this method provides, customers are generally fine with being routed away from social media, according to Crawford.
"We started replying to social-media messages with a pretty generic response that says, 'If you have a Turn 14Distribution account, this should be handled through the support channel. If you don't have a Turn 14 Distribution account, you should work through the retailer that you purchased the part from.'"
At the same time, Crawford said that staying exclusively on the company's own platform provides greater security for the company and its customers. "One of the reasons we want people to work through our system is that we don't want any of the information going into the wrong hands. By having access to the ship-to address and knowing what the part number is, sure, theoretically we could look that up in our system, but we don't know who we're actually giving that information to. So by it going through our main channel we keep things secure."
Of course, ignoring social media as a customer service method may not be advisable for all companies. Many customers, particularly those of younger generations, see Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms as an integral part of life online. But for companies like Turn 14, which has its own robust one-stop platform for serving customer needs, turning away from social media may indeed prove to be a viable option.
Turn 14 Distribution has "a full-fledged team of 30–40 customer-support employees" working on an in-house portal and ticketing system, said Digital Media Manager Kyle Crawford. The company found that working social media outside of that system simply wasn't as efficient.
"There have been studies done that have showed that the overall feeling about that business goes up when people see a problem resolved for a customer."
Design Engineering
designengineering.com
Impact Social Media
impactsocialmedia.com
RacingJunk.com
racingjunk.com
Turn 14 Distribution
turn14.com
Momentum is building for the 2023 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, October 31–November 3. Come Show time, we expect more than 2,200 exhibitors representing thousands of brands from the U.S. and international markets, including more than 400 first-time exhibitors—all eager to share their latest products, services and innovations with a projected 160,000 industry professionals.
We are fortunate to serve a passionate community that understands the value of gathering each year—helping the SEMA Show consistently rank among the nation’s top trade shows to serve as the premier global automotive trade gathering for our industry. It’s a can’t-miss event for growing your business, discovering new products and emerging technologies, making new contacts, strengthening existing ones, and taking your professional career from good to great.
At this year’s event, you’ll encounter a changing Show mirroring a rapidly evolving industry. These are transformational times for our sector, and this Show is designed to help you grasp the future and and leverage the trends and innovations that are reshaping it.
You’ll learn about emerging opportunities in alternative vehicle propulsion, advancements in internal-combustion design and performance, alternative fuels, and even modifying vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), to name but a few. You’ll also see new, updated or expanded exhibits focusing on trends in racing and performance, overlanding, repair and restyling, and other aftermarket categories.
Our Show education program is also enhanced, with more than 99 sessions on a crucial range of business, career and industry topics, including a special keynote by star athlete and car enthusiast Tim Tebow.
Perhaps most importantly, you’ll network and exchange ideas with professionals from more than 140 countries and regions all over the world. The Show is a unique venue for meeting with senior management of the brands that you work with, sharing insights regarding your businesses and their direction, and discussing your perspectives and needs as a customer. This face-to-face interaction just doesn’t happen anywhere else.
Plus, we can’t forget the debut of SEMA Fest, a brand-new, consumer-facing celebration of car culture, music and lifestyle at the nearby Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The event, slated for November 3–4, will include a car show, world-class musical entertainment, drifting, freestyle motorcycling and other thrilling activities for everyone with an automotive passion. Separate from the Show, it’s designed to energize enthusiasts for our industry. (Ed. note: Get your tickets here.)
We hope you find SEMA Week thrilling, rewarding and a great return on investment.
See you in Las Vegas!
Tom Gattuso
SEMA Vice President of Events
With the 2023 SEMA Show upon us, the specialty-equipment industry is again gearing up for some serious—and exciting—business. This year's SEMA Show takes place October 31–November 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. To assist with advanced Show planning, SEMA News has produced this 2023 SEMA Show Preview.
This publication offers a glimpse into key features, events and opportunities at the Show, along with a sampling of the countless new products being introduced by 2023 exhibitors. From Racing & Performance to Business Services, we shine a spotlight on each market category you'll encounter in Las Vegas. To add context to what you'll see in these Show sections, we've included our latest reporting relating to category trends and SEMA market research. Exhibitor listings round out our pre-Show coverage. With many exhibitors increasing their booth spaces or otherwise enhancing their Show presence for 2023, there will be plenty of new and exciting innovations to
discover.
The information we present was up to date as of press time. Please consult www.SEMAshow.com for the latest exhibitor listings, attendee news and media updates. It is also the place to go to register for the Show and SEMA Education tracks.
World-renowned athlete and entrepreneur Tim Tebow will share his mission-possible life message with 2023 Show attendees as part of the event's professional-development series. Tebow takes the SEMA Show Main Stage as a keynote speaker at 1:00 p.m., November 2, as part of an enhanced Show education program featuring iconic industry personalities, thought leaders and entertainers sharing fresh perspectives and strategies.
"I'm looking forward to helping SEMA Show attendees find their mission and create a life that counts," said Tebow. "I hope my experiences and the lessons I've learned first-hand will inspire them to live a purposeful life that helps them succeed personally and professionally."
"We're really excited about bringing Tim Tebow to our Main Stage Experience as a subject-matter expert who has the knowledge and ability to inspire change," said Pamela Brown-Matthis, SEMA director of education. "His multigenerational message is going to resonate with all attendees."
Located in the Show's West Hall, the Main Stage is just one element in a Show education program that includes 99 learning sessions beginning the Monday before the start of the Show, six highly focused SEMA Education tracks, the Dale Carnegie Leadership Essentials program, a Women in Automotive Symposium, and an on-site electric vehicle (EV) certification program. Access to most programs is included as a benefit to registration. (For listings, visit www.SEMAshow.com/education.)
"The SEMA Show is the only place where aftermarket professionals can discover new products and trends, make new business contacts, and advance their careers in one location," said SEMA Trade Show Director Andy Tompkins. "We are committed to ensuring that participation in the SEMA Show is easy, affordable and provides the greatest return on investment."
The 2023 SEMA Show is pleased to again host the Chip Foose Experience in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Central Hall. The legendary Foose returns this year as the Show's official artist and is currently at work on new and expanded signage and visual cues to enhance the event's thematic feel. In addition, there will be a wide variety of new SEMA Show digital content and display packages throughout the LVCC designed to highlight the trade event's community hubs and encourage connections between exhibitors and attendees.
Tickets for the inaugural SEMA Fest, a two-day full-throttle festival that fuses car culture and music, are on sale now at www.semafest.com. Held November 3–4 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds in Las Vegas, SEMA Fest is a must-attend event open to the public and featuring world-class musical acts Imagine Dragons, Incubus, Wiz Khalifa, AJR, Third Eye Blind, Bush, Walk The Moon, Ludacris and more.
"We are excited to open the gates for the inaugural SEMA Fest and welcome car and music lovers alike to enjoy this one-of-a-kind festival," said Mike Spagnola, SEMA president and CEO. "Automotive enthusiasts the world over have been asking for years how they can be part of the SEMA Show experience, and we are delighted to include them in this brand-new extension of our popular trade show. This new event will be separate from the trade show, open to everyone and promises to be like nothing they've seen before."
Requiring separate tickets from the SEMA Show, SEMA Fest brings together automotive enthusiasts, the biggest names in music and the hottest automotive brands in a large-scale festival format. It will feature a full slate of immersive automotive lifestyle events, a consumer marketplace, world-class drifting, motorsports competitions, freestyle motocross and more. Whether you are a diehard car enthusiast, a motorsports fan, a music lover or just like to have a good time, SEMA Fest is an event not to miss.
"While totally different events, the SEMA Show and SEMA Fest are symbiotic," explains SEMA Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso. "The SEMA Show is a trade event focusing on the industry's businesses, professionals and products on a B2B level. SEMA Fest is designed to gather enthusiasts and people who love and use cars and trucks at the consumer level. Think of it as an event for our industry's customers."
For more information about SEMA Fest and to purchase tickets, visit semafest.com.
The SEMA Show offers an attendee experience like no other trade show on the planet. It's the best place to see thousands of the newest automotive performance products from new and iconic exhibitors, discover the latest product and vehicle trends, and develop essential skills by attending any one of the dozens of free education sessions—all of which are led by top industry professionals.
What follows is a brief overview of some of the 2023 Show's more notable features and events.
The annual SEMA Awards, given to the top-trending vehicle models in six categories, will be presented Monday, October 30, the evening before the SEMA Show officially opens. Dubbed the "Monday Reveal," the awards are presented to automakers for the SEMA Car of the Year, SEMA Fullsize Truck of the Year, SEMA 4x4-SUV of the Year, SEMA Midsize Truck of the Year, SEMA Sport Compact of the Year and SEMA EV of the Year.
SEMA Award winners are determined and voted on by SEMA Show exhibiting manufacturers to recognize vehicles that manufacturers are investing in and developing products for. The program heightens awareness for aftermarket products and exemplifies the industry's partnership between automakers and aftermarket manufacturers that develop products to improve vehicle performance, safety and convenience as well as appearance and comfort.
SEMA Central is ground zero for Showgoers looking for immersive experiences and to connect with industry thought leaders. Visit this hub to see top-tier vehicle builds and center-stage interviews with iconic personalities. There's even a boutique shop to outfit you with the latest SEMA Gear.
Start your Show experience with the latest innovations from New Product Award winners as well as the presentation of the Manufacturer of the Year and the Channel Partner of the Year awards. Enjoy a full breakfast and network with a global community even before the Show officially opens.
The SEMA Show's most popular exhibit, the New Products Showcase, is a must-see destination for buyers and media in search of the latest and most exciting products hitting the aftermarket. This year, the Showcase encompasses one continuous space of 30,000 sq. ft. located in North Hall and will display thousands of new and featured products, with scanning made possible through the SEMA Show mobile app. This aids buyers and media in connecting with product information and mapping their way to the exhibiting companies on the Show floor.
SEMA Showgoers can find a wide selection of authentic artwork crafted by popular industry artists on display at the SEMA Show Art Walk, which will be a showcase of Central Hall in booths #24857, 24957 and 25057. Some of the automotive industry's premier artists will be exhibiting their latest creations in the Art Walk, which celebrates the automotive lifestyle. Executed in a variety of media, their works comprise an extensive offering of pieces that will complement any home or office. Make a plan to go by, say hello and pick up some great examples of automotive art!
With a projected attendance of 160,000 for 2023, the SEMA Show continues to be the premier annual showcase for the specialty-equipment market and one of the best-attended trade shows in North America.
The SEMA Show is renowned for the innovative parts and accessories displayed on show vehicles representing every industry niche, from cars and trucks to powersports. Much more than rolling works of art, the vehicles offer an in-person look at real-life applications of the aftermarket's latest trends and most impressive products.
Located throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center, inside and out, the displays connect with Showgoers as an extension to the exhibit booths of the product creators. The SEMA Show app features a scanning function that allows attendees to quickly capture product and exhibitor information from feature vehicles on display throughout the Show.
With many similarities and connections to off-roading, adventure travel, aka overlanding, has strong roots in Australia and South Africa, and in the United States, its popularity has exploded over the past decade. Buyers at the 2023 SEMA Show will be able to see products and vehicles specifically for overlanding in the SEMA Overland Experience area, which relocates outdoors to the Diamond Lot adjacent to West Hall. This special exhibit will include dozens of customized vehicles with fully popped-out tents, survival accessories and portable kitchen systems all displayed among exhibitors supporting the growing overlanding market.
As a trade association, SEMA looks down the road for emerging trends and new technology in performance and hot rodding, and it views vehicle electrification and alternative propulsion systems as a modern-day expression of those enthusiast pursuits. The new SEMA FutureTech Studio will explore the latest in EV and alternative fuel sources, offering the industry an opportunity to see where this growing segment might take us in the next five to 10 years and beyond. Experience for yourself the surprising technologies that are advancing and redefining the performance aftermarket. You'll encounter some incredible custom conversions along with exhibiting companies that are driving innovation in the market.
The SEMA Garage: ADAS, Emissions, Product Development area will introduce an expanded showcase for 2023 with a focus on new product-development and emissions technologies. The 6,600-sq.-ft. feature area will still provide attendees with a forum to learn from subject-matter experts, to exchange knowledge and ADAS best practices, and to gain hands-on experience with ADAS tools and equipment. The dedicated space will also host a variety of ADAS-related products for examination and review, and mock ADAS recalibration demonstrations throughout the week will guide Showgoers through the step-by-step process of integrating ADAS protocols into the workplace. The new exhibit's aim is to assist in member education, to improve industry awareness of ADAS systems and their impact on the aftermarket, and to provide marketing and networking opportunities between buyers and sellers.
Join the annual celebration of the specialty-equipment industry and experience unique entertainment, industry trends, networking, and an evening to remember. This once-a-year extravaganza provides the backdrop for several industry awards and a few surprises.
Since its debut in 2014, SEMA's premier showcase of the builder's art has become one of the Show's biggest attractions. It returns for 2023 and runs all during Show Week before culminating at the competition final on Friday, November 3, in North Hall. Forty of the world's most creative builds will be judged by a panel of industry experts, with the Top 12 vehicles advancing to the finals in four distinct categories: Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck, 4-Wheel Drive & Off-Road, Sport Compact, Import Performance, Luxury & Exotic and Young Guns (builders under age 29). The winning vehicles will lead the procession at SEMA Cruise Presented by CTEK, which takes place immediately after the winners are announced.
Vehicles from the 2023 SEMA Show begin parading out of the LVCC at Show close—4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 3—
to the delight of thousands of fans in grandstands along the route. More than 1,000 vehicles will take part in the SEMA Cruise Presented by CTEK. Spectators have a ringside seat to view the coolest cars, and the Cruise has become one of the Show's most anticipated events and generates millions of social-media impressions, exciting enthusiasts across the world.
Walking the SEMA Show floor can eat into valuable time, so Showgoers looking to maximize their efficiency during Show Week can take advantage of the LVCC Loop. A 1.5-mi. subway tunnel that connects West, Central and South Halls at three dedicated stations, the Boring Company-built Loop can save time by transporting attendees from one end of the LVCC to another in roughly 4 min., and the system can transport more than 4,000 passengers per hour.
For 2023, the LVCC Loop has officially opened a fourth station, the Resorts World Passenger Station, providing direct access to and from the LVCC. Riders can now access the Resorts World station from any of the LVCC stations (South, Central, West and Riviera Stations).
There is currently no charge to travel between stations at the LVCC or from the LVCC to the Resorts World Station. Visit www.lvloop.com/tickets to purchase tickets for rides departing from Resorts World. Hours of operation will vary.
While all of the information contained in this article was accurate at the time this issue went to press, be sure to visit www.SEMAshow.com or the SEMA Show app for the latest updates and schedules.
The SEMA Show's most popular exhibit, the New Products Showcase, is a must-see destination for buyers and media in search of the latest and most exciting products hitting the aftermarket. This year, the Showcase encompasses one continuous space of 30,000 sq. ft. located in North Hall and will display thousands of new and featured products, with scanning made possible through the SEMA Show mobile app.
The 2023 SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish—the aftermarket industry's ultimate vehicle competition—will mark its 10th year at the upcoming SEMA Show. The highly followed contest provides SEMA Show builders a platform to showcase their craftsmanship and skills to a worldwide audience.
"The SEMA Show is synonymous with the most unique vehicles in the world, and for a decade now the Battle of the Builders program has given the builders of these vehicles an opportunity to showcase their imagination, creativity and craftsmanship at an international level," said RJ de Vera, SEMA vice president of marketing. "This year's program will feature the top builders and brands exhibiting at the 2023 SEMA Show as we crown our 10th Battle of the Builders Champion."
Since 2014, Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish has catapulted SEMA Show builders to fame through exposure in SEMA's communication and social channels and inclusion in a one-hour television special. The competition recognizes one winner in four different categories—Hot Rod & Hot Rod Truck; 4 Wheel Drive & Off-Road; Sport Compact, Import Performance, Luxury & Exotic; and Young Guns—before crowning and overall Battle of the Builders Champion. The Young Guns category, open to builders 29 years and younger, is part of SEMA's initiative to support and encourage the next generation of industry builders.
"The SEMA Young Guns competition was the single most powerful tool for me to turn my passion for building cars into a full-time career," said Kyle Kuhnhausen, winner of the 2018 Young Guns title and current Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish judge. "The media coverage that followed after winning the category took me from a relatively unknown young builder to self-employment building hot rods full time just months later. I'm still building hot rods, and the phone is still ringing as I continue feeling the benefits of the competition and now get to judge that category."
For more information on the 2023 SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish competition or to register, visit www.SEMAbotb.com.
The deadline to register is October 13.
