Automotive journalism has long been a passion of mine. I suppose it started with my red plastic toy car version of a Ford LTD Crown Victoria that was a proud possession of mine. It really got into earnest when my father brought home my first automotive magazine when I was just 12 years old.
Shortly after that moment, I subscribed to four different magazines and glued myself to them until each was finished cover to cover. It was then that I determined to do something related to automobiles in my life.
I loved it when the SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Market Association) came around each year and I did my fair share of drooling over the pictures in magazines of all the creations. Never did I think when I read that first magazine that I would someday make it to the show myself.
Hall Pass
Fast forward 12 years. Diesel Tech Editor Brady Kay called me into his office to ask if I wanted to join him at the show. Of course, I said yes! I was like a kid in a candy store.
To understand why that is, the show is not open to the general public and is a trade-only event. Only qualified buyers, exhibitors and media directly related to the automotive aftermarket industry are able to attend. As the assistant editor of Diesel Tech magazine, it was finally my chance to go, fulfilling a life-long dream.
When our flight landed in Las Vegas, Nev., we rushed over to our hotel and eagerly got on the monorail headed to the convention center where the show was being held. The station platform overlooked the outside portion of the 2012 SEMA Show and it sure was a sight to behold. And that was only the outside.
Ever Growing
SEMA was founded in 1963 and represents over 6,000 companies around the world. The show is usually held during the first week of November and it’s staggering to see how big the show really is.
The Las Vegas Convention Center has over two million square feet of space for thousands of different exhibitors so we had to get to work. Brady and I went to the media center, got our media credentials and headed to the floor to check things out.
In the area outside the show halls there are hundreds of different cars and trucks on display. All the different exhibitors have a chance to feature their products in a vehicle they park outside. One of the first trucks that we saw was XDP’s diesel monster truck. When the super storm Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast in October, it affected XDP’s New Jersey distribution center. It was great to see them going strong through all of that.
Overkill
The feature vehicles are some of the most interesting creations at SEMA because they give exhibitors a chance to show off everything they do. We even saw a Dodge Ram HD dually Cummins with a hydraulic bed that lifted off the back. We chuckled when we saw only an old motorcycle in the back. It seems that overkill is often the name of the game at SEMA.
After buying the most expensive cheeseburger I have ever had in my life, we headed inside to check out all the exhibitors located on the show floor. Despite the fact that the public were not invited, I was amazed by the number of people inside. According to the SEMA show’s official website, the show attracted over 60,000 buyers from around the world and the floor was packed shoulder-to-shoulder at some of the most popular booths.
Game Plan
Our purpose at the SEMA show was two-fold: to meet with the industry and see where it is headed and to scout out some future stories. To help us, we had media relations representatives take us around to different exhibitors relevant to the diesel industry to meet the people behind the products. It was very informative stopping at all the different booths but, being my first time, I would have to admit I found myself getting distracted with all the different trucks we passed by.
We found some very exciting products and companies that are going to be a part of our plans for the magazine. We visited a lot of booths and had some great talks with many of the biggest names in the industry such as American Force Wheels, Undercover, Bully Dog, Rigid Industries, EDGE Products and more.
In fact, more than 2000 new products were introduced this year that the SEMA show. Trust us: we collected our fair share of press kits, brochures and business cards to make sure we are ready for the year ahead. Our trip out to the show gave us some exciting ideas that you will be seeing in upcoming issues.
The trip was a lifetime experience for me. There was so much to see and it was tough not to drool over all the cool booths we passed. The show was almost too big to wrap your mind around it all and while the four-day show went by too fast, I am sure that being there for eight days would still not be enough to see it all.
Mostly, though, it was great to see that the spirit of innovation is alive and well in the industry. While you might see some of the craziest creations at SEMA, you can’t help but be excited for what they will do next.