sell to their customers. Like I said, the SEMA Show has 2,400 exhibitors, which makes it, unequivocally the best place for buyers to discover the best new products that will help their businesses grow. “These are products in the industry that enhance the performance, styling and functionality of cars, trucks, and SUVs.” The return on investment for participating in the SEMA Show is high. Participants are able to conduct a great deal of business at the Show. A single badge allows entry to the Show all four days, and we’re seeing a trend in attendees staying longer and longer. More and more people are real- izing that rather than rushing and attending just a single day that they will get a greater return by staying multiple days.
So, how’s the 2017 show shaping up? How many new products will be featured this year, Peter? We never really know what we’ll see until the week of the SEMA Show, but the upcoming event is shaping up to be exciting. Registration numbers are strong, the New Product Showcase is on track to feature an amazing variety of products, and we have some new events that reflect the changing landscape of the industry. We are especially excited about the new opportunities that advanced driver- assistance systems [ADAS] present to the aftermarket industry. With new technology and increased demand for products such as lane departure warnings, the aftermarket industry will evolve significantly in the next several years. The celebrity lineup is stacked and I’ve got to tell you, Peter, the fact that you have BIGFOOT # 1, the famous monster truck, making an appearance is really great to this late ‘80s, early ’90s kid. Can you say a few things about the famous faces and things that have made the SEMA Show an annual event for so many? Well, the SEMA Show is the leading gathering for the auto- motive industry for a lot of reasons, and that includes celeb- rities and stars of many of the biggest – and classic – televi- sion programs like Powertrax or Monster Truck Challenge, which is, I think, what you’re referring to, David. But yes, BIGFOOT # 1 will be in Las Vegas this November. This year, we’re especially looking forward to entertainment at our SEMA Industry Awards Banquet: Billy F Gibbons, Jimmie Vaughan, Michael Anthony and Jeff Beck will be performing. The entire celebrity listing can be found at SEMAShow.com and I encourage your readers to check the list out because there’s so many big names. The SEMA Show has been going on since the Johnson Administration, Peter. The Show clearly thrived without the aid of social media, but I’m wondering how it’s impacted how you sell the Show to new comers, whether they’re exhibitors or attendees. Well, social media is another tool, the newest tool, for exhib- itors to generate awareness for their products. Because the SEMA Show is a trade-only event, tools such as social media are instrumental in helping exhibitors connect with consumers. The consumer connection has increasingly become more and more important, which is the reason we introduced SEMA Ignited a few years ago. SEMA Ignited is the official SEMA Show after-party and it’s open to consum- ers. It’s a rare opportunity for the general public to see and participate in the SEMA Show. If I could extend an invitation to your readers, I’d love for them to visit www.SEMAIgnited. com. I visited the SEMA Ignited webpage before our inter- view, and I’ve got to tell you, Peter, it’s one of the more
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2017
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