I am looking forward to the drive. Most people hate it. Not me. After the first two hours and we are out of the traffic, the desert is a nice place to be. My mind starts to wander and I think much more clearly. At the SEMA Show in the before times, Billy and I would ride out together. Anxious to see what is new in the automotive aftermarket. Post-pandemic it is just me. Just me rolling through the desert. Just me and my thoughts. Occasionally Siri would come on to warn me of potential speed zone ahead. Good girl.
As I roll into Vegas I immediately go to the convention center. It is Mid day on Monday. The day before the big show officially starts. The day when the exhibitors are scrambling to finish their booths in time. The day when many of the cars and trucks outside roll in. The day to take a deep breath and prepare for the marathon they call The SEMA Show.
The four days of the show are a whirl-wind of activity. Meeting with vendors, sponsors and old friends. This year, I invited Jon Light from In-Focus Performance Marketing to share the room. We hit it off great. Having known of Jon for several years communicating online and publishing articles for his PR clients we never actually met face to face. He was gracious to buy the groceries that would get us through the week and even made Chicken Marsala for dinner.
This was to be an interesting adventure for sure. Not going in the past two years and with a new hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center I was excited to see the “New” SEMA Show. The crowds seemed to be less and certainly there were less vendors and even some of the major OE’s like Ford Performance and GM Performance not being at the show made for an interesting mix. Quite frankly, I liked it. More room to move around in the aisles, more seating and tables for a quick rest and snack, and new and exciting small businesses.
The show is a marathon and as a media figure, I was on my feet the entire four plus days. Catching the morning presentations, such as the always entertaining NHRA Breakfast to the after hours parties like the ARMO and HRIA receptions. It get’s grueling by Friday. We usually leave the show right at 4pm to head home and roll in four hours later.
Yet, in this article I am here to share my first experience at the After-Party.
SEMA Ignited is the after show party in the parking lot of the new West Hall at the LVCC on Friday afternoon and into the evening. It starts around 3pm and is open to the public with a paid ticket. Drifting exhibitions, dare-devil motorcycle stunts and live music gets the party started. At 4pm the cars and trucks start rolling out of the convention center in a parade over to the lot. They loop around the main performance area where the drifting was done then off to a parking lot show of all the vehicles. Between live music sets a DJ kept the party moving along as fans in the stands watched the cars and trucks roll by for hours. Literally. Those who don’t have reserved seats in the stands are lined up at the chain link fence 4 deep to see the mostly outrageous vehicles. Some vehicle owners took the opportunity to jump into the center of the ring to do some donuts or burnouts, which is quickly received by SEMA Staff to either a warning or removal of the show with possible life-long ban from the show. Other than that the IGNITED Show was a whole lot of fun and what a great way to celebrate the SEMA Show for those who cannot go to the actual trade show.
Ignited to expand to SEMA WEEK and SEMA FEST:
SEMA Week will be headlined by the SEMA Show, which will remain a trade-only event Tuesday through Friday. On Friday, the final day of the SEMA Show, a limited number of enthusiasts will be able to attend the SEMA Show through the Friday Experience program, which launched at the 2021 SEMA Show. Beginning on Friday evening of SEMA Week, SEMA will take over the Las Vegas Festival Grounds (Corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Sahara) through Saturday night with an all-new SEMAFEST.
“We have been watching the connection between enthusiasts and our industry grow for more than a decade and, as the industry’s trade association, have a responsibility to help facilitate that connection in new and meaningful ways,” said James Lawrence, SEMA Chairman of the Board. “By creating SEMA Week and SEMAFEST, we will be able to maintain the integrity of the trade show that makes it a must-attend event for automotive professionals while introducing a new platform for enthusiasts and the industry to engage with one another.”
For 2023, SEMAFEST will take place at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds and be open to everyone, bringing together automotive enthusiasts with the aftermarket industry in a high-octane and immersive festival-like celebration of car culture. SEMAFEST will feature top music and entertainment, a car show and cruise, VIP experiences, craft food, automotive celebrities and motorsports. It will run alongside the popular SEMA Ignited Cruise and SEMA Show after-party, which draw thousands of enthusiasts on Friday night.
SEMA Week is also scheduled to include a SEMA Auction, featuring some of the best builds from SEMA and many more amazing vehicles to headline the festivities. SEMA will continue to expand and refine SEMA Week over the next five years, rolling out new events and activities throughout the city of Las Vegas. The evolution of SEMA Week preserves the trade aspects of the industry and business components of the SEMA Show, while enabling enthusiasts from all over to join in the festivities and enjoy car culture-focused events throughout the SEMA Week experience.