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View Full Version : Trying to go to SEMA



spacepirate
11-01-2011, 07:56 AM
Hey guys,

I've got the week off and want to drive up to SEMA this week. How do I get in? Does anyone have extra tickets?

rrunner68
11-01-2011, 12:33 PM
You can walk around the outdoors public areas, but to get in you have to be associated with the industry. Unless someone here has an available set, you can't just show up and walk in.

andrewb70
11-01-2011, 02:41 PM
SEMA is an industry event and not a consumer show. I realize that many non-industry people attend the show every year, but as someone who has worked the show in the past, the non-industry people really make it tough for all actual industry people to navigate the show. If non-industry people insist on going, I always advise them not to take up too much time with the vendors, as they are trying to conduct business with their dealers.

Andrew

robertjra
11-01-2011, 04:14 PM
SEMA is an industry event and not a consumer show. I realize that many non-industry people attend the show every year, but as someone who has worked the show in the past, the non-industry people really make it tough for all actual industry people to navigate the show. If non-industry people insist on going, I always advise them not to take up too much time with the vendors, as they are trying to conduct business with their dealers.

Andrew

thank you good point!!

muthstryker
11-01-2011, 04:53 PM
I would be to busy looking at the vehicles and women, talking to a vendor would get in the way of that. Thats what websites are for.

showa
11-01-2011, 08:54 PM
As a non-vendor who has had the pleasure of attending for a couple hours at a time in the past, I have to say that just trying to zip thru SEMA afforded a lot more info than I ever found on the net in such a short time...

spacepirate
11-01-2011, 09:12 PM
Yeah that was kinda my thing too! I really wanted to get some ideas for my project and console I'm gonna be building soon.

bishir
11-02-2011, 09:28 AM
SEMA should think about having a 'open to the public' day or at least sell some tickets to the public to keep out homeless.

spacepirate
11-02-2011, 12:04 PM
Man wouldn't that be nice.

andrewb70
11-02-2011, 05:38 PM
Man wouldn't that be nice.

It would be a disaster. The show is already jam packed and it really does take several days to get through it all. Add to the mix a boat load of non-industry people and it would be unbearable.

Andrew

COPO-RAT
11-03-2011, 04:56 AM
It would be a disaster. The show is already jam packed and it really does take several days to get through it all. Add to the mix a boat load of non-industry people and it would be unbearable.

Andrew

Wow, kinda harsh. Isn't it the 'non-industry' people that buy this stuff?

andrewb70
11-03-2011, 05:49 AM
Wow, kinda harsh. Isn't it the 'non-industry' people that buy this stuff?

It is not harsh at all, it is the reality of the show. Yes, it is the non-industry people that buy the products, but SEMA is not a consumer oriented show. The point of the SEMA show is to give manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their new products to their dealers. It is also a place where new dealers are signed up and existing relationships with current dealers are renewed. The same format is applied to the PRI show, but since the racing industry is smaller, the PRI show does allow non-industry people to come on Saturday, and it is usually packed.

Andrew

evostilo
11-03-2011, 10:57 AM
It is fairly easy to get in to SEMA if you are from a large car club, alot of members debut the car there and get sponsors to show case there cars at there booths. It seems alot harder for the PT crowd to get in mostly because unlike DUB style and Mini trucks there isn't realy any nation wide PT car club out there. Thats why my PT build is more on the DUB style then most. Iv been in this seen since i was 17 and its never been hard to get SEMA tickets since those type of cars are constantly setting the "New Trends"

Ill be there friday since all my buddys need to go back and pick there cars up. I say if u dont have passes just go on friday and try to crash it the worst that can happen is u dont get in but you can see everyone cruies out and stuff! good luck

BonzoHansen
11-03-2011, 04:08 PM
Wow, kinda harsh. Isn't it the 'non-industry' people that buy this stuff?

He's right, it would be a zoo

MrQuick
11-04-2011, 12:37 AM
its a zoo already, but with many boobies

COPO-RAT
11-04-2011, 04:03 PM
I'm talking about the choice of words here guys. I'm not doubting that the SEMA show is jammed packed. I've been fortunate enough to be at many Motorcycle Industry (only) shows, as well as a few PRI shows and you can typically pick out the non-industry people very easily. BUT, I wouldn't ever say to a bunch of fellow enthusiasts (that weren't IN the industry) that the influx of 'them' would be a 'disaster' or 'unbearable'. I just thought it sounded as if all of us 'non-industry' people with the same passion for the industry were being talked down to. That's all. I thought the language was a little harsh to be directed at fellow 'car enthusiasts'.....as if we were leppers and how dare we even THINK about wanting to get in and wreck the whole show.

SLO_Z28
11-05-2011, 10:47 PM
I'm not doubting that the SEMA show is jammed packed.

last year there was 106,000 attendees viewing 1739 exhibitors. It is PACKED!

COPO-RAT
11-06-2011, 06:40 AM
last year there was 106,000 attendees viewing 1739 exhibitors. It is PACKED!
Yeah, that's what I said, I don't doubt that it's jam packed. I never doubted that. That wasn't my point.

spacepirate
11-06-2011, 09:50 AM
Wow! I wasn't trying to get everyone riled up with my post. I'm glad everyone had a good time this year and maybe next year I'll get in with a vendor.

RedBeard66
11-06-2011, 10:46 AM
I know this is after the fact but SEMA is open to the public on the last day of the show (friday)

vintageracer
11-06-2011, 12:17 PM
SEMA should think about having a 'open to the public' day or at least sell some tickets to the public to keep out homeless.


Consider this show from a vendors point of view.

This show cost's hundereds of $1,000's of dollars for a vendor to setup, attend and display at SEMA. That's also true for the smallest of vendors. Just look at their website if you are interested in the cost of a booth. The convention center is a UNION facility. You can't do much of anything without a union laborer moving, toting and in many instances assembling your booth. This costs lot's of money. Just imagine the cost to add an extra day for the public. Just imagine the COMPLAINING from many vendors who are ready to get the Hell out of there on Friday. Many have been there almost a week already. The only possible day would be Friday and that would still be iffy as that is a short day and EVERYBODY is ready to leave at that point. Who wants to spend that last day with a LARGE group of the public talking again and again about the same items they have been trying to sell to the trade for the last 3 days. SEMA is also associated with the AAPEX show at the Sand's. Almost same schedule and same rules.

My observation for the most part is that television has already turned SEMA into a Public/Consumer show. EVERYBODY in the car hobby now wants to go to SEMA! Many of the cars on display belong to enthusiasts and not industry insiders so there is a bunch of the public at the show already. Lot's of people already attend through friends and relatives who get tickets through their place of employment, company giveaways, car clubs and others who work the show. ALL the TV shows and publicity they provide SEMA are making the show much tougher on the vendors who are there to SELL display their wares to their current and NEW dealers. The sheer amount of people at the show is already incredible. SEMA is already the largest or second largest convention in Las Vegas on a yearly basis. The "Hat & T-Shirt" crowd is already HUGE at the show. With all the handouts and gimics going on it's not to hard to see who is there for business and who is there for fun and freebies.

I know the question of the public is discussed every year by the powers that be at SEMA. There may be a change is the policy concerning the public in the future. Join SEMA, get involved and maybe just maybe you can make that happen!