Fake SEMA passes...

[badazz81z28]

Yeah, technically it's a trade show, but let's get real...it's a car show and I would bet single digit percentage of folks seem to use it as a business ordeal. It seems most are spectators. What ever it was when it first began, it's not that way now. On the inside there are many custom cars on display to include all the big car dealer names. There was a Challenger simulator, video game racing challenge, tv show meet/greet/autograph sessions. On the outside more custom cars, ride along in Ford cars, a SBC engine build challenge, promotional stuff given away like crazy....honestly it was just like going to Barrett Jackson and Summit Racing big boy toy store during Hot August Nights.



Badges that I saw ??
"Industry Guest" "Government" "Spouse" "collision" "paint"......hardly anyone was there to do actual business. I was wearing a polo and I saw people in t-shirts and shorts.

[Rod]

I would bet single digit percentage of folks seem to use it as a business ordeal. It seems most are spectators. .

I'm part of that single digit then, I attended again this year and cemented my commitments from past sponsors for another year, picked up a few more sponsors and even added some dealer packages for my little company and debut my latest build in the Spectre/K&N booth, won the best hot rod Grand Turismo award was in battle of the builders, and I also took one of the days just for me to walk around and see the new products and looked at all the cool cars,....

[badazz81z28]

[QUOTE=Rod;1248070]I'm part of that single digit then, I attended again this year and cemented my commitments from past sponsors for another year, picked up a few more sponsors and even added some dealer packages for my little company and debut my latest build in the Spectre/K&N booth, won the best hot rod Grand Turismo award was in battle of the builders, and I also took one of the days just for me to walk around and see the new products and looked at all the cool cars,....

/QUOTE]


Sounds like it it was a good trip for you. You did admit you walked around and enjoyed the scenary. Do you feel because you own a car business nobody else has the right to enjoy the same fun? How much of what you did could have been done at a public venue or at race track?

The point im making is regardless of what business you did knock out, it was a car show and that's how most people enjoy it. Heck you said it yourself, you brought a car for people to google over. Can you build cars for people? Was your business displayed next to the car?

[CampbellshotrodsAZ]

Sounds like it it was a good trip for you. You did admit you walked around and enjoyed the scenary. Do you feel because you own a car business nobody else has the right to enjoy the same fun? How much of what you did could have been done at a public venue or at race track?

The point im making is regardless of what business you did knock out, it was a car show and that's how most people enjoy it. Heck you said it yourself, you brought a car for people to google over. Can you build cars for people? Was your business displayed next to the car?

It worked for Rodney exactly as it should. He was there primarily for his business... working existing contacts, gaining new ones, and pleasing his sponsors and promoting his company through displaying her/his car. There are a lot of nice cars and other things to look at too because you need to draw attention to yourself and make people want to come to your booth and do business with you. That's the end goal, business. Even all the celebrities making appearances, they're there to please their sponsors. It's all money. It's always been a business meeting with eye candy. But TV and media these days, like they often do, screwed that up and made it into the 3-ring circus that it is (Barrett-Jackson is another example of something that now sucks for the same reason). It's given people a false impression of what SEMA is.

A quick Google search of "SEMA Rambler" gives you a flood of results on that car, so the show also did it's job of getting the word out of the sponsors and Rod's company.
http://www.lsxmag.com/features/car-f...rambler-wagon/
I see Suspension Geek, DSE, Viking Shocks, Global West, TCI, and many more mentioned. Rodney's company is promoted, all his sponsors are promoted, all businesses are happy.

The people that go there do enjoy it, because it is the best car show in the world, I'd argue. But what do you propose? Make it public? That is flat out IMPOSSIBLE. It's unbearable as it is with people sneaking in. Make it open, then suddenly you flood the show with morons that have no business there (Saw some idiot in the unbadged outside area open up, and sit in a show car Lincoln to check it out). Flood the show, then it's harder to actually do business. Then suddenly it's not worth the $20k-500k that it takes to go there, vendors leave. People mess with cars, then the cars don't show anymore, then SEMA becomes crap. You see that video of that A-hole fooling people into jumping onto tonneau covers and causing general mayhem? That's where this show is headed if it strays from the business-centric purpose it has.

[badazz81z28]

It worked for Rodney exactly as it should. He was there primarily for his business... working existing contacts, gaining new ones, and pleasing his sponsors and promoting his company through displaying her/his car. There are a lot of nice cars and other things to look at too because you need to draw attention to yourself and make people want to come to your booth and do business with you. That's the end goal, business. Even all the celebrities making appearances, they're there to please their sponsors. It's all money. It's always been a business meeting with eye candy. But TV and media these days, like they often do, screwed that up and made it into the 3-ring circus that it is (Barrett-Jackson is another example of something that now sucks for the same reason). It's given people a false impression of what SEMA is.

A quick Google search of "SEMA Rambler" gives you a flood of results on that car, so the show also did it's job of getting the word out of the sponsors and Rod's company.
http://www.lsxmag.com/features/car-f...rambler-wagon/
I see Suspension Geek, DSE, Viking Shocks, Global West, TCI, and many more mentioned. Rodney's company is promoted, all his sponsors are promoted, all businesses are happy.

The people that go there do enjoy it, because it is the best car show in the world, I'd argue. But what do you propose? Make it public? That is flat out IMPOSSIBLE. It's unbearable as it is with people sneaking in. Make it open, then suddenly you flood the show with morons that have no business there (Saw some idiot in the unbadged outside area open up, and sit in a show car Lincoln to check it out). Flood the show, then it's harder to actually do business. Then suddenly it's not worth the $20k-500k that it takes to go there, vendors leave. People mess with cars, then the cars don't show anymore, then SEMA becomes crap. You see that video of that A-hole fooling people into jumping onto tonneau covers and causing general mayhem? That's where this show is headed if it strays from the business-centric purpose it has.

Youre right, if it was open to the public it would be completely unbearable. It was so packed you would think it was open to the public. On that topic, I think it's too easy for mom and pop businesses to legitimately get in amplifying the foot traffic. SEMA has caused some of their own pain though. Look how big the outside area was with no badge needed and how easy it was to get into the building. Additionally, they were checking badges at the main room entrances but there were so many people they couldn't check them all. BL it's not locked down like a private/invite only venue should be.

Like you said there was value to some legitimate businesses, I just feel the dynamics of the show opened themselves up to what it is now....it's gonna be all show over time. Personally, that's where the real money is...the customers. Me buying your product is the end goal...

[Rod]

The people that go there do enjoy it, because it is the best car show in the world, I'd argue. But what do you propose? Make it public? That is flat out IMPOSSIBLE. It's unbearable as it is with people sneaking in. Make it open, then suddenly you flood the show with morons that have no business there (Saw some idiot in the unbadged outside area open up, and sit in a show car Lincoln to check it out). Flood the show, then it's harder to actually do business. Then suddenly it's not worth the $20k-500k that it takes to go there, vendors leave. People mess with cars, then the cars don't show anymore, then SEMA becomes crap. You see that video of that A-hole fooling people into jumping onto tonneau covers and causing general mayhem? That's where this show is headed if it strays from the business-centric purpose it has.

there are a lot of joe public in there already, I saw several shops that I have been to and know personally that are like my own and only have a few employees but suddenly there is 10 guys walking around with that company badge, and already we have folks opening and closing doors and hoods at whim, it happened on my car several times

[BonzoHansen]

there are a lot of joe public in there already, I saw several shops that I have been to and know personally that are like my own and only have a few employees but suddenly there is 10 guys walking around with that company badge, and already we have folks opening and closing doors and hoods at whim, it happened on my car several times

thats messed up. I find that shocking. But sadly not.

[Rod]

Do you feel because you own a car business nobody else has the right to enjoy the same fun?

so your mad that I work in the car business?

How much of what you did could have been done at a public venue or at race track?

zero, at an average event, almost never if ever will you have the CEO of K&N, president of Viking, owner of CPP, founder of Hotchkis, head cheese of ridetech all around you and willing to listen to proposals

The point im making is regardless of what business you did knock out, it was a car show and that's how most people enjoy it. Heck you said it yourself, you brought a car for people to google over. Can you build cars for people? Was your business displayed next to the car?

the car was there ....for attention of the media, that same media that covers all of the hundreds of new products for print and web, and some of those amazing new products were on that car, the new cerekote products, Viking electronic shocks, new line of PPG paint, new 5th gen Camaro Baer rear calipers, some of these were prototyped right on this car

[Gmc427]

hi rod,replyed to your inbox,but its full ,could you use rodend type joint to drop .500?regards

[Rod]

hi rod,replyed to your inbox,but its full ,could you use rodend type joint to drop .500?regards

you have to cycle the suspension and measure the movement, because of motion ratio its not a direct 1 to 1 offset so just adding a .500 of spacer is not a guarantee of correct placement..

sorry for the hijack guys