Trying to go to SEMA

[vintageracer]

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!