SEMA will regulate show attendees, dress code at 2005 event

Feb. 9, 2005

"Overall, the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is doing very well," SEMA CEO and President Chris Kersting announced at SEMA's "state of the union address" this afternoon. "But growth of the show also presents some real challenges for us."

One challenge will be cutting down on the number of show attendees "who don't represent a real business value for our member exhibitors."

SEMA also will enforce a dress code "that's appropriate for a business meeting" at next year's show.

"We can't control what decisions are made at individual companies but we can control what happens on the show floor," says Mitch Williams, SEMA's chairman-elect.

SEMA officials also updated the association's other show activities.

More than 2,250 buyers attended SEMA's Spring Expo Feb. 4 and 5 in Indianapolis, Ind.

SEMA's next big event, International Auto Salon, a tuner show, will be held May 20-22 in Atlantic City, N.J.

In July, SEMA also will sponsor a tuner section at the PACE Automechanika convention in Mexico City, Mexico.

"We're seeing a lot of interest in tuning" in Mexico, says Kersting. "It's evolving there just like it's evolving here."