SEMA adds tire, wheel categories to showcase

June 29, 2010

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show has added two new categories to its New Products Showcase at the SEMA Show coming up Nov. 2-5, 2010, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. One category focuses on tires and related products, the other on wheels and related products.

“The New Product Showcase is a significant component of the SEMA Show,” says Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. “Thousands of buyers and media visit the showcase hoping to discover the next big thing, and exhibitors rely on it as another tool to generate awareness of their products.

“The two new categories reinforce how important tires and wheels are in the industry.”

The changes to the New Products Showcase are among many enhancements being made at the 2010 SEMA Show to better service the tire and the wheel markets.

Earlier this year, organizers announced the creation of the Global Tire Expo—Powered by TIA (Tire Industry Association). The Global Tire Expo will be a tire industry-only part of the SEMA Show, featuring exhibitors from all segments of the tire industry including automotive, commercial, retreading, recycling and more.

Wheel manufacturers will also have a dedicated area of the SEMA Show, with companies in this market exhibiting in the newly created Wheels & Accessories section. Previously, wheel and tire manufacturers were co-located in a shared section. With well over 100 companies in the enhanced wheel section, the dedicated area makes it easier for buyers to navigate and do business.

The New Products Showcase categories make it easier for buyers to find the products that are most relevant to their businesses. A panel of judges also identifies the best new products within each category and winners are announced at the New Products Breakfast before the opening of the Show. To further increase exposure of each product, professional photographs are taken of every entry and provided to domestic and international media throughout the year. 

“The New Products Showcase is arguably the single best, most effective tool exhibitors have to reach the largest audience possible,” says MacGillivray. “It’s not just about showcasing the product in a prominent area at the Show. It’s also about maximizing the exposure throughout the year. When you consider that every exhibitor can enter a product at absolutely no cost, it’s baffling to me that someone would pass up the opportunity.”

The complete list of categories in the New Products Showcase is:

* Tire and Related Product
* Wheel and Related Product
* Interior Accessory Product
* Exterior Accessory Product
* Mobile Electronics Product
* Off-Road/4-Wheel-Drive Product
* Performance—Racing Product
* Performance—Street Product
* Powersports Product
* Street Rod/Custom Car Product
* Tools and Equipment Product
* Van/Pickup/Sport-Utility Product
* Engineered New Product
* Merchandising Display
* Packaging Design

Exhibitors may submit a product for the New Products Showcase by visiting www.SEMAshow.com/newproducts. For assistance or questions, contact Sheldon Kaye at [email protected] or call 702/450-7662, ext. 124.

For more information, see www.SEMAshow.com.