A bit of a different feel and tone from our usual blogs, I (Jonathan) alongside Joseph set out to attend the 2018 SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Las Vegas Convention Center on October 30th to November 2nd! This blog is more of our personal reflections and what we had seen at SEMA. While it is not exclusively related to Camaro or Corvettes like our other blogs, hopefully, you will find some value out of this write up on our experience and be sure the check out all the pics down below! So, let's get right into it.
What is SEMA?
SEMA is the car event for any manufacturer (aftermarket or not) in the automotive industry. It stands for the Specialty Equipment Market Association -- Commonly referred to as SEMA -- it is the be all and end all of parts and accessories for your cars. The list of suppliers, manufacturers, resellers, and media outlets that attend are endless. You can find products that range all the way from widebodies to the universal LED switches. Anything you can think of that can go on a car or truck is represented there including the tools, machines, and materials needed to make it. It is a great way to find out some of the new products that are coming out, so you can start planning different ways to modify your car. Unfortunately, it is closed to the public unless you have some sort of an affiliation with a company in that sector. But, the amount of news coverage the event gets it is as if you were there anyway. If you have the chance to go through, then it's a bucket list item for any car enthusiast.
ACS Composite at SEMA SHOW 2018
ACS Composite caters to the Chevrolet market, in particular, Cadillacs, Camaros, and Corvettes whereby we specialize in designing and manufacturing body components. Front splitters, side skirts, hoods, and widebody's are some of the types of products we offer that you can customize your car with. Naturally, SEMA is an event important to ACS Composite both in terms of showcasing new products and also meet with other industry members in order to bring even higher quality products to our customers. ACS Composite has attended SEMA for nearly 15 years running both as an exhibitor and as a non-exhibitor attendee. This year we opted to attend as a non-exhibitor so that we could focus more on developing new innovative products and forging relationships with other manufacturers to find new ways of bringing more excellent products to our brand. Seeing as it was my first year attending SEMA it was a great way for me to be introduced to the magnitude of the event, and really soak it in before heading there for my second time next year! Here are both of our highlights of the SEMA event
Jonathan's Highlight of SEMA
It was my first time attending SEMA, so I was definitely overwhelmed simply by the grandness of the event. There were people everywhere, awesome looking cars, cars I had always wanted to see in person, cars that I had no clue what they were, and then endless amounts of products for anything to do with the automotive industry. It's difficult trying to pinpoint a highlight for me since it was my first time. The event was the highlight for me. But, I will say that the Toyo Tires area was unique and stood out from everything else. They were outside and separated from the rest of the event under a big white tent--It had AC blasting, which was highly appreciated in the arid desert climate of Nevada! But, they had such a wide range of car representation that it had something for everyone to look at and appreciate. They had crazy beautiful Porsche builds, one of the Porsches even had a retrofitted Tesla motor!
I feel as though if you are presenting at SEMA you need to find a way to set yourself apart from everyone else. If your booth is not making people stop for more than 5 seconds, then you're not doing something right. And, on the other hand, if your booth is making people stop, then you need to make sure that the people that are stopping are there for the right reason.
Joseph's Highlight of SEMA
As a veteran of the scene, Joseph has attended and showcased at SEMA for over a decade. I asked him what his highlight of this year's SEMA was and his first response was the new Ford GT that was on display at the Ford booth.
It had such a big presence amongst all the other cars. It was sitting on this rotating platform surrounded by a 12" wall of glass at the bottom. It simply stood out from the rest cars at the show. At any one time, there were swarms of car ethusiasts grabbing pics of it.
Joseph was impressed by the electric blue eCOPO Camaro, Chevrolets's electric concept drag racing car with an 800-volt battery pack that replaces the gas engine. It's a step forward for these big manufacturers to embrace the new wave of electric powered cars.
Finally, Joseph, and I, was surprised and disappointed by the lack of Corvette representation at SEMA. Especially, from Chevrolet. Not a single Corvette was on display at the booth. In total, you could probably count the amount of Corvette's and even Camaros on one hand. As manufacturers of Camaro and Corvette parts such as front splitters, side rockers, and hoods, we love seeing all the custom builds that customers come up with. The turn out for C7 Corvettes and Camaros the year before was insane, so we suspect builders and holding off until the C8 Corvette is revealed, and if it's before 2019 SEMA, the amount of representation that car will have will be enormous. We'd be lying if we said we weren't looking forward to it.
In the meantime, check out these pictures from the event below, and make sure you check out our other blogs. If you are thinking about entering your C6 / C7 Corvette or Camaro into SEMA next year, then make sure you check out our car collection's page and browse the plethora exterior mods for your car.
