The 50th annual SEMA ( Specialty Equipment Market Association ) trade show took place from November 1st thru November 4th at the Las Vegas Convention Center and we were there to document the activities. Being the 50th show, there were many special events and shows as well as exhibitors to see, including the Battle of the Builders show, which showcased the talents and skills of some of the best builders in the country.
There were literally hundreds of thousands of attendees, and tens of thousands of buyers and exhibitors and quite a few industry celebrities as well. Attractions included product demonstrations, informational seminars, sports cars, exotic cars, classic cars and concept vehicles on display, as well as a huge selection of booths with product vendors.
This automotive industry trade show is the absolute largest of it’s kind, and is virtually the who’s who of the automotive equipment and interests industry.
Naturally, there were plenty of cool cars and collector automobiles to look at –
and plenty of other attractions –
Of course, our favorite attractions to view when visiting were the automotive garage tool and equipment manufacturer booths. We got the opportunity to visit with some of our favorite and most popular equipment manufacturers, and some new manufacturers that we will be carrying as well. We also got a sneak peak at some interesting and exciting new products as well.
Check out the BelAire air compressors booth here –
And the folks from Industrial Gold air compressors here –
Both of these air compressor manufacturers we have been carrying for over 15 years. You can’t go wrong with either if you’re looking for a commercial quality air compressor for your auto shop garage. BelAire is the largest name in air compressors, and the are made in the USA. They have a 2 year warranty that covers every component, and they offer full on-site service if you do have any warranty issues anywhere in the USA.
Industrial Gold offers premium compressor features in the Platinum line of machines, including low oil monitor, vibration pads, mag starter and after-cooler, for the most dry air you can get without a refrigerated air drier. They have models ranging from 5 HP up to 30 HP. You can get reciprocating or the super quiet rotary screw models.
We also visited with ESCO automotive equipment. They manufacture some truly unique shop equipment, and are always innovating. They specialize in air jacks, floor jacks, jack stands and tire and wheel service equipment and tools.
We also had a little fun out at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We got the opportunity to play with cars. Specifically with NASCAR cars. We got to test drive NASCAR cars at the Richard Petty Driving Experience School. We highly recommend you try it out if you’re ever in Vegas. It’s a blast.
And when you stay at the right hotels, you can even view some incredible cool cars right at the hotel check-in area. In this case, we stayed at the ARIA Hotel, where there was always a line of premium sports and exotic cars waiting outside –
All in all, it was another banner year for the automotive industry at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, and maybe just a little extra special for it’s 50th anniversary.
– Here’s to 50 more years!