Last year, the 2024 SEMA Show saw over 160,000 people in attendance and more than 1,600 products on display from thousands of vendors. With each new year, the show continues to grow and reach new industry professionals and enthusiasts.
In anticipation for this year's show, we sat down with SEMA's Vice President of Events, Tom Gattuso, to get all the details on what this show will entail. From new growth into the Westgate Hotel and Casino (adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center which SEMA will be using again this year), to new trainings, products, and more, it's sure to be an interesting event.
New products
Each year at the SEMA Show an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new products are put on display across several categories in the New Product Showcase (and somewhere around double that displayed out on the showfloor). This year expect a few changes to this aspect of the show.
The showcase has been narrowed down to 15 categories as opposed to last year's 16. Some of these categories, and their descriptions, include:
- Car Care & Protection: Car care, chemical, and other maintenance products.
- Emerging Technology: Innovative applications, software, hardware, ADAS, EV and other alternative vehicle propulsion products.
- Engineered New Product: Products in this category demonstrate innovative engineering development and advanced state of the art technology.
- Package Design & Display: Product packaging design and retail merchandising displays.
- Exhibitor Pick: My product was introduced prior to the 2024 SEMA Show. Please display in the “Exhibitor Picks” Section – I understand this product is NOT eligible for a New Product Award but will still receive all exposure benefits of being in the New Product Showcase.
This year the New Product Showcase will be moving to the Lower South Hall.
"Having it in Lower South Hall... gives you this two-way traffic," explains Gattuso. "It will provide this energy and momentum to that hall which will be welcome. The other thing it does is, we moved registration to the east side of that hall and last year we had people show up early...so they'll have some time to be able to walk through the New Product Showcase. It's a way for us to guarentee tens of thousands of people walking in that [showcase] and really start this vibe of innovation in new products right out of the gate."
Gatusso believes that the New Product Showcase is a reflection of the ever-changing nature of the automotive industry. When planning each year's show, they keep their ear to the ground, paying attention to both the new innovations emerging in the industry and where consumer interest lies.
New Product Awards
The New Product Awards bring a host of fresh innovations to the showfloor. Last year, over 1,600 products were entered into the showcase to be considered. The process for choosing the winners across each category represented on the floor is perhaps more intimate than most awards.
For each category, three people are selected. These judges aren't manufacturers or even necessarily buyers, helping to remove some of the bias that might exist. They walk the showfloor, stopping to examine products and learn more about them, then pick their top three. After those two to three hours of walking the floor, the judges get back together and discuss and the winners are picked from there.
"The coolest thing when you're at the award ceremony and a company that has a new product they just developed and this puts them on the trajectory for success," says Gattuso. "The influence that award has and what it can do for a company, we see it year after year."
Registration open now
This show will be a little different, as each one is, so if this is your first show, or you've been every year, Gatusso advises you to just "enjoy it and take it in." Not only can SEMA present opportunities for you to find new and exciting products, but you may just find career-long connections with other attendees.
"My recommendation is do a little bit of planning in advance so you know what you want to do and who you want to see," says Gatusso. "There's people who've come to the show who have friends that they've been associated with for 30 and 40 years that they met on the showfloor. I alwasy tell people, your next best seller is right around the corner."
Registration for the 2025 SEMA Show is now open, for more information and to register click here.
