SEMA 2017: Your Complete Guide to All the Action
Heading out to SEMA, Oct. 31-Nov. 3? Here’s the must-see exhibits and events. Plus, win a chance to attend the ‘Rennlist SEMA Happy Hour’!
The Specialty Equipment Market Association show, otherwise known as SEMA, has quickly grown into the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. Tens of thousands of industry experts descend on Las Vegas each year to check out the thousands of new and innovative products hitting the marketplace. But SEMA also presents a golden opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts and network.
You don’t have to tell that to us here at Rennlist, or our parent company, Internet Brands. Because the IB automotive enthusiast team will be there in the flesh! We’d love to meet each and every one of you, so be sure and drop by and connect with the team! If you do, you’ll also get a chance to scope out our very own Project Stork Porsche 911. Which is well worth it, even if you aren’t the social type.
Project Stork’s owner, our resident Manuel Carrillo III, will also be in attendance. MC will be doing a Facebook live video talking about the folks who sponsored the “Project Stork” restoration/build and how he restored it, as well as revealing what the future holds for this resurrected vintage 911.
But as much as we’d like to think so, we’re sure your sole purpose for attending SEMA isn’t just to hang out with us. And as usual, there will simply be too many events to take in over the course of a few days. So we’ve assembled some of the must-see and must-do activities you’ll want to move to the top of your priority list.
Battle of the Builders Competition
One of our favorite SEMA events has to be the “Battle of the Builders,” which attracts some of the top automotive talent from across the globe. This year’s 4th annual event will feature 250+ participants, all dueling it out to be the next big thing in vehicle customization. The finalists for the event will be announced during this year’s SEMA show, with the winner crowned on November 3 during this year’s SEMA Ignited taping.
“It’s great to see the amazing array of vehicle builds at the SEMA Show each year,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA VP of events and communications. “It’s inspiring to watch the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, as we meet the builders and learn about the products and stories behind the cars and trucks.”
The contest holds a ton of appeal for builders, especially those who are up and coming. For obvious reasons, of course. It’s hard to imagine a bigger stage to demonstrate your vehicular talents to the world. Especially since this year’s builders will be profiled on a one-hour TV special set to air on Velocity in 2018.
Performance Pavilion
The Performance Pavilion is one of four expansion areas designed to allow the many manufacturers of parts and accessories to show off their wares. Located south of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the exhibit focuses (obviously) on performance parts. And in its third year, the Performance Pavilion has been expanded to include even more vendor space.
“The Performance Pavilion makes it possible for new and emerging manufacturers to participate in the SEMA Show,” said Peter MacGillivray. “Like all the SEMA Show expansion areas, the Performance Pavilion is easy for buyers to navigate and it successfully connects them to new exhibiting companies.”
This year, “First-Time and Featured Exhibitors” areas have been added to help highlight those up-and-coming companies and their wares. In addition, veterans of SEMA like DUB Magazine and Continental Tire will be back with some pretty amazing exhibits. That includes the always-awesome Continental Tire Experience, which features a ton of incredible one-off builds sporting the latest high-performance rubber.
OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit
If you’re in the body shop business, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is putting on an extremely informative session dubbed the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit on November 2. The Summit consists of a number of industry panelists that will address a variety of hot button topics surrounding the world of automotive body repair.
Topics covered will include the impact of automotive research on modern vehicle construction and the impact advanced vehicle systems have on routine repairs. In addition, the Summit will address the hidden liabilities that can stem from new technologies. To register to attend one or all of the sessions, simply head over to the SCRS website and sign up.
New Exhibitors
This year, a long-time wheel manufacturer and distributor will be making their first ever appearance at SEMA – Competition Wheel and RTX Wheels. Canada-based RTX has been in the wheel and wheel accessory business since 2003, and today offers over 120 styles of wheels to fit virtually any vehicle on the market. Competition Wheel is the exclusive distributor for RTX in the U.S., helping us expand our already expansive aftermarket wheel options even further. Both Competition and RTX will set up shop at booth number 51730 located in the Performance Pavilion at the SEMA Show.
‘SEMA Ignited’ After-Show Party
Like a certain famous R&B crooner used to say, there “ain’t no party like the after-party.” And for the fourth year, the SEMA Ignited after-show party promises to live up to that lyric. On Friday, November 3, the doors to the Las Vegas Convention Center Gold Lot will open, and the hundreds of vehicles inside will emerge for one heck of an event.
“SEMA Ignited is an open-to-the-public extravaganza that includes food, entertainment, iconic builders, hundreds of customized SEMA Show vehicles and much more,” SEMA said. Last year’s event was full of sideways action, smokey burnouts, and frosty beverages. Plus, you’ll get a chance to be famous by getting your mug on film during the recording of 2017 Battle of the Builders TV special.
One thing’s for sure: SEMA is going to be a heck of a good time, just like it is every year. But what else would you expect when everyone involved with the coolest industry on the planet gets together for one big party?
Speaking of parties, we will be hosting our own very special “Rennlist SEMA Happy Hour” on November 1 to celebrate our badass Porsche restoration project, #ProjectStork. The Rennlist rendezvous is going to be the place to be during SEMA week, and if you’re attending SEMA, you may be able to get your name on our coveted guest list for the Rennlist SEMA Happy Hour!
To enter for a chance to attend the Rennlist SEMA Happy Hour, simply tweet @RennlistForums with #ProjectStork any time between now and the day of the event, and you may soon be joining us for some free drinks and prizes with fellow Porsche enthusiasts! You will also get a chance to win awesome stuff from top auto brands like Haynes Manuals and participate in our Facebook Live video on Nov. 1st at 5:30 p.m. (PT). Get more details on the build at Rennlist.com/ProjectStork.
The #ProjectStork multi-episode restoration series documents the rebirth of the 1977 Porsche 911 S that brought popular automotive writer-editor and Rennlist contributor Manuel Carrillo III home from the hospital after he was born. After 15 years of gathering dust in his mother’s garage, he’s working with some of the world’s greatest brands like Haynes, Borla, Yokohama, ECS Tuning, and Performance Developments to transform his family heirloom into the dream car he’s always imagined it could be. Meet Manuel at the Rennlist Happy Hour and share a toast with us! Tweet @RennlistForums with #ProjectStork now!
For exclusive content and more details about the exciting #ProjectStork restoration, visit Rennlist.com/ProjectStork.
