SEMA History
If you’ve been in the automotive community for some time, you’re likely familiar with the term “SEMA.” Though commonly passed around, motorsports newcomers and veterans may not understand the breadth of the event, its history, and its influence. In this piece, we answer all your burning questions about SEMA, the SEMA show, and its contributions to the industry.
"SEMA" refers to the association that puts on the event rather than the event itself. This organization has roots dating back to 1963 when the term stood for “Speed Equipment Manufacturing Association.” Back then, SEMA was nothing more than a group of motorsports enthusiasts producing aftermarket performance parts for hotrodders.
They had but a few simple goals: develop universal standards for the aftermarket auto parts and racing industry, promote the industry at a recreational and hobbyist level, develop programs to push for improved business practices, and hold regular meetings to discuss the aforementioned goals.
Come 1967, member Robert E. Peterson, founder of Peterson Publishing (Hot Rod Magazine, Car Craft Magazine, Peterson’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road), alongside such visionaries as Phil Weiand of Weiand Power & Racing, Roy Richter of Cragar, Bob Spar of B&M, and Harry Weber from Weber Speed Equipment, cobbled together the first SEMA show, held under the grandstands of Dodger Stadium in 1967.
This original show hosted 98 booths and 3,000 guests; compare that to the anticipated 2,000 companies and over 132,000 attendees descending onto the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2023, and you’ll begin to understand the sheer scale of the SEMA show.
What Is SEMA?
So, all that said, what actually is SEMA? At least, in its current form?
SEMA Organization
As an organization, SEMA has a commanding presence in the automotive sector. Originally short for “Speed Equipment Manufacturing Association,” the organization adopted the title “Specialty Equipment Market Association” in 1970 to appeal to bureaucrats who may have found the term “speed” unappealing.
While originally serving the aftermarket performance manufacturing sector exclusively, the show has since grown to embrace all aspects of the industry’s distribution chain, including:
Racing teams
Car clubs
Aftermarket manufacturers
OEM Manufacturers
Distributors
Independent retailers
High-volume retailers
Speed shops
Sales agents
Subcontractors
Publishing companies
Media outlets
Current membership totals approximately 6,382 corporate members, a number which is steadily growing each year. SEMA even commands a presence in the federal government, maintaining a government affairs office in Washington D.C.
SEMA Show
As a show, SEMA is a four-day-long event poised as the single largest and most influential gathering of gearheads. At the tail-end of October to early November, hundreds of thousands of attendees and 2,000+ companies converge in Las Vegas, Nevada, to showcase the fruits of its year-long focus on ingenuity and development.
When is SEMA?
SEMA is a four-day-long annual event smack-dab in the middle of Fall, though the dates change each year. For instance, this year (2023), the show stretches from Halloween day (October 31st) to November 3rd; however, 2024’s SEMA show is slated for November 5th to the 8th. For precise dates, check out the events tab on the official SEMA homepage!
Where is SEMA?
Though the first SEMA show was held in the basement of Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, it was also the last to take place beneath the grandstands. Through 1976, the show shifted to the Anaheim Convention Center, and every subsequent year, SEMA has taken over the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
SEMA Map
If you’ll be attending SEMA this year, check out our map of the convention center! As always, you can find us in the center’s West Hall.
How Many Guests Attend SEMA Annually?
Each year, the SEMA show brings over 100,000 guests to the Las Vegas Convention Center–a massive step up from the original 3,000 attendees in 1967! Average attendance is somewhere around 130,000 and rising annually!
Who Can Attend SEMA?
Unfortunately, SEMA isn’t an open event like your local car show. This event is put on by the industry, for the industry, which is reflected in the guest list. Unless you’re a qualified industry member, including automotive parts retailers, auto manufacturers, aftermarket parts manufacturers, and media outlets, you’ll likely hear about the event from news sources and media outlets!
Some guests get around this by bringing a vehicle that’s owned or sponsored by an attending company; however, it’s important to note that SEMA has stringent standards, ensuring only the best of the best builds inhabit the show.
SEMA Legacy
Though the event debuts the industry's latest and greatest developments, SEMA is much more than a simple trade show. The organization represents every auto enthusiast’s voice, maintaining our right to buy, build, and modify. If anything, the SEMA show highlights the unwavering support of the automotive industry and that, regardless of regulations and pushback from bureaucrats, our hobbies aren’t going anywhere.
If not for the thousands of members and contributing companies, hot rodding, modifying, and customizing wouldn’t be the influential and active industry it is today. It’s because of SEMA that small businesses in the automotive sector get their shot, and it has significantly contributed to RealTruck's presence in the automotive aftermarket.
If you happen to make it to SEMA this year, or any year for that matter, look out for the booth with the big yellow "R" and check out some of the latest and greatest developments from your friends at RealTruck.
Video: Leaving SEMA 2023 - 72 Minutes of Custom Cars
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