SEMA 2016

[RedFR-s]

Originally Posted by swarb

Stop by Castrol’s SEMA booth for a certificate for a FREE 5qt. jug of oil, celebrity guest appearances and a $10,000 contest! #CastrolSEMA2016

But how do I get that on the plane to get home hmm...

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by swarb

Stop by Castrol’s SEMA booth for a certificate for a FREE 5qt. jug of oil, celebrity guest appearances and a $10,000 contest! #CastrolSEMA2016

You gonna be there?

[MrDinkleman]

I've been to SEMA a couple of times and, even though I am not professionally connected in any way to the automotive industry and got my ticket through a friend of a friend, I was disappointed that there were so many non-industry people there. Yeah, I guess that is somewhat hypocritical...


Seems to me that SEMA is no longer a semi-secret aftermarket parts show anymore. I think they should just go ahead and open it to the public, it's so crowded now anyway. Leave the first one or two days closed to the public and then sell astronomically priced tickets for the rest of the show. They'd probably make a ton of money for a few years, anyway. As it is now, it might as well just be open to the public. They had drifting ride alongs, new car test driving areas, bunch of kids running around, and a whole bunch more crap going on that made me wonder how they can call it "closed to the public". When I asked a simple question about wheels (load capacity?), I usually just got a "hmmmm... not sure." I tried to pick up a wheel to check myself (Volk, Weds, Enkei), and they treated me like... I was some dumb retail customer, "please sir, we don't like people touching the wheels".


It's a HUGE show. We went for a couple days and we still could not cover everything.

[swarb]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

You gonna be there?

Sorry if I made it seem I work for Castrol.
But yes I'm going a bit late but will be there Thursday/Friday.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by swarb

Sorry if I made it seem I work for Castrol.
But yes I'm going a bit late but will be there Thursday/Friday.

K, I'll check it out, when I got time. Make sure to have sexy babes & extra oils for me lol

[swarb]

Originally Posted by MrDinkleman

I've been to SEMA a couple of times and, even though I am not professionally connected in any way to the automotive industry and got my ticket through a friend of a friend, I was disappointed that there were so many non-industry people there. Yeah, I guess that is somewhat hypocritical...


Seems to me that SEMA is no longer a semi-secret aftermarket parts show anymore. I think they should just go ahead and open it to the public, it's so crowded now anyway. Leave the first one or two days closed to the public and then sell astronomically priced tickets for the rest of the show. They'd probably make a ton of money for a few years, anyway. As it is now, it might as well just be open to the public. They had drifting ride alongs, new car test driving areas, bunch of kids running around, and a whole bunch more crap going on that made me wonder how they can call it "closed to the public". When I asked a simple question about wheels (load capacity?), I usually just got a "hmmmm... not sure." I tried to pick up a wheel to check myself (Volk, Weds, Enkei), and they treated me like... I was some dumb retail customer, "please sir, we don't like people touching the wheels".


It's a HUGE show. We went for a couple days and we still could not cover everything.

Yes, that is true. Closed to the public keeps it somewhat less crowded although it already is. And to make people feel more exclusive(you dropped 30 large, here's some tickets! ps can we borrow your car?)... It's a job for some and a hobby/passion for others. Some lucky folk make it both.

They don't want people touching the products because they don't want it stolen or damaged. They aren't behind glass so cameras can take good pics for the media and whatnot. It would be a nightmare to have pics of your damaged product online!! Picking up the wheel.... is your arm scale calibrated in oomphs or hnnngs? Load rating are different in different sizes and depends on what certification/testing they used. I'm sure if you were a dealer they would email the certification to you. The booth people can be anyone,, engineers, sales, drivers, business owners, car owners, or hotties. You need to talk to the right person to get the right answer. I'm not gonna ask a hottie about load ratings(engineer) or cost(sales rep). Always ask before you touch the goods.
Although it does feel like a public showcase and people act that way, it is still industry run. Go to aapex if you want to see a more professional atmosphere, and don't show up in shorts.

[swarb]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

K, I'll check it out, when I got time. Make sure to have sexy babes & extra oils for me lol

Nobody wants itchy tacos!!
I'll make sure to have some tranny oil for you!
And some for your rear end!

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by swarb

Nobody wants itchy tacos!!
I'll make sure to have some tranny oil for you!
And some for your rear end!

Haha nice! I need to do tran fluid soon, so perfect!

I'll check it out Thursday

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by MrDinkleman

I've been to SEMA a couple of times and, even though I am not professionally connected in any way to the automotive industry and got my ticket through a friend of a friend, I was disappointed that there were so many non-industry people there. Yeah, I guess that is somewhat hypocritical...


Seems to me that SEMA is no longer a semi-secret aftermarket parts show anymore. I think they should just go ahead and open it to the public, it's so crowded now anyway. Leave the first one or two days closed to the public and then sell astronomically priced tickets for the rest of the show. They'd probably make a ton of money for a few years, anyway. As it is now, it might as well just be open to the public. They had drifting ride alongs, new car test driving areas, bunch of kids running around, and a whole bunch more crap going on that made me wonder how they can call it "closed to the public". When I asked a simple question about wheels (load capacity?), I usually just got a "hmmmm... not sure." I tried to pick up a wheel to check myself (Volk, Weds, Enkei), and they treated me like... I was some dumb retail customer, "please sir, we don't like people touching the wheels".


It's a HUGE show. We went for a couple days and we still could not cover everything.

It was never meant to be a "semi-secret aftermarket parts show" to begin with.

As was covered by the keynote speech at the opening breakfast yesterday, the show is more industry-focused than ever. The fun stuff isn't meant for the end user, it's meant to showcase what is possible for vehicle platforms, and also meant to show customer appreciation for dealers, resellers, and distributors.

And yes, we do not want people touching the items in the booth unless it was done in a way for you to touch and feel. For every person that "knows what they are doing", there's 100 more that don't, and all it takes is for one person to be careless and your entire show is ruined.

SEMA actually tried a hybrid industry/public show over a decade ago (International Auto Salon). Even with it being in Los Angeles, attendance was absurdly low and they canned it after a couple of years. Opening up this show to the public would not get the revenue that you think will so easily show up, and would really discourage manufacturers and vendors from participating at the event because of the different target market in attendance.

At the end of the day, SEMA is basically two things: 1) large scale targeted marketing, and 2) large scale selling/buying opportunity for exhibitors/attendees... but I agree, they should open it up to the public if you only have been going for a handful of years, or you're not working within this industry.

[MrDinkleman]

@ Swarb and Mav1178:

Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I guess it was just my disappointment in what I was expecting vs. what I actually got...

[Cole]

Why would I want to spend hella money to look at a bunch of "build" that don't have engines, driveshafts, vinyl wraps that cover door handles/windows, hacked up fenders (because fender flares are SO in right now) or see whatever the fuck else that got half assedly rushed to be able to make the show? Anything worth seeing, I can catch online.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by Cole

Why would I want to spend hella money to look at a bunch of "build" that don't have engines, driveshafts, vinyl wraps that cover door handles/windows, hacked up fenders (because fender flares are SO in right now) or see whatever the fuck else that got half assedly rushed to be able to make the show? Anything worth seeing, I can catch online.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by swarb

Nobody wants itchy tacos!!
I'll make sure to have some tranny oil for you!
And some for your rear end!

Yo swarb, where's Castrol booth? I was looking but I couldn't find it... I should of DL SEMA app. I'll try to find you tomorrow.

[ichitaka05]

Went to Castrol booth... saw Michele, but no swarb.



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