Auto trade shows bring a little bit of Detroit to Las Vegas
Once a year, a little piece of Detroit finds its way into Las Vegas trade show exhibition halls.
Detroit and Los Angeles command most of the annual car shows, but Las Vegas rules the aftermarket industry and next week, the SEMA and AAPEX trade shows will bring an estimated 160,000 people for what has become known as Automotive Aftermarket Week.
The automotive aftermarket — the gadgets people buy to enhance their vehicles — has become so big that it fills two of the city’s major convention centers.
SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, takes over the Las Vegas Convention Center Tuesday through Friday while the lesser known AAPEX, the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo, will fill the Sands Expo and Convention Center Tuesday through Thursday. Both are open only to automotive professionals, but SEMA designates Friday as a day for the public and will stage a free public vehicle parade beginning at 4 p.m. Comedian Jay Leno, a popular Las Vegas entertainer and bonafide car guy, will be the grand marshal for the event.
The shows have a co-location arrangement, meaning participants badged for one show can access the other.
Show differences
So what’s the difference between the two shows?
“AAPEX is the little black dress and SEMA is all the add-ons,” said AAPEX spokeswoman Monica Buchholz, only half-kidding.
In the aftermarket world, there are replacement products for things that wear out — fan belts, light bulbs and lubricants. That’s AAPEX.
Then, there are accessories that are cool or are just fun — custom spoilers, trick lighting and comfy seat covers. That’s SEMA.
Both shows continue to ride a healthy growth trajectory.
An estimated 2,400 exhibitors will cover SEMA’s 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space and there’s an additional 1.5 million square feet dedicated to attractions throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center, its parking lots and at the neighboring Westgate.
New exhibitors
There are 550 exhibitors showing at SEMA for the first time and 3,000 products will be displayed in a special “new products showcase.”
While the products range from the incredibly practical to the ridiculously look-at-me, it’s the cars that generally get the most love at this show and there will be 1,500 of them at various booths and displays.
“I think we’ve broken the mold of the typical trade show and this one will be the most interactive in our 51-year history,” said Peter MacGillivray, vice president of events for SEMA.
One of the highlights of this year’s SEMA will be aftermarket advanced driver assistance systems. MacGillivray said there are about 200 million vehicles on the road not equipped with systems that can warn drivers drifting out of their lanes or are on a collision course. Aftermarket systems can add that safety enhancement.
Daily keynotes
New to AAPEX this year will be daily keynote addresses on aftermarket topics. Speakers will address the future of the vehicle Tuesday, the future of the customer Wednesday and the future of the shop on Thursday.
Buchholz also said The Linq parking lot south of the Sands Expo Center will be transformed into a new AAPEX Mobility Park for the demonstration of technological advancements for vehicles.
Buchholz and MacGillivray said stricter security protocols will be in place for the dual shows, one of the five largest events on Las Vegas’ annual convention calendar, as a result of the Oct. 1 shooting.
AAPEX officials warned that bags no larger than 48-by-24-by-8 inches are subject to search and only two bags will be permitted per person. Exhibitors will be required to present an official exhibitor badge matching a government-issued photo ID. They’ll only be allowed to carry or wheel exhibit displays onto the trade show floor prior to 8 a.m. daily.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.
