Nice first post :poke:

You never know! Remember the Posters you had on the Wall as a Kid? I sure that Kids that had a Lamborghini Countach or a Baldwin Motion Camaro Poster Grew Up & hit it big in Stocks, Ponzi-Schemes, etc & bought one of their childhood Dream Cars!

T.C.

That right there is long term marketing.

Like seeing a builder updating us on the cool projects in his shop.

:D

Well guys, many great posts and insights here. I can give a bit of insight from my end, be it a naive and possible amateur one?

SEMA built my business. Not necessarily from a customer stand point, but from the inner framework up. I have been attending now for 6 years, this being the start of m 5th year in business under my own name. What I can tell you is this: Use it for the tool that it is and it is invaluable and indespensible. Meeting companies face to face and building relationships that otherwise happen over the phone is the ONLY way that I can buy and supply myself with the product I need to take our shop into the next level for our clients. Its funny how after even the second year, you can walk up to someone you deal with in a sea of a hundred thousand people with your badge flipped over and they don't even skip a beat, like your old friends.

On top of the manufacturers, its the only time that some canuk like me that is so far disconnected from the major "hubs" of the hot rod world can connect with other shop owners and business peers. Its really cool to have the commrodity and build those friendships so that when you are in need, its there for you. Yeah, there is a ton of politics (which we have experienced first hand) and there will always be the superficial aspects of it, and you will never get rid of the lookey lous. But all in all, for me personally I wouldn't trade it for anything at this point in my business.

Being a small time shop, I was not expecting the excitement that our car drummed up. Now I am partial to it because I built it, and I THINK its cool? but to have it go up on Hot Rod the first day, and get shot by all the mags and internet sites that it did, as well as make it onto V8tv was coverage I could not afford to pay for if I wanted to. Let me tell you for the BS that we put up with building these things, and the money we lose doing so, its nice to get something out of it. I guess our demographic is a bit different too, not being in Cali or even in the states for that matter. We dont have big events like goodguys or likewise, so we get absolutely no attention from the mags or media. Having our car break into the spotlight trickles down to our market area customers as they see it and realize what they have right at home!

On top of all of this, its been an amazing experience to be "sponsored" by a large company and see how things change and doors open when you meet the challenge. I had to pay for my "sponsored" parts, probably because I am a nobody, and maybe because its a high dollar item, but after doing so I can already, a few days after, see things changing from the response on that side of things. I think its cool too to help out. On Sunday, I actually spent the whole evening figuring out and setting up the booth I was in and helped with some technical articles, and didnt sit back and have an attitude or anything because thats the type of people we are! It was fun and a change from the daily grind. Helped take it down too on Friday. I made new friends and built up a super solid relationship with a huge company.

Take away from SEMA what you will. If you go in with a pessimistic attitude, then you will only take away a half full glass. I think too that we should all count ourselves lucky that, yes the industry is affected a bit, but all in all look at how it thrives even in the rough years when some industires fail and collapse. There may not be as many 500k cars, but there is damn sure alot more 250k cars. More than one way to build up the dollars in different denominations right?

Sure, there may be some cars that shouldnt be there, and hopefully it will be controllably downsized just a bit to make it a little more exclusive and manageable, but DAMN its a cool event and is well worth it for a guy like me!

Hope you enjoyed reading my 2 cents, thats all it is so take it with a grain of salt!

Rick I bought a new Chief EZliner they build an awesome frame rack that's for sure picked up there new measuring system to!:G-Dub: I go to the body shop section every year and purchase something new for the shop.
Okay not even going to justify this with a answer, but read above.:buttkick:

Question for the guys that found SEMA a bit off this year. Did you notice all the little details that Sieg and Al are posting? Or are you seein the pictures and thinking you may have missed something?

I've only been once, 2011, and found it to be overwhelming. Maybe, like a lot of events, it gets so big that to the vets it's just not the same. Or the anticipation of the event is so big that it's a bummer once you're out walkin around.

I look forward to Bonneville every year. I take a week off, drive 13hrs straight and sometimes spend 3 days before deciding to split. Sometimes I do it twice in the same summer! It's a car thing that I think most car guys understand.

:cheers:
Dan

I have been going there since 1990, It is still the best place to see parts, network and just have a good time...ITS IN VEGAS. I like the fact that you can be with a bunch of like minded people in the same event and see more types of Motorsports in one place than anywhere else. I was glad to see that many people there, might be a sign of things somewhat getting better

I think that after going for quite a few years, you do get alittle "jaded" on looking at some of the builds....after seeing so many amazing cars year after year, it gets harder and harder to get that "wow" factor.. more difficult to be impressed as much..... the bar is so high there, that after awhile its easy to just be "wow, nice car...next".....

Just like the photographer that shoots supermodels and hangs out with hot women all day long :)..... I'd love to have that problem, but I'm sure after awhile even the wicked hot ones just don't stand out as much anymore.....

Anywhere else, and most of those cars would be jaw droppers.....

The first couple of years I went, I would often do central hall several times and go back and look at some of the same cars 2-3 times.....I rarely do that now, and felt like I could do the entire show in 2 days easy.....

Meeting up with all the guys you only see once a year, and putting faces to names and hanging out with guys that all have the same hobby is the best part, and the reason I will continue to go year after year....