My first time at the SEMA show was a life-affirming experience

“The industry is alive and well. We will continue to be able to change no matter what. We will continue to customize no matter what. Whether it’s an electric vehicle, an internal combustion engine, hydrogen or other alternative fuels, we’ll continue to push the envelope because that’s what people want,” says SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola.

The Las Vegas Convention Center is a 3 million square foot campus comprised of four buildings that share a huge lot. It is used throughout the year for various conferences and exhibitions. Nothing fills that space like the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s annual trade show.

Every fall, thousands of vendors and builders occupy every square inch of the convention center. Hundreds of thousands of people attend to see what’s new and exciting and who has put together the best display of skill and ingenuity. And while it used to have a reputation as a kind of silly carnival, that’s been changing in recent years as the new car industry gets excited about change and the aftermarket focuses more on preserving car culture. In many ways, if you want a glimpse into the future of enthusiasm, SEMA is the place to get it.

As a lifelong car enthusiast, participation in the SEMA show was always on my agenda no matter what the hell. This year I finally had the chance to go to Vegas and see it for myself. But I didn’t just go on a regular press trip. From diving into a sea of ​​incredible builds and enthusiasts to riding with a drifting legend, I got the full experience. But even if you don’t go all out like I did, going to SEMA is without a doubt an item that should be on every car nut’s to-do list, because thanks to the new policy of opening to the general public on the Friday of show week, it’s not just a B2B conference anymore.

The immortal SEMA

SEMA is much more than an annual trade show. The Specialty Equipment Market Association is primarily focused on helping industry professionals do their jobs the best they can. I sat down with Mike Spagnolo earlier this year. We talked about SEMA as a whole and what it does for the industry all year long. Finally we met at the exhibition. He shared that despite the many uncertainties the industry has been facing recently, it is alive and well. The upward trend of the show is a great proof of this. With 160,000 people in attendance this year and more than 2,400 vendors, SEMA is stronger than ever. It has officially surpassed pre-COVID numbers.

As any enthusiast more interested in things built in garages than factories, I’ve always seen SEMA as some sort of legendary oasis. Aftermarket brands showcase the latest and greatest products surrounded by all sorts of amazing builds. All the biggest influencers and celebrities in the space are also in attendance. The exclusivity of being historically business-to-business makes being there even more desirable.

And full disclosure: I wasn’t just there to return this report. How Drive commercial editor, part of my job is to meet with companies to ask/convince/beg them to hand over review units of a variety of products—from impact wrenches to independent front suspension systems to crate engines—so that Mike Febo and I can evaluate whether they worth your money. My goal for 2025 is to take The Garage to the next level with some truly stunning projects, and there’s no better place than SEMA to make the right connections and get started.

Every day we rushed from booth to booth, shaking hands, kissing children, Drive brand. I spent hours on my feet, but I was never tired. The atmosphere was simply electrifying, as was the response we received from some of the big name companies that are planning to become partners next year. More on that soon!

Taking it all in

I can’t overstate how much we did at the show. I packed every available moment with meetings with representatives and CEOs to discuss everything we could. But even as I bounced from both to both, going through what was discussed in the emails between each stage, I was sure to tap into the part of me that still remains an enthusiast.

There’s no shortage of amazing builds to look at. As a Mopar nut, I’m very excited about the sudden growth in appreciation for classic Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars. Everywhere I looked there was a second generation charger made for me. It was even a little more humiliating than usual. Even the copy of Joe Dirt on display at the ACES Fuel Injection booth served as a reference from which I could take notes. I definitely love it the “homegrown hot rod” aspect of my charger. But man, I need to step up.

Fortunately, I also had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Jim Ring, one of the legends Ringbrothers. His stories of their humble beginnings leading to what is now one of the most respected names in custom builds made me feel like there was still hope for me. While I will never be able to hold a candle to what these guys do, I hope some of his magic rubbed off on me while we were rubbing elbows.

Ringbrothers also had an absolutely gorgeous Mopar on display, which was their 1970. Plymouth barracuda was named Infected. However, the Grand National, known as INVADR, just a few booths away, was the talk of the show. Producing just north of 1,200 horsepower, the V6-powered tyrant is capable of a staggering 1,800 horsepower at full throttle. It was also an impressive display of Ringbrother’s mad craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. Every last millimeter of the car received the grace of their legendary touch. I could spend hours just taking it all in.

As much time as I could spend around the types of cars I would normally use, I also tried to change things up a bit. Assembling a car, regardless of the operating scale, is a work of art. So you have to mix in bits and pieces of inspiration from everywhere to avoid feeling out of date. That’s why I made sure to check out some non-domestic builds and get a glimpse of the culture from a vantage point I normally wouldn’t — like in a professional drift car with Tanner Foust behind the wheel.

Now I don’t run away from an event with plans to convert my Charger into a drift car. Watching a man with such gifted powers as him work his magic first hand was definitely inspiring. Drifting is an intense sport that requires a lot of concentration and practice. Feeling that power as the car spun around while the crowd cheered us on reminded me that even I need to relax and have fun with the car. This experience also added some dimension to my first visit to SEMA that I would have otherwise missed. Not only was I surrounded by radical cars, but I felt the full power.

In the right place

Perhaps the most incredible thing about the SEMA show is how much happens at once on such a scale. Everywhere you look, celebrities are signing autographs, people are showing off amazing builds, vendors are talking about some game-changing technology, and it’s all happening in every corner of the absolutely massive facility.

In all this chaos, there was a moment when it hit me: I was where I belonged. Not because I knew what I was doing benefited my work, but because I really connected to it and felt there was a deep purpose behind it. You don’t get that feeling very often in life, and when you do, you know big things are about to happen.

This moment struck me as I looked around and saw familiar faces in the crowd. I was surrounded by icons and heroes that I looked up to since this whole thing started. People I immortalized for the impact they had on me and the industry as a whole. And to see them in a moment of profound self-enlightenment was a moment in time that I will remember forever.