The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show is a massive gathering and exhibition of automotive enthusiasts and professionals. With everything from small custom-parts suppliers to specialty hotrod builders, and from off-road overlanding equipment to the skunkworks teams for major automakers, SEMA has something for everyone—assuming you’re crazy about cars.
Although SEMA used to be heavily focused on hotrods and performance, today it has expanded to include almost anything that relates to cars, from simply living with them to upgrading their on- and off-road capabilities. As such, the SEMA show has ballooned into a massive event that fills the entire Las Vegas Convention Center (all 3.2 million square feet of it)! In 2022, there were nearly 2,000 separate exhibitors displaying their projects and wares at SEMA.
Where and When is SEMA?
Timed so it misses the city’s scorching weather, the SEMA show is held in the fall in Las Vegas, NV. The show partners with a number of Las Vegas hotels to assist with lodging, although lodging is not included in the registration fee. The closest hotel to the Las Vegas Convention Center is the SpringHill Suites by Marriot, while the closest casino hotels are the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World, the latter of which can be accessed via the Las Vegas Loop—a Boring Company tunnel that is used to shuttle people back and forth in Tesla vehicles.
How Can I Go to SEMA?
Unlike other, city-sponsored major auto shows, SEMA is not open to the general public. In order to attend, you have to show proof of employment in the automotive aftermarket business or be a credentialed member of the media. That doesn’t mean that SEMA is a ghost town, though. Not at all: in a typical year, the SEMA show hosts roughly 150,000 attendees, whether they be manufacturers, builders, product buyers or media members. Additionally, you do not need to be a member of the SEMA trade association to attend.
In order to display a vehicle at SEMA, it needs to be owned or built by one of the exhibiting companies. In addition to that, there is an application process that starts months ahead of the show. You’ll need to provide plenty of details about the vehicle, including photographs and measurement specifications.
How Much Does It Cost to go to SEMA?
Because SEMA is a trade show and not open to the general public, there aren’t really tickets for the event. Instead, exhibitors must pay a registration fee. For the 2022 show, exhibitors were charged $40 if registering before October 1st, and $90 from October 1st onward. Financial services attendees paid $200 for registration, as did non-exhibiting companies. Qualified members of the media are able to register free of charge.
What Happened at SEMA 2022?
The SEMA Show returned to in-person attendance in 2021 after Covid-19 concerns shuttered the 2020 show. In 2022, the program has returned to full strength, with thousands of exhibitors and hundreds of vehicles on display. SEMA is highlighted each year by creative and inspired vehicle builds, coming from small outlets and major automakers alike. The details of the 2022 automaker exhibits can be found in our supporting article, What Automakers Brought to SEMA in 2022.
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