Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) announced its five-year vision to expand the SEMA Show into an “all-city” experience, starting just next year.
Officially called SEMA Week, the expansion’s goal is to create the most passionate and exciting automotive event in the world.
According to a press release, SEMA Week will be headlined by the SEMA Show, which will remain a trade-only event Monday through Friday. On Friday, the final day of the SEMA Show, a limited number of enthusiasts will be able to attend the SEMA Show through the Friday Experience program, which launched at the 2021 SEMA Show. Beginning on Friday evening of SEMA Week, SEMA will take over the Las Vegas Festival Grounds through Saturday night with an all-new SEMA Fest.
“We have been watching the connection between enthusiasts and our industry grow for more than a decade and, as the industry’s trade association, have a responsibility to help facilitate that connection in new and meaningful ways,” said James Lawrence, SEMA chairman of the board. “By creating SEMA Week and SEMA Fest, we will be able to maintain the integrity of the trade show that makes it a must-attend event for automotive professionals while introducing a new platform for enthusiasts and the industry to engage with one another.”
SEMA Fest will feature music and entertainment as well as a car show and cruise, VIP experiences, craft food, automotive celebrities, and motorsports. It will run alongside the well-known SEMA Ignited Cruise and SEMA Show after-party.
SEMA Week is also scheduled to include a SEMA Auction, featuring some of the best builds from SEMA and other vehicles to headline the festivities.
The evolution of SEMA Week preserves the trade aspects of the industry and business components of the SEMA Show, while enabling enthusiasts from all over to join in the festivities and enjoy car culture-focused events throughout the SEMA Week experience.
More information will be released in the coming months.