Sema Newsletter about CONSUMER ATTENDEES

[ScotI]

Originally Posted by CraigMorrison

But this is a trade show for buyers to make deals and business relationships to get strengthened. Wholesale & jobber pricing are the numbers that get thrown around. It is a place for manufacturers to show off their latest and greatest to their buyers: other businesses and warehouses.

If there was a joe-public day at SEMA, it would be beyond busy. Shoulder to shoulder, insane! Manufactures would have to switch hats and talk directly with consumers and discuss retail pricing....sometimes they aren't good at that kind of stuff. Not to mention companies like Keystone. They never deal with the public. What good would it be for them to spend a day doing so?

It would be frustrating for all the businesses because of the tire kickers (remember they are there to talk to the jobbers and warehouses) and all of the "enthusiasts" would probably get tired of fighting the crowds. In the end, it would burn everybody out.

I think part of the mistique of the show is that everybody can't get in. That mistique only gets built up and urban legends spin off about meeting that famous guy or seeing so and so or that ex-playmate booth babe. Or about how a friend of a friend's buddy scored tickets to the DUB Magazine party and got to party with Lil Kim.

just playing devil's advocate.......don't flame too hard

I guess that will be my one & only time to attend then. I make better money in a non automotive field or I would be doing just that. When I went in 04, it was w/my friends shop (where I help out @ nights during the week).

This year, there will be a car @ SEMA that their shop contributed on but I guess I won't get to be part of things.

[ProdigyCustoms]

Good job Craig. It is difficult to explain the difference in a 'Trade show" and a retail display. I guess you and I are taking the hit for all the other manufactures. I am sure there are a few people just griting their teeth wanting to flame. I tried to explain in a post over at Pro Touring, I copyied it to paste here.

I think where the problem comes in is when Mr. Retail ties up a manufacturer with 100 questions about one product, for one car, that he "MIGHT" use on a car he "MIGHT" build. In the meantime a distributor that sells, or wants to sell, multiples of all that Manufacturers products has to wait until the manufacturer is finished with Mr. retail to discuss new products, sales ideas, and general business. So what ends up happening is either the distributor moves on, or waits, which tightens his schedule more, or, the manufacturer has to tell Mr retail, sorry, times up! Which pisses off Mr retail.

The fact of the matter is SEMA is a "Trade Show". Manufactures set up in 100s of retail freindly enviroments to address Mr. Retail. At those shows they are focused on the end user.

I know from many conversations that many manufacturers enjoyed the new Orlando location for PRI if for no other reason so they were not inindated with every shop mechanic and race team in Indy. Being in Florida made it a little harder for these guy's to make the show, and left more real distributor buyers to come to the show. And the distributor buyers are who these "Trade Shows" are for.

Also, I have heard from a few displaying companies that with so many consumers getting in, that this year if the badge does not say BUYER, they may not get attention


I can surely understand the retail car fanatics desire to see the cool cars, models, etc. If I was not in the game, I would probably want to sneak in also.

[Steve Firebird]

Some how it seems wrong to hype the show up so much to us "Joe Retail" guys and slam the door shut in our faces. Just turn on speed channel for a while and there it is with them telling you what an awsome thing it is.

[ScotI]

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

Good job Craig. It is difficult to explain the difference in a 'Trade show" and a retail display. I guess you and I are taking the hit for all the other manufactures. I am sure there are a few people just griting their teeth wanting to flame.... I can surely understand the retail car fanatics desire to see the cool cars, models, etc. If I was not in the game, I would probably want to sneak in also.

I do understand it's a trade show. My dilemma is I'm not a paid employee of said shop but I do help after hours. Therefore when the shop guys go (w/their proof of business/employment) I don't have that & won't be allowed in.

My interest is to check out all the various items that potentially are available (regardless of price) so I can help make educated decisions when I assist my friends @ the shop.

I guess guys like me are SOL.

[kennyd]

tell the shop you work at to put you on the payroll . 1.00 per hour , get a paycheck , go to sema .

[ScotI]

I thought of doing some sort of 'end around' but did not want to jepordize the shops reputation. Kenny D's suggestion would be legit & might be worth pursuing.

[96z28ss]

Its a trade show and I fully agree with the statements made above.
The company I work for has a pretty big booth every year and it is just for talking to suppliers like Keystone, Summit Racing etc... They just want to talk to the big guys buying a 18 wheeler truck load at a time.

On the hand I'm a real car guy and the SEMA show is hyped up alot in the magazines and on TV.
I think that they should put on a consumer show the day after. Even if its just the cars and not the booths. They could do the show the day after in another building and if the part manufactures like Holley, Edelbrock etc.. want to switch to retail, let them they already have the booth and displays there.

[Damn True]

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

Good job Craig. It is difficult to explain the difference in a 'Trade show" and a retail display. I guess you and I are taking the hit for all the other manufactures. I am sure there are a few people just griting their teeth wanting to flame. I tried to explain in a post over at Pro Touring, I copyied it to paste here.

I think where the problem comes in is when Mr. Retail ties up a manufacturer with 100 questions about one product, for one car, that he "MIGHT" use on a car he "MIGHT" build. In the meantime a distributor that sells, or wants to sell, multiples of all that Manufacturers products has to wait until the manufacturer is finished with Mr. retail to discuss new products, sales ideas, and general business. So what ends up happening is either the distributor moves on, or waits, which tightens his schedule more, or, the manufacturer has to tell Mr retail, sorry, times up! Which pisses off Mr retail.

The fact of the matter is SEMA is a "Trade Show". Manufactures set up in 100s of retail freindly enviroments to address Mr. Retail. At those shows they are focused on the end user.

I know from many conversations that many manufacturers enjoyed the new Orlando location for PRI if for no other reason so they were not inindated with every shop mechanic and race team in Indy. Being in Florida made it a little harder for these guy's to make the show, and left more real distributor buyers to come to the show. And the distributor buyers are who these "Trade Shows" are for.

Also, I have heard from a few displaying companies that with so many consumers getting in, that this year if the badge does not say BUYER, they may not get attention


I can surely understand the retail car fanatics desire to see the cool cars, models, etc. If I was not in the game, I would probably want to sneak in also.

Except that what's in the best interest of distributors and retailers (margin & volume) is often not what's in the best interest of consumers. I'm certain that there is a myriad of products that Joe Consumer never sees because distribution buyers don't see a large enough market for it.
Small startup companies usually don't have the operating capital to support running all over the country to hawk their wares to end users the way Big-Ed, Holley etc do so they save up for the industry trade show in hopes of getting their gizmo into distribution if not the "hot parts" section of PHR or the like. If that fails because the gizmo is a niche item the product never get's seen.
The same thing happens in the bicycle & motorcycle industries.

Surely there are entrants at SEMA who do not produce consumer products and for them, an open format, or even an open day or two serves no purpose. But, if those types of entrants split after the "trade" portion it would open things up for more of a consumer type show.

Again, a double edged sword to be sure. If they didn't make the change the SEMA membership gets hurt. By making the change they can hurt the niche type companies and the consumers.