SEMA Announces Dates for 2002 International Auto Salon
Diamond Bar, Calif. (July 11, 2001) SEMA (Specialty Automotive Market Association) will hold the 2002 International Auto Salon (IAS) at the Long Beach Convention Center Friday-Sunday, April 19-21. The industry trade/consumer automotive specialty show will be trade-only on Friday, with doors open to both industry personnel and the public on Saturday and Sunday. "There will be a number of activities scheduled throughout the weekend, beginning with the industry trade reception on Friday evening," said Gary Vigil, trade shows director for SEMA. "It¹s a good opportunity for the people in this industry to network and to get to know each other better. The SEMA Import Performance Committee will announce its annual award winners at that reception." IAS will have many activities for the trade and consumers. There will be more than 500 manufacturers¹ displays inside the Convention Center. Seminars for industry professionals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday with special emphasis for consumers on Saturday. SEMA¹s Import Performance Committee will have a committee-of-the-whole meeting on Saturday at the conclusion of show hours. The show is free to the trade. Consumer tickets are $12 per day, or $15 for both days. Advance purchase discounts will be available. Market Segment Is Growing Vigil said SEMA created IAS in 1998 to help develop the then-tiny market segment that caters to providing performance, handling, and appearance products for sport compact cars, the vehicles featured in this summer¹s movie, The Fast and the Furious. This market niche had Year 2000 retail level sales of $1.2 billion, and Year 2001 forecasts are for $1.5 billion sales. "When we started IAS, there was nothing organized for the trade industry itself," he said. "IAS, as we¹ve structured it, includes both industry and consumer." Vigil said that IAS is being held in April rather than in February, as it has been, to allow manufacturers to develop new products for introduction at IAS. "Having the show so early in the year didn¹t allow enough time for manufacturers who had just come off the Las Vegas SEMA Show push," he said. "This is not only better for the exhibitors but will also provide additional new products for industry buyers." It will be the second year SEMA has held IAS in Long Beach. "Our 2000 show in Long Beach was the best ever," Vigil said. ConvExx will manage the show for SEMA, Vigil said. Current IAS information is available at www.internationalautosalon.com. SEMA represents the $24.86 billion specialty automotive industry. The trade association is composed of more than 4,600 member companies, and is the authoritative source of research data, trends and market growth information for automakers and the specialty auto products industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, safety, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger cars, minivans, pickups, SUVs and recreational vehicles. It's a specialty market as old as the automobile and as new as cutting-edge technology. For more information, please contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765; call 909/396-0289; or visit www.sema.org or www.enjoythedrive.com.