Wheel and Performance Tire Buyers and Exhibitors Benefit from New Sectionalized Floor Plan at 2002 SEMA Show
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (Sept. 18, 2002) - Wheel and performance tire buyers and exhibitors at the 2002 SEMA Show will see significant and exciting changes, beginning with the exhibits' location on the first level of the new South Hall building at the expanded Las Vegas Convention Center. This marks the first time the SEMA Show will occupy the expanded portion of the facility: the move is synonymous with the Show's overall revamped look, feel and floor plan. "Sectionalization inaugurates a new way of doing business," said Peter MacGillivray, vice president of sales and marketing for SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association. "We have organized the Show into categories. When you have a mega-store like the SEMA Show, it needs to be organized efficiently so that buyers can easily locate the exhibitors they are interested in." Wheel and performance tire companies account for a substantial number of the Show's more than 1,400 exhibitors. This year, all of the wheel and performance tire exhibitors will be located in one of two special areas. The International Tire Expo will feature the industry's newest passenger, agricultural, industrial, medium- and heavy-duty Over-the- Road (OTR) tires. This area will also house equipment-related manufacturers exhibiting pioneering advances in such specialties as tire balancers, changers, accessories, tools and machinery. The Wheels and Performance Tires section will feature the hottest innovations in aluminum, racing, two- and three-piece, dual, steel, and wire wheels, covers, plating, and wheel accessories as well as the latest technologies in performance and off-road tires for passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs and racing cars. "Exhibitors bring their newest technological and design efforts to the SEMA Show first. They put the future of wheels and performance tires on display, getting their brand and their products out in front of the influential industry buyers," said MacGillivray. "Also, through our educational programs at the Show, they discover how to generate greater business opportunities and profits." Buyers attending the Show also can expect increased business and educational opportunities, and they will find the new layout more conducive to conducting real business, more effective for networking, and for evaluating products in a time-saving fashion, MacGillivray said. Wheel and performance tire social and networking programs begin with a Gala Reception sponsored by the Tire Industry Association (TIA) on Monday evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday opens with the TIA Hall of Fame Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and on Wednesday, buyers and exhibitors can attend the TIA Breakfast With the President at the Aladdin Hotel and SEMA's Wheel Industry Council Reception at the Hilton Hotel from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. "Tires at Two," a series of nine educational seminars sponsored by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., will cover a broad range of issues affecting the tire industry. Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 5 and continuing through Thursday, Nov. 7, industry experts will address a host of topics such as future products, legislation, effective advertising techniques, insurance and dealer integrity at 2 p.m. each of the three days. A complete list of seminars, locations, and other SEMA Show activities is available at www.semashow.com. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. This year's SEMA Show is organized into ten sections for the convenience of buyers. The sections are named: International Tire Expo; Mobile Electronics & Technology; Racing and Performance; Restoration Marketplace; Restyling & Accessories Center; Street Rod Alley; Trucks, SUVs, Truck Caps & Accessories; Wheels and Performance Tires; (the all new) Performance Marine Pavilion; and General. Icons for each of the sections will help direct buyers and exhibiting personnel through the Show. More information about the 2002 SEMA Show is available at www.semashow.com or by contacting ConvExx, Show Management, at info@convexx.com, or 702/450-7662. SEMA staff may be reached at 909/396-0289.