CROSS-OVER BUSINESS FLOURISHES AT 2005 SEMA SHOW

SEMA members find new business opportunities in related products and services

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2005) - Attendees will have the opportunity to discover and develop new products and services for their businesses at the 2005 SEMA Show.

"Cross-over" business is flourishing for the specialty equipment industry as retailers are discovering that carrying related products - and making their customers aware that these products are available to them - often results in additional sales. Much of this growth stems from the SEMA Show as it provides an ideal venue for specialty retailers to see and experience new products, and speak directly with manufacturers of other market segments.

Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of marketing and communications, said attendees conducting business at the show often focus on their primary product lines, but they soon realize there's potential to offer their customers much more.

Said MacGillivray: "A tire retailer may come to the show to meet with other people in the tire industry, but the SEMA Show co-locates related accessory categories, so it's easy for the retailer to investigate other product lines. That's one of the strengths of this event - attendees can visit the stakeholders in their primary area of business, but they can also spend the day visiting cross-over markets that often present growth opportunities."

Examples of cross-over business include wheel and tire retailers who discover that their customers are also interested in performance parts and restyling accessories, while customers who frequent racing and performance shops are often interested in wheels and tires. Similarly, consumers interested in restyling are likely to purchase car care products if they're available at the same shop.

MacGillivray compared cross-over sales to "old-fashioned impulse buying, much like you'll find at the supermarket checkout," with the exception that specialty equipment retailers personally engage their customers to learn about their interests and develop personal working relationships with them.

"The purpose of the show is to raise this kind of awareness," said MacGillivray. "If it's one more thing specialty equipment and auto accessories retailers can do to make their business a success, then that makes it all worthwhile."

About the SEMA Show

The SEMA Show, the annual showcase of technology, trends and products for the $31 billion automotive accessories industry, will be held November 1-4, 2005 at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

This year's exclusive event, open only to verified industry professionals and media, will feature more than 2,000 exhibitors in over one million square feet of space. More than 100,000 trade professionals are expected to attend this year to walk through the ten market-based sections and view the anticipated 1,000 never-before-seen products that will be displayed in the New Products Showcase.

Online registration and additional information about the SEMA Show is available at www.semashow.com , or by contacting ConvExx Show Management at askus@convexx.com or 702/450-7662 ext. 118.

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $31 billion specialty automotive industry of 6,466 member-companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for the specialty auto parts industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. For more information, contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr. , Diamond Bar , CA 91765 , tel: 909/396-0289 or visit www.sema.org and www.enjoythedrive.com .