SEMA 2025 Show Review, from MIA USA Director, Don Taylor

SEMA 2025 Show Review

from MIA USA Director,  Don Taylor

SEMA continues to be the siren call for the USA automotive customizing and performance industry from far and wide, and was well attended again last week in Las Vegas. But what could its value be for MIA Member companies?

It can easily be dismissed when compared to the real racing performance trade shows, like the MIA’s fast growing CTS at Silverstone. I attended to see if there might be something of interest for our members.

One can be blinded, especially in the bright Nevada sunshine, by all the different customized cars and trucks on display. But look past the 1,500 featured kandy-kolored, tangerine-flake streamline babies and the Race Cars present were primarily sponsor billboards. These were limited to dragsters, a few Bonneville cars and GT cars like GT3 Porsche 911s… plus many drift and time attack cars.

Serious racing cars and parts were shown by Honda HRC, MOPAR, and Ford Racing. You could meet factory engineers responsible for those programs, if you wanted a contact.

As always, a Show may or may not be of value depending on who your target buyer is.

I ran into MIA member Mike Jenvey of Jenvey Dynamics who was happy as he found some of his customers there and others to approach.

The ‘new products’ area was the size of a football field with a ‘racing’ section with new cylinder heads, blowers, etc. relevant to that part of the US market.

As  SEMA also owns PRI their President, Mike Good, was readily accessible. He thanked us for arranging for him to meet our MIA member group during our September Indianapolis Business Mission and welcomed any MIA Members visiting PRI next month.

So as far as the SEMA Show goes what advice would I give.  As a fan of the automotive world, if you were traveling to the US West Coast on other business, during SEMA week, I’d suggest you take it in, at least once in your life.

You never know who or what you will see at the SEMA Show. One surprise visitor this year was FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem!