AUSSIES at SEMA - National Collision · PDF fileTheNationalCOLLISION REPAIRER19 2015 SEMA...

TheNationalCOLLISION

REPAIRER192015 SEMA OVERVIEW

speed, custom design and the collision industry speed, custom design and the collision industry

AUSSIES at SEMAYou just don’t know who you will run into at the show


REPAIRER14 2015 SEMA OVERVIEW

SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT MARKET ASSOCIATION – SEMASPECIALTY EQUIPMENT MARKET ASSOCIATION – SEMA

SEMAOverview ... the festival of SEMAOverview ... the festival of

Well, that’s it forSEMA 2015 andwhat an amazingevent it was once

again. When I look back at myheaders for the past six yearsof attending SEMA I am runningout of exactly what I can say as SEMA justkeeps on getting better!

As you will see from the articles by bothour US correspondent John Yoswick andSCRS Executive Director AaronSchulenburg, as well as Owen Webb, theyare raving about how SEMA manages toconsistently outdo the previous year’s event.

If you are going to SEMA just to attendthe collision repair section and theoutstanding educational packagepresented by SCRS you would not bedisappointed. But when you add to this all of the other attractions that not onlySEMA but Las Vegas has to offer, then

this has to be the best value propositionfor anyone in our industry or theautomotive industry in total.

Once again the number of attendeeswas staggering over the four days – morethan 159,000. The number, variety andquality of the cars, trucks and motorbikesand some weird looking vehicles had tobe seen to be believed. I think betweenChris Stone and I we took over 4000photographs (thank heavens for digitalphotography!). We could easily have takena lot more but we only had four days!

The number of personalities, not onlyon the individual booths but also at the

Velocity Live session, was more than everand they are all really totally professionaland available to the attendees who want tochat, have autographs signed plus “selfies”and photographs taken (one young Englishguy actually got up on stage with theWheeler Dealers to take a selfie!).

The educational sessions presented bySCRS were very well attended and theOEM all day presentation was not to bemissed – the information provided by theOEMs on current and future technologywas invaluable.

The CIC (Collision Industry Conference)meeting with a half day session on eachof the first two days was busy, informativeand at times heated as repairers,suppliers and insurers came together inone room to discuss industry issues. I made a presentation on the second daycovering activity in the Australian market

SEMA 2015 – what morecan you say?

David Newton-Ross joined more than159,000 attendees at SEMA 2015.

Here is his overview.

VALSPAR BOOTHVALSPAR BOOTH

AXALTA BOOTHAXALTA BOOTH




and the audience were very impressedwith the AutoPath website initiative puttogether by NRMA to attract youngpeople into the industry. Included onAutopath is a video of Steve Lozenkovskifrom Bears Accident Repair Centre inWollongong talking about his businessand what he does to attract young peopleto join the industry (this includes tats, anose ring and riding a skateboard orFerrari to work!). Check this out atwww.autopath.com.au and be asimpressed as your peers in the US whoapplauded the video at the end!

All I can say about SEMA is, if you have

not attended then you need to go – add it to your bucket list! I know that I will bethere again next year and looking for moresuperlatives to describe what is THEEVENT for our industry. Next year the

dates are 1st to 4th November. Be there!Take a look at the following pages of

editorial and photographs and enjoy a smallpiece of SEMA 2015 – which will hopefullywhet your appetite for 2016. NCR

SEMA Stats:Number of Exhibitors: 2,350Total net square feet: 1,181,400Total attendees: 159,757 (which includes 69,916 buyers and 3,505 media)Number of Products in the NewProducts Showcase: 3079Number of Seminars held andattendance at the Seminars: 64 seminars, with 6905 totalattendeesGLASURIT BOOTHGLASURIT BOOTH

THE PPG BOOTH WAS A WINNERTHE PPG BOOTH WAS A WINNER

3M BOOTH3M BOOTH

CAR-O-LINER BOOTHCAR-O-LINER BOOTH AKZONOBEL USA AND OVERSEAS TEAMAKZONOBEL USA AND OVERSEAS TEAM

Just a few Cars, Bikesand Trucks of SEMA









Ithought that last year’s Velocity Liveevent was big but it was certainlyexceeded this year with more stars andmore people lining up for a long time

just to get in – and it was free!The Velocity TV channel in the USA

produces the entire speciality “car shows”and is the equivalent to our own Turbocable TV channel in Australia. All of theshows currently in the USA are also run inAustralia so that I knew every one of thecelebrities on centre stage.

The show was exactly the same as in2014 and was held in the showroom ofthe Westgate Hotel adjacent to the LasVegas Convention Centre. Chris Jacobsfrom Overhaulin’ was once again the MCfor the event and asking questions of themany celebrities onstage on the “TonightShow” style set.

Mike Brewer and Edd China – TheWheeler Dealer stars – were the firstonstage and were very funny, especiallyMike Brewer in answering the questionsfrom Jacobs. They talked about their first12-show series to be produced in the USand announced that they are currently onceagain based in Huntington Beach, Californiaproducing another 12 show series.

Dan Short of Fantomworks spoke to

Jacobs about the challenges he facesevery day in restoring whatever thecustomer wants restored in his shop,where sometimes the customer is notalways right!

Cristy Lee of All Girls Garage then spoketo Jacobs about her love of the industryand how she has been involved with carsfrom a very early age. She certainly addedthe glamour to this year’s event!

Dave Kindig of Kindig Customs, whomade his TV debut last year, was a veryentertaining guest. The quality of theproduct he produces and the team thathe has assembled in his shop has himwell and truly towards the top end of the

custom builders in the US.Wayne Carini of Chasing Classic Cars is

still passionate about finding really oldcars and restoring them to their formerpride and then selling them. He also likesto find and bid for classic cars for hismany loyal customers.

Ray Evernham of Americarna spokeabout the joy of finding old cars andrelating their history, whether they areracecars or classic cars.

Jacobs then asked the crew to closethe doors and get the beer out beforeintroducing the stars of Fast N Loud,Richie Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman. It isobvious that these guys really enjoy what

Velocity Live 2015 onceagain a great success

David Newton-Ross reports on the Velocity Live show fromSEMA 2015.

CHRIS JACOBSCHRIS JACOBS CHIP FOOSECHIP FOOSE

RICHIE RAWLINGSRICHIE RAWLINGS AARON KAUFMANAARON KAUFMAN




they do and play well off each other andappreciate the opportunity to be a part of Velocity TV.

It was then a moment when there wasnot a dry eye in the house! ChrisJacobs, prior to introducing his goodfriend Chip Foose to the audience,spoke about the final episode ofOverhaulin’ and showed a clip of ChipFoose being hugged by his father, whohad overhauled Chip’s truck that used tobelong to his father, in that final episode.A very emotional Chip Foose then joinedJacobs onstage and talked about whatthat episode meant to him personally. Ofcourse, episodes of Overhaulin’ will beshown for many years to come eventhough the show will no longer beproduced, but expect to see Chip Fooseappearing in other shows in the not-too-distant future. I met with Chip Foose athis shop in Huntington Beach a fewdays later and he said that it had beentough to talk to Jacobs about the end of

the show and that particular episode.Chris Jacobs then invited everyone

back on stage where they answeredquestions from the audience for about 30minutes and then signed autographs andposed for photographs for the many loyalfans of their respective TV shows.

They certainly know how to put

together a great event at SEMA and tohear what makes these well-knownpersonalities tick and to see howpassionate they are about what they dowas certainly a highlight for me.

No doubt there will be a similar event atSEMA 2016 – make sure you grab aticket if you are attending SEMA! NCR

EDD CHINA AND MIKE BREWEREDD CHINA AND MIKE BREWER DAN SHORTDAN SHORT

A TOUCHING MOMENT WITH CHRIS AND CHIPA TOUCHING MOMENT WITH CHRIS AND CHIP CRISTY LEECRISTY LEE RAY EVERNHAMRAY EVERNHAM

DAVE KINDIG (LEFT) AND WAYNE CARINIDAVE KINDIG (LEFT) AND WAYNE CARINI

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