Episode #187- SEMA 2024 Wrap-up!

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Episode Notes: 

Immerse yourself in the unparalleled world of automotive innovation and networking at SEMA 2024 through my latest edition of the MindWrench Podcast- SEMA Wrap Up! 

Strap in, as I navigate the automotive extravaganza that was SEMA 2024, the world's premier automotive trade event. From exploring the massive displays in the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center to building invaluable connections at after-parties, this episode will reveal why SEMA is a must-attend. Remember, it's not just about the latest in technology, tools, accessories, ADAS, collision equipment and measuring systems – it's also about so much more!

This year, I was uniquely positioned as an exhibitor to experience firsthand the immense value that SEMA offers, not just for exhibitors but for anyone immersed in the automotive industry.

If you’ve never attended, and you are in any way, shape or form, part of this industry, whether on the manufacturer, supplier, provider, or repairer/installer side of automotive…or, if your income or lively hood revolves around automobiles, their parts, their repairs, or customization… you need to make sure you attend this madness at least ONCE in your career!

Although I didn’t get to see everything I wanted to, didn’t connect with everyone I wanted to… It’s a great place to connect with our peers, suppliers, creators or inventors of the newest technology, tools & equipment… our industry leaders, Social-Media influencers, movers, shakers, and many of the auto-worlds brightest stars.

Whether you need a single piece of equipment or plan to deck out an entire shop, SEMA is the place to explore options, ask questions, and make savvy buying decisions. 

 

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right now that I've been back home for a week
in the good old Eastern StandardTime, got some much-needed
sleep, caught up on my emails,returned a bunch of messages and
let my liver air out.
I've had a little time toreflect on my non-stop week in
Vegas.
It's time for my SEMA Wrap-Up2024.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Welcome to the MindWrench Podcast with your
host, rick Sellover, where minoradjustments produce major
improvements in mindset,personal growth and success.
This is the place to be everyMonday, where we make small
improvements and take positiveactions in our business and
personal lives that will make amajor impact in our success,

(00:54):
next-level growth and quality oflife.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Hey, what's up everybody?
Welcome to the MindWrenchPodcast.
I'm your host, rick Silover.
Thanks so much for stopping in.
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(01:23):
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I hope you find something ofvalue here that helps you in
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Please make sure to click thesubscribe or follow button so

(01:48):
you never miss another episode.
All right, now that I've beenback home for a week in the good
old Eastern Standard Time, gotsome much-needed sleep, caught
up on my emails, returned abunch of messages and let my
liver air out, I've had a littletime to reflect on my nonstop
week in Vegas.
It's time for my SEMA Wrap-up2024.
And once again I gotta say, ohmy god, what a show, what a week

(02:12):
, and why would anyone in ourindustry want to miss this?
Now, before I get rolling, I'mgoing to pre-apologize for my
voice might be a little squeakyor a little off today, but not
sure what's going on, but we'llget through it.
This year was a littledifferent for me than the last
couple years.
I have a totally differentperspective than before.

(02:33):
I'm grateful for being able tosee it through a fresh set of
lenses.
So, instead of attending withmy media credentials no real
agenda, no schedule, no place Ihad to be and all the time in
the world to do whatever thehell I wanted to.
This year, I was fortunateenough to attend as an exhibitor
with my company, garmat USA.

(02:53):
We had a very packed agenda foreach day a display booth and I
do mean booth multiple meetingswith customers, prospects and
our distribution network,multiple meetings with customers
, prospects and our distributionnetwork, and some special
events planned with invitedguests, as well as some very
specific goals and expectationsfor our time spent there.
Although we didn't have thefreedom to just roam around

(03:15):
aimlessly throughout the show,we were able to accomplish so
many very impactful actions inan incredibly short amount of
time, and I still had some freetime to check out the show,
although I'll admit most of mytime was spent in the south
upper hall, which really shouldjust be called Collision Central
.
The months and months ofcareful planning and attention
to detail allowed for us to havea very productive, very

(03:38):
successful week and stillsqueeze in some fun.
This unique perspective for meallowed me to really see how
much prep work goes intoplanning for this event by every
single exhibitor there.
I had no idea how much realwork that was, and my hat is off
to our VP of Marketing, debbieTeeter, who pulls all that
together.
Nice job, Debbie.

(03:59):
So let's get to some of thehighlights of the SEMA
experience and why.
I feel, if you're any wayconnected to this automotive
industry, attending this eventshould be a must on your to-do
list for 2025.
So, number one it's all underone roof.
That Las Vegas ConventionCenter has over 2 million square
feet of display space largestin the US and you can find

(04:21):
everything from companies thatproduce, sell or support tires
to tools, accessories to ADASequipment, protective films to
paint products, motors tomeasuring systems, cutting-edge
software solutions powered by AIand everything in between.
You may be in.

(04:45):
There's so much to see and somuch to do, and if you're a
veteran technician or someonefresh out of a technical program
eager to get into a greatbusiness, it's like being a kid
in a candy store.
Whether you're a custom carbuilder, a gearhead, a tuner, a
four-wheeler, a restoration shop, repair or owner, there's
something here for you.
There's something here foreverybody.
Number two education andlearning opportunities.
There are literally dozens ofclasses to choose from every

(05:09):
single day, from organizationslike SCRS and ICAR, just to name
a few, as well as live hands-ontraining available from many
equipment and tool manufacturersand running.
Concurrent with CIMA was CIC,which is the Collision Industry
Conference.
At Collision IndustryConference, who had more
selections of educationalpresentations and panel
discussions that addressed ourcurrent concerns and coming

(05:32):
trends in collision repair, withsome of the most influential
leaders, the movers, the shakersthat have devoted themselves to
improving our industry.
Professionals from all aspectsof collision repair working to
identify and fix problems withinour industry.
Looking not to go where thepuck is, but rather where the
puck is going in business.

(05:53):
Looking to learn more about EVsand the challenges and
opportunities they present foryour shop, or the latest in ADAS
calibration, the tools andrapidly evolving technology.
Or even how AI is changing therepair process.
In short, if you're a shopowner or leader, you have the
opportunity to learn more aboutany subject that would help move

(06:13):
the ball forward in yourbusiness.
If you're looking for acompetitive edge for your
business or a more effectivejumpstart to your personal
development in 2024, I'll makeyour first step super simple.
It is a fact that an incrediblenumber of the most successful
business owners, nearly half ofthe Fortune 500 companies,
top-running professionalathletes, entertainers and

(06:34):
industry leaders likeMicrosoft's Bill Gates, former
President Bill Clinton, richardBranson, amazon's Jeff Bezos and
Salesforce's Mark Benioff allhave one thing in common they
all have at least one coach andsome have several that they work
with on a consistent basis,someone that helps guide, mentor
and support them, challengethem, help them set and achieve

(06:55):
goals that move them forward andthen hold them accountable to
follow through, driving personaland professional growth.
Working with a coach has manysubstantial benefits.
Just for an example, 80% ofcoaching clients report improved
self-esteem or self-confidencethanks to coaching, 99% of
individuals and companies thathire a coach report being very
satisfied and 96% would do itagain If, deep down, you know

(07:20):
it's time to make thoseimprovements in your business,
your personal life, that you'vekicked down the road year after
year.
If you're tired of knowingthere's a better version of you
waiting to shine, but unsure ofhow to bring that version to
light.
If you're tired of wanting toenjoy a more successful business
but not sure how to start.
And if you don't want to goanother 12 months without better
results but you don't want togo it alone, then take the first

(07:42):
step.
It's super simple.
Sometimes talking to the rightperson can make all the
difference.
Go to wwwrixelovercom, slashcontact and I'll set you up with
a free consultation.
Call with me to see ifone-on-one coaching is right for
you.
Number three networkingeverywhere.
Even if there was no productsto see, no live demos, no

(08:03):
training opportunities oreducational offerings to attend,
I absolutely would still go.
The networking, our ability andopportunity to connect with not
only your peers in whateverparticular niche of the
automotive world you're in, butthe key people and leadership
from each company, the thinkleaders, the movers and shakers
involved with new technologies,next-level tooling and equipment

(08:25):
, software solutions and thelatest and advanced repair
processes that every shop willface if they expect to stay in
business in the future, is notto be missed.
If you're a shop owner,connecting with other successful
shops is so beneficial, but ifyou're a little shy and you're
unsure of approaching others,making connections with the
equipment or materialsmanufacturers can be helpful in

(08:46):
making those introductions.
Making connections with theequipment or materials
manufacturers can be helpful inmaking those introductions.
Looking to change careers oradd on a new service or just
have friends in high places.
This is the best event in ourindustry to connect.
4.
One-stop shopping.
Whether you're looking at justone piece of equipment, like a
new spray booth, the latest andadvanced frame machines, a new

(09:06):
welder that can handle thecomplex metals used in today's
vehicles, or maybe just lookingto outfit a complete shop,
there's absolutely no betteropportunity than SEMA to
comparison shop, explore all theoptions, the pros, the cons and
talk directly with themanufacturers and ask all the
questions you need to ask tomake a great buying decision.
Every single tool, piece ofequipment, material and

(09:30):
technology is represented thereand most have some type of show
special discounting available aswell.
It's also the best chance tolook at all the other bolt-on
businesses you may want to addto an existing repair shop.
There are countless ceramiccoating companies, protection
films, wraps, glass treatments,spray-on bed liners, detailing
products and hundreds of variousaccessories for both interior

(09:53):
and exterior applications, andthat's not even factoring in all
the tire and wheel andperformance products and
businesses.
It's literally one-stop shoppingfor all things automotive
nestled under one big-ass roofand at number five.
The adrenaline rush I'm tellingyou just during the short walk
from the monorail station to theaction-packed parking lots

(10:16):
directly in front of the LasVegas Convention Center display
halls, your adrenaline willstart pumping from the loud,
high-energy drift cars doingfigure eights in a parking lot
engulfed in a cloud of tiresmoke so thick you almost can't
see the cars.
Or maybe it's those crazyhigh-flying motocross bikes in
the Nitro Circus doing backflipsoff these big inflatable ramps

(10:37):
in another section of theparking lot.
Whether it's the big-name actsperforming at SEMA Fest, the
excitement of the industryawards, red carpet awards, or
the infamous car crews leavingthe show on Friday night, there
is no shortage of heart-poundingexcitement to be had, no matter
what level of car junkie youmay be everywhere you look.
Okay, that would be my top fivereasons to attend SEMA next year

(10:58):
.
Put it in your calendar andstart planning now.
Before I go.
I wanted to share a couplehighlights from my trip this
year.
It really was the icing on thecake, or the blower on the hemi.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
However you want to look at it.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
The lessons I learned over the last two Sis regarding
comfortable shoes and the rightvariety of clothing layers
really paid off.
Although I did spend a lot oftime at the top of the Westgate
in one of those Elvis suites inmeetings for large chunks of
each day, I still did get a lotof steps in and the shoe
selections were spot on.
The weather varied from the low40s at night to upper 60s

(11:32):
during the day, and having theright blend of layers could make
all the difference.
On my first trip there, I frozemy ass off and my feet were
killing me every night.
So it's the small victories inlife that are the sweetest.
This was also my firstopportunity and I was fortunate
enough to attend the MSOSymposium on Monday ahead of the
show starting on Tuesday.
Record-breaking attendance andthe great subjects covered and

(11:55):
content that was shared was offthe charts.
They even had an outstandingNASDAQ analyst covering future
investment and business trends,as well as the latest reports on
private equity consolidationoutlook, ccc industry trends, ev
versus ICE repair trends andmuch, much more.
Absolutely a great day oflearning and connecting.

(12:18):
Also, one of the coolest thingswas at the annual SEMA Industry
Awards Banquet.
A good friend of mine, a formerteammate during my time as an
instructor at a localpost-secondary collision program
and recent podcast guest, colbyMcLaughlin, was awarded the
prestigious SEMA Person of theYear Award.
That's like winning the BestLeading Actor at the Academy

(12:40):
Awards category, anyway.
So I went and saw my buddyColby the next day, and Colby,
who's the president of TrimIllusions and is also the chair
of the SEMA ProfessionalRe-Stylers Organization, or PRO,
saw him the next day and he wasstill floating on air after
that award and I was truly happyfor my friend.
It couldn't have happened to anicer guy.

(13:01):
Lastly, I had the opportunity tocatch up with many of my
industry friends at variousevents and on the show floors,
many whom I've just met bysimply getting out of my comfort
zone and attending these typesof events and expanding my
network, and some I've known foryears or even decades.
But these are the people thatmake this for me the greatest
industry event to be at.

(13:21):
I can't wait for next year'sSEMA to see what exciting things
it holds for me and I hope tosee you there.
Well, that's all I had for youtoday.
Thanks again for tuning in.
I really appreciate yoursupport and I hope you have a
great week.
I can always be reached atwwwrixelovercom, where you can
find all my social media linkspodcast episodes, blog posts and

(13:43):
much more.
Bye.