The 2024 SEMA Show hit the ground running Nov. 5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, welcoming more than 160,000 attendees to the annual automotive aftermarket trade show. The show runs through Nov. 8.
The Kickoff Breakfast preceded the show's official opening.
Before the show floor officially opened, the SEMA Kickoff Breakfast offered addresses from SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola and Board Chairman Kyle Fickler, as well as an on-stage conversation between emcee Jarod DeAnda, celebrity and car enthusiast Jay Leno, and automotive influencer Tavarish, and presentations of the coveted New Product Awards in 18 categories.
“This week is all about innovation, discovery and networking,” said Spagnola, adding the power to fuel new ideas is “the real magic of the SEMA Show.”
Fickler joked the show opened on a “slow news day” -- Nov. 5 also being Election Day in the U.S. -- but assured attendees that no matter who is in office following the vote, SEMA will continue advocating on behalf of its members and the industry as a whole.
“No matter what happens tonight, or tomorrow, or whenever, SEMA has your back,” Fickler said.
With that, the doors opened to allow attendees to explore 1.2 million square feet featuring more than 2,400 exhibitors.
Collision Industry Conference
The quarterly Collision Industry Conference (CIC) returned to Las Vegas on Nov. 5 as it does every year as part of SEMA week.
Cyber protection was the focus of a presentation by the Data Access, Privacy and Security Committee, offering real-world best practices to avoid having digital systems hacked or becoming a victim of ransomware. Shaughn Kennedy of Spark Underwriters cautioned that cyber incidents are generally excluded from most business insurance policies without a special rider.
To help businesses in the industry determine if they have a brand and culture that’s attractive to new entrants into the industry, the Talent Pool and Education Committee held a panel discussion with six collision repair students from the Collision Engineering program at the College of Lake County in Illinois about what they look for from their employer and career in the industry.
And the Emerging Technologies Committee continued its discussion -- started at a CIC earlier this year -- of issues related to low voltage control systems, this time focusing on pure battery electric vehicles.
Autobody News’ John Yoswick will have a full recap of CIC.
Educational Sessions and Demos
Mike Anderson, center, and Sheryl Driggers, right, teach how to negotiate with insurance companies.
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Repairer Driven Education series and I-CAR both continued at SEMA this year, with several panel discussions, presentations and hands-on learning experiences on the schedule throughout the week.
Among the offerings Nov. 5 was Mike Anderson’s “Negotiation Best Practices,” updated with strategies from “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss of Black Swan.
Sheryl Driggers, who works with Anderson at Collision Advice, recently co-authored a book with Voss, “Influence and Impact,” offered additional insights.
Anderson talked about his rules of negotiation for collision repairers who want to be fully paid by insurance carriers for every procedure they perform to repair a car.
Autobody News’ Abby Andrews will write a full recap of Anderson’s presentation.
