Big Three Automakers Add Muscle to SEMA Sponsorship

The Specialty Equipment Market Assn. has gotten Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler to agree to a joint sponsorship at SEMA Show, the annual Las Vegas exhibition ranked No. 4 on the most recent Tradeshow Week 200. Previously, the three major car makers took turns sponsoring the show.

The annual gathering of the automotive aftermarket products industry has for many years used a manufacturer's cars to show off the parts and accessories designed by SEMA members, said Peter MacGillivray, vice president of marketing and communications.

The sponsorship rotated among Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler until three years ago, when organizers realized that whichever auto maker had a product it really wanted to show off should be given the official vehicle manufacturer title to help it make a splash.

Last year, amid continuing financial difficulties for American car companies, Honda made its debut as mark of the show.

This year, during visits to auto shows, SEMA officials noticed that the three U.S. companies had something in common to show off — namely, muscle cars — and that the re-emergence of the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger roughly coincided with the 40-year anniversary of SEMA Show.

So, MacGillivray said, they approached the three car companies with the idea of doing a joint sponsorship.

"It was kind of a what-if situation," he said. "We went to Detroit and had representatives from all three brands in a room, and we pitched it. We threw it out on the table and stepped away, because they immediately started brainstorming."

The resulting sponsorship marks the first such collaboration between Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler, according to SEMA. It will include muscle car-themed educational programs, technical seminars, events, keynotes and specialty display areas at the Oct. 31–Nov. 3 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Although the 1 million-plus net square foot show grew by nearly 10,000 sq. ft. last November, professional attendance was down from 81,768 in 2004 to 76,048 in 2005.

Part of SEMA's goal for the muscle-car exhibition is to drive high-quality attendees to the show by fostering the relationship between manufacturers and the enthusiast entrepreneurs that make up the association's traditional member base.

These members, noted MacGillivray, "are very close to industry trends and are opinion leaders in the auto industry. They're the person you go to when you want to buy a new car. They know what's cool, what works, what doesn't."

He predicted that the muscle-car exhibition would be "a big deal to car guys," adding that it's also an exciting addition for the association.