Friday 5 Special Edition: On-site at the 2021 SEMA Conference in Las Vegas

Welcome to a special edition of The Friday 5 with Steve Greenfield, Founder and CEO of Automotive Ventures, an auto technology advisory firm that helps entrepreneurs raise money and maximize the value of their companies. This week, Steve is reporting on-site from the 2021 SEMA Conference, the annual trade show where you can see thousands of product innovations from 1,300 new and iconic exhibitors and experience the latest product and custom vehicle trends.

The SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center is presented in conjunction with the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week. As part of this event, SEMA and other automotive aftermarket trade groups make up one of the single largest events on the Las Vegas calendar. This show is not open to the public. Registration as media, manufacturer, buyer, or exhibitor is required.

Pre-pandemic, the SEMA Show in Las Vegas drew about 60,000 attendees. The displays are segmented into 12 sections, and a New Products Showcase features nearly 2,000 newly introduced parts, tools, and components. It’s a great place to get exposed to early-stage innovative companies across the automotive landscape. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, and networking opportunities.

The first SEMA Show was held in 1967 in the basement of the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, before moving to the new Anaheim Stadium in 1974. 

With more than 1,300 exhibiting companies and 51,000 buyers confirmed to date, this year’s SEMA Show—marks the first full-facility event to take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center since the pandemic.

To help visitors stay on top of trends and opportunities, this year’s SEMA Show includes a dedicated “SEMA Electrified” area, where new innovations and cutting-edge technology took center stage. 

This is definitely a key show in the auto industry and is a great place to find early-stage companies who are innovating across the automotive landscape.

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So that’s your weekly Friday 5, a quick wrap-up of the big deals in automotive technology over the past week.

It’s an exciting time to be in the automotive space, with a ton of deals going on. Make sure you stay tuned in each week to stay up to date on the auto industry’s technology M&A activity. I’ll keep my fingers on the pulse of deals being done, so I can share updates with you.

If you’re an early-stage automotive technology entrepreneur looking to raise money, or an entrepreneur who wants to chat about the best timing and process to sell your company to achieve the best outcome, I’d love to discuss it with you at steve@automotive.ventures.

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People often ask me why I’m affiliated with CBT News.

Besides having an outstanding, extremely talented, and hardworking team up here at the studio, I greatly appreciate the valuable role that CBT News plays in the automotive industry.

Every day, I eagerly look forward to my morning email from CBT News to ensure I’m getting the most up-to-date and relevant information on the industry.

I encourage you to tune in to CBT News to ensure that you’re getting the automotive news that matters.

Did you enjoy this podcast episode of The Friday 5? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by submitting a letter to the editor here, or connect with us at newsroom@cbtnews.com.