As I've explained before, I was a SEMA first timer. It was bad enough that there really isn't enough time to get immersed in the SEMA experience, but what made the lack of time worse was being unprepared. And this is not for lack of trying - I spent many nights reading guides, reviewing the schedules, and mapping out my way through the floor plan. But there are a lot of surprises, good and bad, that made a giant difference in the way I saw the show. Tonight, I'll list down eight tips I'd like to give to first-timers to try to maximize the SEMA week.
1. Decide early on your game plan. Is your focus finding suppliers? Are you going to prioritize the hot rod displays or air ride displays? Will you be autograph-hunting? Do you want to do the test drives and joyrides? SEMA is, thankfully, organized by specialty - hot rods, wheels and tires, 4x4s, tuner parts - so you can pick and choose what you want to see first. But you will have to choose between many events that will be happening simultaneously, so having a clear priority will make for a more meaningful SEMA experience.
2. Come early. And that goes both for time as it does for date. SEMA runs for 4 days (from Tuesday to Friday), and many guys show up on Thursday and Friday. Tuesday morning is best because you get the first pick at some great giveaways, like posters, keychains, and other memorabilia. The show officially starts at 9am, but as early as 8:15am you can get into the show grounds. By 8:30am, there are a few hundred people there. This is the best time to get good pictures of displays, and if you are actually there on business, it's great to have the full attention of the guys manning the booths, since you're the only one there.
Crowds get big, quick
3. Stay late. Again, this goes for both date and time. SEMA security will ask you to leave after 5pm, but if you stay in the center aisles, you can actually get some great pics of the cars, since - like the early mornings - there's nobody to interfere with the shot. I tended to stay until 5:30 to 6pm, both to take pics and to talk to people in the booths I found interesting. And coming back on the last day is quite rewarding, as well, particularly around 3pm onwards. Why? That's because it's around this time that exhibitors pack up, and they will be trying to unload whatever freebies they have left from the show. One booth gave me six great-looking hats, which I took to give to friends and family, while my wife took home a whole bag of candy.
4. Have a big breakfast before you go, and have lunch late. Either that, or eat lunch real early. Between 11:30am to 1:30pm the lines for food can get long, and in some cases, lines can take up to 30 minutes. And finding a table is even harder than that. You have a better chance of getting a bite to eat within a reasonable timeframe if you head for the little food kiosks on the sides of the exhibition halls, but eating spaces are even harder to come by there.
5. If you are looking to get autographs, find a line-buddy. I stumbled across a couple of guys who would become my line buddies for day 1. They gave me tips on who was signing autographs, the sequence they will be going, and how long the lines can be. We ended up trading info, and, when necessary, covered for each other when waiting in line while one of us had to run to the bathroom, or grab something to eat. In fact, on day 3, I was able to get my line buddy to hold my spot for me in a particularly long line, while I ran to other booths to get stuff for the celebrities to sign.
6. Bring a backpack, but pack light. There are, however, some essentials - extra batteries and extra memory cards (for your camera), a smart phone or tablet pc (the SEMA venue has free wifi, and that's useful for planning out events and viewing floor plans since the SEMA guide is heavy and cumbersome), a sharpie or other permanent marker (for asking for autographs when you see celebrities walking around) and a handkerchief (among other things, great for wrapping around the rope handles on takeaway bags that get too heavy). The backpack will also be useful for carrying the various brochures, freebies and giveaways that you will no doubt pick up along the way. An optional extra I would recommend is a carton tube, for carrying posters. They give a lot of cool posters away at SEMA, and a lot of my posters got wrinkled and even ripped a bit due to handling.
7. Wear your most comfortable shoes. Chances are, you will have to park far from the venue, even if you are very early. I'e read that you can end up walking up to 8 miles for each day of SEMA. You can take frequent breaks and pace yourself, but then again, that would easily throw time out the window. And the common theme here is maximizing time. And don't forget that you'll have to walk back to your car, which will likely be parked pretty far away (unless you came extra early). Even if you take a cab, a pair of extra-comfortable shoes will still pay off. The lines for a cab out of SEMA can reach an hour, so you may be best off walking a couple of miles up the Vegas Strip to get a ride from a hotel.
8. If you aren't a large business, don't bother with AAPEX. I went to take a look, and it wasn't really worth going to - the displays were not as interesting, and there wasn't as much to do or see. I did, however, visit on the last day (it's only 3 days, compared to SEMA's 4) and got a bunch of freebies there, but otherwise, it wasn't much. SEMA is where it's at.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my first SEMA. God willing, I'd love to do it again, and hopefully, I'll take my own advice and get more out of my next SEMA experience.
And now, tonight's Top 5 tackles my favorite Exotics:
5. Mosler MT 900S
I've never seen one before, and to be honest, I didn't quite place the car at first. Didn't have the traingular headlights of a SSC Ultimate Aero, or the bazillion side grilles of a Saleen S7... Oh, yeah, it's a Mosler! The owner corrected me, too. I said Mows-ler. Apparently, it's Mohs-ler. Oops. Anyway, if having over 1000hp on tap isn't enough to get on this list, then being one of just 15 ever made definitely seals the deal.
4. Hennessey Venom GT
Ok, so having met John Hennessey, builder of this car and super nice guy, influenced my decision just a tiny bit. But being partial to Lotuses in the first place, having gorgeous wide-body styling, and a 1200hp twin-turbo V8 capable of a projected top speed of over 270mph certainly makes the case for this yellow monster.
3. Bugatti Veyron
I didn't expect the Veyron to look good in white. I thought a plain-jane white Bugatti would be too boring for what is perhaps the most audacious car ever built. But damn, it looks awesome. And then it hit me: the Veyron, in this color, with those rims... is a storm trooper! I can hear the Imperial March in the background already, all while hitting 253mph...
2. Alfa Romeo Furia
I'm surprised that this wasn't my number one pick. It's a stunning car.... gullwings, low stance, sharp nose, gigantic door sills and all. But the name Furia escaped me. I had never heard of this car. After some research, I found out that this is just one of 5 ever made. It was built only in Brazil, by Italian Toni Bianco, who worked at a Brazilian factory licensed to build Alfas. Not much info is available on this car... I just know it's stunning.
1. Shelby/AC Cobra Prototype #1
This car, parked in the historical section of Ford display, was a mess. Scratched up and faded paint, worn emblems, and a ratty interior (and I mean ratty)... it seemed out of place. Until you learned about its history. This very car, chassis number CSX0001, was the first ever Shelby Cobra. In 1962 Carroll Shelby took delivery of this chassis from AC Cars in Surrey, England, and fitted a 221 cubic inch Ford V8, and the Cobra was born. This exact car is still owned by Carroll Shelby today, nearly 50 years later. It gave me chills standing next to it.
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