Las Vegas Weekly

November 3, 2009 · 7 AM

Photo Gallery: SEMA draws attendees from more than 100 countries

By Robin Leach

Bill Engvall.

Photo: Courtesy

It’s one of the biggest conventions of the year on our Las Vegas calendar. SEMA, the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, is not open to the public. But it draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to the Las Vegas Convention Center and attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries in the automotive, truck, SUV and RV markets.

Las year, SEMA drew more than 50,000 domestic and international buyers alone wandering through 2 million square feet of exhibits. The convention is so large that the displays are divided into 12 sections, and a New Products Showcase alone features nearly 2,000 parts, tools and components.

Exhibit hours kick off today and run through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and wrap on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. SEMA covers everything from paint to transmissions to pressure caps to brake linings to tires to steering wheels -- every object that in the end makes up a vehicle. There’s even a special section of restored vehicle components.

Among the celebrities making appearances at various SEMA booths are NASCAR driver Robby Gordon, comedian Bill Engvall, professional bull riders Zack Brown and Skeeter Kingsolver and myriad motorcycle and automobile speed junkies and custom builders.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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