Article reprinted from: Autobody News
The 2021 SEMA Show kicked off Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, NV.
Organizers said the four-day show is the “first full-capacity event at the Las Vegas Convention Center since the pandemic.”
Before the event doors opened at 9 a.m., the Best New Products Awards were announced in 16 different categories.
The Collision Repair & Refinish Product category winner was Keco Body Repair Products‘ Keco Collision Glue Pull Repair System. Runners up were Celette Inc.‘s Eagle and Reliable Automotive Equipment, Inc.‘s Drain Cleaner SR250.
See Ed Attanasio‘s write-up on the winners here.
During the week, SEMA attendees will have the opportunity to view an estimated 1,000 modified project vehicles—customs, exotics, hot rods, lowriders, muscle cars and more—throughout the 1.25 million-square foot Las Vegas Convention Center. These include the top trending vehicles of the year, which were announced Nov. 1. Here are the winners:
- Car of the Year: Ford Mustang
- Sport Compact of the Year: Toyota Supra
- 4×4/SUV of the Year: Ford Bronco
- Full-size Truck of the Year: Ford F-Series
- Mid-Size Truck of the Year: Toyota Tacoma
With more than 51,000 buyers registered to date, SEMA attendees will be able to learn about products and services from more than 1,300 exhibiting companies.
A new way to travel through the show this year is by using the “Vegas Loop” at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The tunnel system, built by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, offers showgoers free transportation underground in a Tesla to the West, North, Central and South halls. It currently consists of two approximately 0.8-mile-long tunnels and is expected to eventually connect Las Vegas casinos along the strip to McCarran International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, downtown Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
In addition to walking through the various halls at the convention center, there are an abundance of educational opportunities at the show this year.
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is holding presentations as part of its Repairer Driven Education series, taking place all week. On Nov. 2, industry experts covered a wide range of topics including staffing a 21st-century collision center, how to survive an OSHA visit, glue pull repair and the ebb and flow of a new normal. For more information and to register, visit www.scrs.com/rde.
Presentations are also being held this year by SCRS and I-CAR throughout the week at the SEMA Collision Repair and Refinish Stage #32145 in the Upper South Hall. On Nov. 2, topics included an I-CAR Technical Update; information about accessing Ford repair information; safety inspections, following Honda/Acura OEM procedures to replace laser-brazed roofs; and a panel on admin time and research. All of the sessions will be recorded and available online at www.i-car.com/RTS.
For more information about the SEMA Show and to register, go to semashow.com.
